Perspectives on good food and farming
April 8, 2010

Financing the Co-operative Movement – For better or for worse?

Faced with banks and agencies that expect profits to override other concerns, the co-operative movement is beginning to look within for solutions, but challenges remain. Co-operatives seeking to build an organization that redistributes resources and decision-making to their members or their community are faced with the awkward situation of seeking funds from institutions that will steer them towards values opposed to their own. Amanda Wilson writes in The Dominion, news from the grassroots.

Canadian young farmers being asked to ‘Step Up’

A nationwide program is looking for young Canadians serious about farming as an occupation. Offered through the Canadian Farm Business Management Council, Step Up pairs experienced farm managers with young farmers who are just starting their careers. Once the young farmer is enrolled, he or she is matched with a mentor. Today’s Farmer story.

Clear Channel

Everyone wants local food, but is the current distribution channel set up for it? A recent CRFA survey of Canadian chefs revealed that the number 1 trend in foodservice today is local and sustainable food. But while chefs want to create local menus and customers want to order those dishes, there are significant challenges inherent in the current distribution channel that’s making it tough for everyone involved. With that in mind, F&H asked some key industry stakeholders to talk about sourcing and distributing local food. Not surprisingly, all had strong feelings on the subject. Food Service World story.

Chickens may soon be welcome in Calgary coops

Urban chicken farms could soon be coming to a backyard near you. The city has dropped all charges against anyone who raises chickens in the city in favour of a pilot project to see if backyard chicken coops can really fly. Paul Hughes was supposed to appear in court Thursday to support another woman charged with raising chickens in her backyard, instead he is at home celebrating a victory. Hughes is president of the Canadian Liberated Urban Chick Klub or CLUCK and has been fighting for a year for the right to keep chickens on city property. Calgary CTV story.

Alberta Sustainable Agriculture Apprentice Program

The Alberta Sustainable Agriculture Apprenticeship Program supports people interested in getting into sustainable agriculture by providing on–farm experience and training through an apprenticeship style program. Becky Lipton, founder and coordinatorinterview.

Best Locavore Experience near Toronto

One of Canada’s most maddeningly elusive chefs just got a little more accessible. Star chef Michael Stadtländer left Toronto in 1993 and moved to Eigensinn Farm, two hours outside the city, where he made dinner twice a week for just a dozen diners a night. But it’s easier to get a place at the table now that he’s opened Haisai, a 28-seat restaurant and bakery down the road. Stadtländer’s daily set menu is an ode to self-sufficiency. It might include red-wattles ham from a beast more boar than pig; he raises the animal, butchers the meat, then cold-smokes it for six months and air-dries it for five more. Stadtländer designed and built much of the solar-powered restaurant himself. Food and Wine Magazine story.

Your own goat = homegrown dairy

There are dog people and cat people. And then, there are dairy-loving goat people. Shelley Hess is one of the latter. In a fenced area at the end of her driveway, the resident of North Saanich, B.C., keeps three goats named Kalinga, Poppy and Nikki. They serve both as pets and a source of dairy for her family. Globe and Mail story.

Toward better milk, healthier cows

The Atlantic Dairy and Forage Institute in New Brunswick wants to build an $8.5 million expansion in order to improve the quality of milk. The privately owned, non-profit working farm with more than 50 cows is the province’s only research station for the dairy industry. Executive director Wiebe Dykstra said its work includes improving the quality of the feed in order to increase the quality of the milk produced by the cows. “Enhance it by maybe making it so there’s more omega-3 in it and less saturated fat,” he said. CBC Newsstory.

McDonald’s Canada thinks small

Downsizing is impacting the menu even at one of the world’s largest restaurant chains, as McDonald’s Canada announced the national debut of McMini sandwiches. McDonald’s Canada first launched the item as a limited-time offer in Quebec, where it received a lot of positive feedback, the company said in a news release. McMini sandwiches are served on mini bakery-style baguettes with a choice of crispy or grilled all-white chicken breast and two gourmet sauces, Spicy Thai and Pesto. Menu price is $1.99. MeatingPlace story.

Kettle Valley Food Co-Op Receives Funding From Canadian Government

In the name of the Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of Veterans Affairs, Minister of State (Agriculture), The Honourable Stockwell Day, President of the Treasury Board and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway announced that the Government of Canada is supporting local food production with $17,700 in funding for the Kettle Valley Food Co-op. This project, funded under the Government of Canada’s Co-operative Development Initiative (CDI), will develop tools to recruit and train member producers and consumers. “Co-operatives are used to address a variety of community needs,” said Minister Day. “They have a successful track record of lowering costs and opening markets – a great benefit to rural communities.” The Boundary Sentinel story.

