| This is a longer version of a post I put up last week – and this article is also printed in the Ontario Farmer this week. *** An episode of Oprah. A film called Food Inc. A hard-hitting Time magazine cover story. A series in the Toronto Star. The last year was not a good one for agriculture on the public relations front, but a Guelph agri-food consultant still believes the industry is on the right track. And he offered some tips to help address the growing public perception issue as he spoke to a meeting of the Guelph Partnership for Innovation last week. Continue reading Farmers get some PR pointers The rise of the local food movement has also increased urban interest in growing food in the city. Generally, this means a small garden or some planters for tomatoes, carrots, some herbs and the like. But for some more adventurous types, this drive to “grow your own” also includes eggs – and it’s not as easy to care for chickens as you might think. Continue reading Backyard chicken checklist
One of 2009′s hot stories was our growing love affair with buying locally grown food – and learning how we can do more of that ourselves.
There’s an interesting story from the Globe and Mail on the CTV Olympic site: a Sudbury torchbearer is involved in a local food growing project in the region. I have to admit, that concept intrigued me because I don’t usually associate Sudbury with food or with farming – more with mining. Continue reading Farming Food in the Nickel Belt A series of global trends will change everything about the way we eat, says the head of Canada’s largest grocery chain. And that means both adjustment and opportunity for those involved in food, Galen Weston of Loblaw Companies Limited told attendees at the Agricultural Adaptation Council’s annual meeting in Guelph recently. Continue reading Loblaws chief: global trends will impact food
It’s harvest time in Ontario – a time of bounty and plenty for lovers of local food. But where Canadian agriculture is concerned, it’s not all about buying local and the 100-mile diet, even though everyone seems to be getting in on that action. It’s true that local food is growing in popularity and the 100-mile diet is a hot trend. The media is talking and writing about buying local, the number of farmers’ markets and local food stores is growing and the provincial government is providing funding and support for a wide variety of pick-Ontario programs and initiatives. Continue reading Canada’s farms not suited to 100 mile diet? A bunch of us girls get together every once in a while for craft night. Now, normally, this has nothing to do with food or farming – other than we’re all farm girls and we usually eat food before crafting. But the last time we got together, my friend Cathy mentioned she was growing tomatoes in her garden this year. Continue reading The great salsa adventure
I think I could be newly addicted. This year, more than ever before, I’ve been focused on local foods and making a conscious effort to buy and consume more of them, especially Ontario fruits and vegetables. Not only are they good for me, but I believe it’s important to support our own, in this case Ontario’s farmers. But there’s one problem with my carefully practised efforts to buy Ontario: what do you do with the remainder of a two-litre basket of peaches when all you can really eat within a few short days only uses up half the basket? Continue reading Once you start, you just can’t stop | |