In universities in Ontario, the semester has ended and students are off to travel, work at a summer job or just recharge their batteries. Experience has taught me as an instructor to not pack too much into the very end of the semester. Nerves are frayed and agendas are overwhelmed. That’s especially true in the… Read More
Category: Food
In the hustle and bustle of our everyday, it can be easy to forget about the abundance that surrounds us. Abundant and nutritious foods, good schools, bright futures for us and our kids — all of it — are things we enjoy, but sometimes take for granted in North America. Would you leave it all… Read More
The debate over whether or not it is a good idea to have your children vaccinated is one that every person in agriculture needs to pay attention to. I use the word debate not because there is any argument — the value and safety of vaccines has been proven time and again. I would fall… Read More
To underline the value of research at universities in the province, the Council of Ontario Universities has launched a campaign inviting the public to vote on what it considers to be the top 50 “game changing” research breakthroughs in the past century. Universities were asked to forward their suggestions to the council, which then chose… Read More
The head of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is accusing the union that represents food inspectors of “unnecessarily undermining Canadians’ confidence in their food safety system.” The Agriculture Union issued a news release this week saying cost-cutting within the CFIA is creating an inspector shortage that is putting Canadians’ health at risk. As an example, the union says… Read More
The room was abuzz with the energy of high cattle prices, an informative day of sessions, and the opportunity to dress up for a night of entertainment. There was a white tablecloth, food heaped onto my plate, the offer of an array of drinks a short stroll away, and a group of quasi-strangers set to… Read More
Researchers at Kansas-based Engrain are working through a process that they hope will lay the groundwork for the creation of celiac-safe wheat. The study is led by Chris Miller, Engrain’s senior director of research, and will result in a comprehensive study of the wheat proteins related to celiac disease. This information could allow scientists to target the genes… Read More
Tapping into a new food or food ingredient market takes years of research, market development and buy-in of an entire value chain. It helps, of course, if there’s a ready market for the product, and you’ve got land that needs a new cropping option. That’s the current situation with hazelnuts in Ontario — work into… Read More
A proposal for a one-million-acre set-aside for pollinators in Ontario by 2018 sounds like something a government or activists would propose, and farmers would lose their minds over. What? A million acres in a province losing 350 acres of prime farmland a day to development? But now, this set-aside program, the gemstone in the new… Read More