AND if You Have Time

Meat meets meat in KFC’s no-bun sandwich

KFC is putting its chicken where its buns were. Today, the nation’s largest chicken fast-food chain announced plans to nationally roll out a breadless chicken sandwich that uses two boneless chicken fillets as the bun — then squeezes two pieces of bacon, two slices of cheese and some sauce in between. USA Today story. KFC press release.

Perspectives on good food and farming
March 31, 2010

Ideas for the Future of Farming

A farm commentator from Wellington County says farmers need to re-connect with consumers. Elbert van Donkersgoed says the dis-connect we have now means Ontario is importing food products we could be producing within the province. He says farmers have to change from being producers of raw, bulk product. Van Donkersgoed says we need to find creative ways to market local food products. He argues doing that successfully would force the supermarket chains to follow suit and start putting more and more local product on their shelves. CKNX Radio 920AM Wingham story.

Grocer connecting with Net-savvy customers

The result of months of research and planning was a highly interactive website, launched in September of 2009, with a strong social media outreach to further expand the store’s savvy and highly connected customer base. The website is a hub of activity with videos on how to bag your own groceries, videos of Toronto chefs involved in raising money for The Stop Community Food Centre on why they shop at Fiesta; and stories on how to make a perfect Dagwood and Meatball Madness. You can link up with community organizations and events or even find a carpool to shop at Fiesta. Currently the store has more than 680 Facebook members and as many followers on Twitter. Hypenotic keeps the spaces fresh with newsfeed updates and Tweets. Globe and Mail story.

Foodlink Waterloo Blog: Local Dish

Fresh postings each week will share with you special local finds you won’t want to miss, exciting news about the Region’s bounty, insider stories from our local farmers and chefs, inspiring book reviews to keep you informed and inspired to expand your local food passion and … well let’s just say we have lots of great surprises in store for you. Read it here.

Sell the food-buying experience, farmers told

Now that spring’s here, sort of, farmers who market directly to Ontario consumers through roadside stands or farmers’ markets are gearing up for what should be a busy season. Local food is becoming part of our culture, and these farmers strike a chord with localvores and others who believe direct sales are good on many levels, with quality, freshness and safety at the top of the list. But now, another trait is emerging as a local food priority: that is, fun as a point of differentiation. Owen Roberts commentary in the Guelph Mercury.

Niagara Falls MPP Kim Craitor’s open letter to the Ontario wine industry

I have received so many emails and phone calls about the efforts of Andrew Peller Limited and Vincor’s attempt to get the government to rescind the government’s recent initiative to ensure that 100% of the Ontario grape crop gets put into bottles and not end up on the ground that I feel I should publish this response as an open letter to the industry so Niagara’s grape growers can decide from a position of knowing another point of view on this issue. The so-called Winery and Growers Alliance is in fact a lobby group for the handful of giant wineries that enjoy a monopoly position in the trade of “Cellared in Canada” (CIC) wines. St. Catharines Standard story

Local veggies available year round

It’s probably the very worst time of the year to find local fresh fruits and vegetables to eat. But local certified organic market gardener Ann Slater is still eating veggies she grew last year on her organic vegetable farm, along with some fresh spinach greens she grows in a hoop house on her property north of Uniondale. What’s surprising, Slater said, is that she freezes and cans very few vegetables and still has plenty to choose from over the winter months. Woodstock Sentinel-Review story.

Forum Urges Action On Local Abattoir Situation

They talked about over-regulation, the reality of food safety and even what some called a lack of common sense. Panelists and audience members alike at last night’s public forum on local food in Wingham all seemed to agree something needs to be done to protect the remaining small abattoirs in Ontario. One of the panelists was Kevin Green, owner of Green’s Meat Market in Wingham. He says his whole business is based on the agricultural community in his area. Green says the costs of meeting increasingly tough regulations have to be passed on to the consumer and to the farmers who get their animals processed at his plant. CKNX Radio 920AM Wingham story.

Ontario’s Greenbelt Turns 5, and has a lot to Celebrate!

