If your goal is to eat local, mushrooms should figure prominently on your list. Canada's commercial fresh mushroom growers produce about 99% of what you'll find at the grocery store. What's more, about 40% of the over 130,000 tonnes of mushrooms produced are exported, mainly to the U.S., and that demand is growing, says Ryan... Read More
Category: Food
Customers (also known as consumers) aren't always sure who to trust when it comes to information about food and food production. So, the question arises, how can you better connect with them to answer their questions or to feel confident in their food choices? Speaking at the Farming Smarter conference last week at Lethbridge, Alta.,... Read More
Costco Wholesale announced it is updating company animal welfare standards to reduce the use of medically important antibiotics in its meat and poultry supply chains. Announced earlier this week on the same day as McDonald's own policy commitment, Costco's new direction follows similar lines to the seller of Big Macs. "Our policy is to limit... Read More
There's no understating just how significant the loss of Canadian pulse exports to India has been this past year. Carl Potts, executive director of the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, says that the organization's budget — directly funded through a value-based levy — fell short by nearly 40%. It shows just how dire the situation has been... Read More
The Canadian Food Price Report for 2019 was unveiled this week, and the findings raised the eyebrows of many, including those within the Canadian Meat Council (CMC). The report was put out by the University of Guelph and the University of Dalhousie. The two schools cite the price of meat is set to decline as... Read More
With the impending completion of phase 2 less than five months away, Whole Leaf is set to be the largest lettuce greenhouse operation in North America. The new state-of-the-art facility, opened its doors at Coaldale, Alta., last year. It introduced five proprietary technologies to North American production — making it possible to annually grow "clean,... Read More
McCain Foods is halfway through $45 million and $30 million in updates to its Portage la Prairie and Carberry potato processing facilities, respectively. Upgrades for the Portage la Prairie site started in 2016, and will wrap late next year. The modifications include the addition of a high efficiency potato sorting system, as well as new... Read More
Maple Leaf Foods has announced plans to spend $660 million to build a new, 640,000 square foot fresh poultry processing facility at London, Ont., and to invest in projects that "accelerate adoption of advanced manufacturing and production technologies." Those investments support the company's goal of reducing its environmental footprint by 50 per cent by 2025.... Read More
If ever you've been hugely frustrated by misinformation swirling around about how food is grown, you've probably also wondered what can be done about it. While farmers have been encouraged to "tell their stories," many feel that, as an industry, the information shared is not being picked up. That is partially true, as the latest... Read More
A Quebec cheese processing company will invest in automation and digital technology following federal funding announcements made earlier this week. La Trappe à Fromage de l'Outaouais will receive up to $584,063 to assist the cheese processor purchase and install automation equipment to "optimize processing, improve product quality and production capacity, and food safety." The company,... Read More