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For one Ontario apple grower, though, that debate ended a decade ago after some firsthand research into the issue. But first, a little bit of background. Continue reading Apples – organic or conventional?  
Building that one-on-one relationship would help boost the availability of local food products, they argue, as well as protect farmers from fluctuating global commodity prices. It’s not quite that simple and it’s not a solution that works for everyone, I usually reply, but there are some farmers who are quite successful with it. Ontario soybean grower Harro Wehrmann is an example of one farmer who follows this model and does so very successfully. I interviewed him recently for a feature story in Ontario Grain Farmer – here’s how he’s found his niche growing and marketing organic soybeans directly to Mississauga food processor Sol Cuisine. Continue reading An Ontario farmer’s direct marketing success story
But this season also annually gives new life to the ongoing debate about whether or not we should be using crop protection materials in our food production. Earlier this summer, a U.S. activist group released its yearly list of fruits and vegetables they say consumers should avoid because they contain the highest levels of pesticide residues. Continue reading Reports on pesticide residue may be misleading It seems even birds are weighing in on the debate over the nutritional benefits of organic food. A newly released study by Newcastle University in the UK showed that wild garden birds preferred the more protein rich regular bird seed over that which was organically grown. Lead researcher Dr. Alisa McKenzie says this is because protein is [...] Growing numbers of farmers are turning to alternative agriculture and agri-tourism initiatives to help them earn a living. That message was illustrated by several speakers at the recent Canadian Farm Writers Federation annual meeting in Edmonton, Alberta earlier this month. Ron Hamilton, Mary Ellen Grueneberg and Doug Livingstone have each found a different niche for themselves, but they are bound by a common love of the land, passion for food and dedication to farming. Here are snapshots of their stories I heard while attending the conference. Continue reading Farmers turn to alternative agriculture
If they don’t, a US researcher told delegates at the Beef Industry Convention in London ON recently, we will experience higher food prices, destroy sensitive ecosystems as they’re pressed into food production and hinder the development of new, “green” energy sources like ethanol. Continue reading The right to farm and feed the world If we want to feed the world – and do it in an environmentally responsible and sustainable manner – organics won’t cut it. That’s the message the World Wildlife Fund’s Director of Livestock will be bringing to the AGCare/Ontario Farm Animal Council annual meeting in Guelph on March 12. Continue reading WWF: organics not the answer to our food problems |   | ||||
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The debate over organic versus conventional agriculture is an ongoing one in the world of food production.
Consumers, local food advocates and others ask me why more farmers don’t market their products – grains, meats, fruits and vegetables – directly to the end user.
We’re in the middle of prime fruit and vegetable season. The heat and sun of the summer bring with them roadside stands, farmers markets and local food stores brimming with fresh, Ontario-grown produce. I, for one, as someone who supports local food production and values Ontario’s farmers, am in my element as I’m revelling in the seasonal bounty of our fields.
The world’s demand for food and food-based products is set to double – if not triple – by 2050 and farmers must speak up for their right to meet that demand using conventional farming methods combined with new technologies.