Ontario’s 1.8 million acre Greenbelt has protected endangered plants and animals, saved environmentally-important green space, and preserved farmland. That’s not all. One study shows that the Greenbelt contributes $2.6 billion annually in ecological services. Despite these tremendous successes, the Greenbelt is under threat from unnecessary infrastructure, such as highways, and gravel pits and quarries. And while the Greenbelt has protected farmland, more needs to be done to support farming. Green Among the Grey: Fifth Anniversary Progress Report on the Greater Golden Horseshoe Greenbelt from the Ontario Greenbelt Alliance.

Markham’s appetite for food belt grows

A large majority of Markham residents have concerns about urban sprawl, traffic congestion and growth issues and would support a food belt instead of the expansion of the city’s urban boundary on to prime agricultural land, a new poll shows. The poll, conducted by Pollara for the Ontario Greenbelt Alliance, shows that 83 per cent supported a food belt. However, the survey found 61 per cent of respondents were not initially familiar with the proposal but supported the idea after it was explained to them. Toronto Star story.

AND if You Have Time

Dare They Sell You Stale Veggies Now!

In supermarkets where loads of veggies is stacked and dumped, freshness may not be a priority. Keeping a track of all that’s been brought in can be time consuming and not all buyers may have a knack for freshness count. The Fresh Code offers a simple solution to this problem; it’s an intelligent barcode with a graph that indicates the freshness level. As time passes by, the graph on the barcode keeps receding, till it finally reaches “0”; indicating that the veggie needs to be dumped and not sold. Yanko Design website.

Perth County Food Summit 2010.

Perspectives on good food and farming
March 26, 2010

***NEW***Value Plus – Your Path to Farm Success coming to BC March 26th!

The global marketplace is no place to be selling an undifferentiated product. The price takers, those who don’t have the power to set prices for a specialty product, are vulnerable financially and are at the whim of supply and demand. Those who have diversified have added value to an existing product and will be able to ask more for that product or service. Quesnel, BC. Canadian Farm Business Management council website

***NEW***Public Consultation Sessions re Toronto Food Strategy

Public consultations on the Toronto Food Strategy are posted on the Food Connections website.  If you are interested in attending any of the sessions, reply to contact name associated with the event, or contact Yusuf at the Toronto Food Policy Council: 416-338-7936 for further information.

Seedy Saturday, March 27, Cowichan (BC)

Come for a great selection of seeds from local seed vendors, as well as a chance to “seed swap”, meet local farmers and other “foodies”. We will also be hosting a workshop “Starting with Seeds”. Find out what crops are suitable for our island coastal climate and how and when to plant. Learn several methods of seed starting techniques and recipes for making different soil mixes. Details Cowichan (BC) Green Community.

Edible Cities: Can Urban Agriculture Feed Us All? March 29, Kitchener

The next event in the Roundtable’s Healthy Food System series at Kitchener Public Library is Monday, March 29, 2010, 7-9pm, at KPL Main Branch (85 Queen St N, Kitchener).  Join us for an informative session on urban agriculture, including green roofs, community gardens, SPIN (small-plot, intensive) farming, urban homesteading, urban forests and wild harvesting, as we explore how urban agriculture can be a solution for creating sustainable cities and feeding us all. Healthy Food System Series.

Nutrition Month Campaign, March 29, Woodstock

A series of awareness events are being held over the next month in a push to encourage local residents to include fruits and vegetables in their diets. This year’s national Nutrition Month campaign focuses on educating people about the benefits of healthy eating, and how to plan and prepare healthy meals. On March 29 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., a free education session will be held upstairs at Hurley’s Independent Grocers in Ingersoll, featuring guest speaker Ann Slater of Ann Slater’s Organic Vegetable Farm. Slater said local produce doesn’t disappear when the weather turns cold. Woodstock Sentinel Review story

Local Food Connection: Farmer Food Buyer Networking Event, March 29, London

This event connects farmers and food buyers into the local food market place. It is for farmers interested in finding out more about selling into local food marketing opportunities. It will be of interest to chefs, caterers, food retailers, processors, distributors, food-service and institutional food providers looking to offer more local food. Details on the website of London Economic Development Corporation.

Greenbelt after Five Years Summit, March 31

Wednesday, March 31, 2010, Four Points By Sheraton 3530 Schmon Parkway, Thorold. Details.

