Food and Farming Canada » Unusual

A royal jam

Lilian — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 14:06:09 +0000

Royal wedding fever is ramping up as we inch closer to the long-awaited nuptials of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

I remember watching the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer back in 1981…the sheer pomp and circumstance of it all was like a magical fairy tale to my six year old eyes!

In Canada, of [...]

Food, farming and condoms

Lilian — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 13:53:50 +0000

You’re probably wondering what the connection could possibly be between condoms, food and farming.

At first glance, absolutely none – but the humour and the challenge in this little situation made it a bit too bizarre not to write about.

As a blogger and freelance journalist, I receive pitches all the time from PR folks and [...]

Sexy calendar puts new face on farmers

Lilian — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 12:05:29 +0000

A gorgeous new calendar showcasing the photos and stories of 12 Ontario farmers has been released just in time for Christmas.

The popular “Faces of Farming” calendar, now in its sixth year, puts a different and real face on today’s farmers who produce food in Ontario.

All of the calendar’s models are real, working Ontario farmers, from Sarnia [...]

Through the eyes of a cow

Lilian — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 18:23:18 +0000

Have you ever wondered what the world looks like through the eyes of animals?

I think about that sometimes when I watch my dog lie in the grass, seemingly engrossed in nothing. Growing up on a dairy farm, I was surrounded by cattle on a daily basis and I remember wondering that too when I’d watch them [...]

Ontario edamame ready for harvest!

Lilian — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 12:06:59 +0000

Back in the spring, I wrote a post about an Ontario farmer who is experimenting with growing edamame this year.

Edamame is a succulent soybean that is popular in Asian cuisine. Currently virtually all edamame consumed in Canada is grown in Asia, which means there could be a market opportunity for Ontario farmers to begin growing [...]

Weetabix mixing food, farming and art

Lilian — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 12:49:15 +0000

Weetabix, a global cereal brand, is sponsoring a wheat art competition for Ontario farmers this year. Sounds a little out-of-the ordinary at first glance and I must admit it is. After all, cereal, art and farming aren’t usually things I tend to link in my head.

Ontario wheat farmers are encouraged to give their artistic selves [...]

Breakfast pizza – easy, delicious and local!

Lilian — Sun, 23 May 2010 18:52:44 +0000

A few weeks ago I came across an article that talked about Breakfast Pizza as the latest trend in chic breakfast eating. This seems like a great idea to me – I love pizza and I love breakfast, so I figure you can’t go wrong by bringing these two life staples together!I first tried the recipe [...]

Lovely local lavender

Lilian — Fri, 21 May 2010 10:45:15 +0000

To me, the thought of lavender always brings images of the south of France to mind – and a lovely vacation I spent there with my Mom in the late 1990s.

It’s time for me to change my thinking, though, because lavender is set to have a bigger presence as a homegrown Ontario crop as well. [...]

Where food, farming and bombs collide

Lilian — Mon, 17 May 2010 18:33:59 +0000

When they’re planting their crops, farmers in this area must always keep an eye out for unexploded bombs. Their lands were once battlefields and the dangerous remnants of those conflicts are still a threat today, decades after the end of hostilities.

Now any number of war-torn corners of the world may come to mind as you read [...]

A floral paradise

Lilian — Mon, 10 May 2010 12:52:22 +0000

Imagine an 11 acre indoor garden with two kilometres of walking paths, 776 cubic feet of soil, 4736 square feet of pond surface and 300,000 visitors over eight days.

That’s the world famous Floralies of Ghent, an incredible floral and plant exposition that takes place once every five years – a tradition that’s been ongoing for [...]