Food and Farming Canada » organics

Apples – organic or conventional?

Lilian — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 12:55:22 +0000

The debate over organic versus conventional agriculture is an ongoing one in the world of food production.

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.

If you’ve eaten apples from any of Ontario’s major supermarkets, chances are you’ve eaten a Martin’s [...]

An Ontario farmer’s direct marketing success story

Lilian — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 13:47:55 +0000

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.

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 [...]

Reports on pesticide residue may be misleading

Lilian — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:20:41 +0000

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 [...]

Birds weigh in on organic question

Lilian — Fri, 21 May 2010 03:02:00 +0000

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 [...]

Farmers turn to alternative agriculture

Lilian — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:05:42 +0000

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, [...]

The right to farm and feed the world

Lilian — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 11:20:21 +0000

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.

If they don’t, a US researcher told delegates at the Beef Industry Convention in London ON recently, we [...]

WWF: organics not the answer to our food problems

Lilian — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 17:57:26 +0000

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.

Bryan Weech says we have to do more [...]