Community Food Hubs Seminar, April 7, Toronto

Towards Sustainable Food: An Introduction to the BRASS Research Centre and the work of the BRASS Food Group with Alex Franklin and Julie Newton (Cardiff University). Wednesday, April 7, 2010, 10AM-11:30AM, Oakham House, 63 Gould Street in the Oakham Lounge (2nd Floor) (http://www.ryerson.ca/maps/) Community food hubs are increasingly being employed by sustainability advocates as a model for coordinating the supply of food from groups of local producers to consumers. As well as reducing food miles and providing new economic opportunities, food hubs can also be used to promote connections between consumers and proximate rural productive spaces.

Food Inc. Coming To Huron County, April 15, Goderich

A film coming into Goderich next month has drawn some attention from the president of the Huron Federation of Agriculture. Food Inc. is an Oscar-nominated film on the food industry in the U-S. Wayne Black hasn’t seen it yet – but reviews suggest it’s taking a pretty negative look at the industry. He thinks it may not be a bad idea for farmers to have a look at the film. Black says as long as consumers and farmers watch the film with an open mind – realising it has a specific slant on the industry – it could generate some good discussion.The screening of Food Inc. in Goderich on April 15th is sponsored by the Huron-Bruce NDP. CKNX Radio 920AM Wingham story

Walkable Local Foods: Local food buying clubs, April 27, Kitchener

Want to be able to walk to pick up local foods? It is possible! Uptown Waterloo has a food buying club that makes eating local convenient and fun for its 500 members. Your neighbourhood can have one too. Come find out how to set up a local food buying club in your neighbourhood. Tuesday, April 27, 2010 ,7-9pm, KPL Main Branch, 85 Queen St N, Kitchener. Healthy Food System Series.

Taking Root: 5th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference, May 17 to 19, Detroit

Farm to Cafeteria programs are taking root in schools, hospitals, colleges, daycares, and other institutions. Come to Detroit for the 5th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference to learn how you can start and scale up a program in your community. Join us for trips to local farms, school lunchrooms and processing facilities; workshops on issues such as federal and state policy, experiential education, sustainability and economic development and sessions geared towards youth, producers and food service providers. Conference website.

***NEW***2010 National Summit on a People-Centred Economy, May 30 – June 1

From cooperatives that have existed for more than a century, to the latest innovative social enterprises, citizen-led efforts to build a people-centred economy are rich in their history and diversity. In the face of recent economic turmoil and growing ecological crises, these approaches are more relevant than ever. The 2010 National Summit on a People-Centred Economy will be an unprecedented gathering of leaders and representatives of the community economic development, cooperative and social economy sectors to build a common agenda and mobilize action for a secure, sustainable economy that puts people and the planet first. Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario. The Canadian CED Network conference website.

Workshop on Economics of Local Food Markets, New Jersey, June 15 & 16

Local Food Markets is a high-visibility issue area distinguished by a number of economic and marketing questions that demand research-based answers. The goal of the workshop is to highlight current research and bring together researchers, extension educators, private sector participants, and policy makers to exchange ideas and develop a common set of priority research and education needs for local food systems. The synthesis of ideas that result from this workshop will be disseminated in a variety of relevant outlets to encourage collaboration on local foods research and extension. The format will include two thematic sessions emphasizing rural and urban local food issues. Each session will begin with a presentation by an invited speaker selected for expertise in practical or theoretical aspects of local food markets. About the workshop.

Growing Power’s National-International Urban & Small Farm Conference, September 10 to 12, Milwaukee

Come to Milwaukee and help grow the good food revolution. Hosted by Growing Power—a national organization headed by the sustainable urban farmer and MacArthur Fellow Will Allen—this international conference will teach the participant how to plan, develop and grow small farms in urban and rural areas. Learn how you can grow food year-round, no matter what the climate, and how you can build markets for small farms. See how you can play a part in creating a new food system that fosters better health and more closely-knit communities. Conference website.

Savour Stratford Perth County Culinary Festival, September 25-26, Stratford

Renowned Canadian chefs, award-winning food writers, local farmers and artisans, exclusive Ontario VQA wines, craft brews and Stratford’s musical artists invite you to come join them to celebrate glorious food. Wander farmers markets in search of edible treasures, hands-on culinary demonstrations for adults and kids, outdoor musical concerts, street carnivals, theatre and an authentic Perth County BBQ. Continue with more concerts, street carnivals, culinary demonstrations and York Street Tasting with over 30 chefs paired with 30 local producers and VQA wines for an afternoon of sampling and imbibing in tents. It all happens in Stratford’s historic downtown shopping and garden district. Details on the Savour Stratford website.

Faith and the Future of the Countryside 2010, November 3 to 5, Swanwick, Derbyshire, UK

A major ecumenical conference exploring the sustainability of rural communities and their churches, and making recommendations for their future. This event will also mark 20 years from the publication of Faith in the Countryside and the completion of the Archbishop’s Commission on Rural Areas. Four conference themes of rural communities, economy, environment and rural church reflect the breadth of issues covered in the original report. Church of England website

AND in case you have time

McDonald’s Burger Domination: A Tale of Conflicting Maps

Looks like someone needs to go back to that 6th-grade map-reading lesson. A few days ago, Consumerist had a blog post showing an interesting map alleging to show the concentration of fast-food burger joints across the U.S. The Consumerist post is based off an “Infographic of the Day” post from the magazine Fast Company. The map appears to show a far less dominant market position for McDonald’s than many had assumed. So Good Blog proves that it still does.

Date: March 22

Time: 1pm – 5:30pm (with a reception to follow)

Location: Kemptville College

The demand for organic food in Canada far exceeds the current supply. Canadian Organic Growers has been exploring the role that Farmers’ Co-operatives can play in increasing the production of organic food in Eastern Ontario for the commercial marketplace, while at the same time protecting farmers’ interest within that marketplace. Through farmer owned cooperatives, COG would provide resources and supports for farmers to successfully get and stay organic, and develop markets for those organic products.

If you are an ecological farmer or a conventional farmer curious about organic production for local markets, COG has organized a symposium for you to ask questions and explore these ideas. There will be three panel presentations by experts with discussions to follow on:

1. Farmers’ Co-operative Development
2. Organic Farming
3. Organic Marketplace

The event is free for farmers. Non-farmers interested in the topic are also welcome for a registration fee of $25. Anyone interested must register in advance by March 19 for planning purposes. Email office@cog.ca or call 1-888-375-7383.

The poll, released for World Food Day (October 16), found that seven out of ten Canadians want farmers to have more influence on the food system. The same number of Canadians also said they trust the experience and knowledge of farmers over that of large agricultural corporations.

According to Nik Nanos, President of Nanos Research, Canadians have real concerns related to food production and how it impacts the environment and local economies. “Canadians are aware that their food choices have far reaching impacts. They want to know where their food comes from, who grew it, andunder what circumstances.”

Many of today’s global challenges are connected to the way our food system operates, said Susan Walsh, Executive Director of USC Canada, who commissioned the Nanos poll. “More and more Canadians are calling for a better way of organizing the food system. People feel they’ve lost their vital connection to what they eat. There is a real sense of urgency. Canadians feel that this can’t continue, and we have to do something about it.”

“We need a food system that puts people, farmers and the planet first. More than a billion small scale farmers around the world have sophisticated farming systems that are built on farmer knowledge and ecological diversity, and feed communities. We should be turning to them for solutions,” said Walsh.

“Canadians are demonstrating that they are willing to make food choices that can change the food system,” said Walsh. “A system that is fair, healthy, and produces real food – food they can trust.”

The survey of 1001 Canadians was conducted in April 2009. The margin of accuracy for a random survey of 1,001 individuals is 3.1 percentage points, plus or minus, 19 times out of 20. It is being released by USC Canada for their World Food Day events (October 16), and just prior to the November World Food Summit in Rome.

For more information:

Faris Ahmed, USC Canada 613-234-6827 ext.223; cell 613-263-5671

Nik Nanos, Nanos Research 613-234-4666 ext. 237

www.usc-canada.org

USC CANADA 56 Sparks Street, Ottawa K1P 5B1
Tel: (613) 234-6827 ext. 223 
Visit www.usc-canada.org for news and views on food justice, agriculture, and biodiversity.

The signs have been installed along popular hiking trails in the Greenbelt – an area of permanently protected farmland, forests, wetlands and greenspace in southern Ontario – as a way of showcasing the many environmental advancements made by farmers.

“Farmers are proud of their efforts to protect our air, soil and water, ” said Jackie Fraser, Executive Director of AGCare, the group leading this initiative, at the unveiling this morning. “This includes everything from general environmental planning on farms, to specific achievements in greenhouse gas reduction and reduced energy use.”

Greenhouse gas emissions have been reduced by the equivalent of taking 125,000 cars off the road through improved soil conservation measures. Farmers have spent at least $600 million on environmental improvements and 300,000 days in environmental training. Over 70% of them have voluntarily participated in the Environmental Farm Plan program.

The Agriculture Hits the Trails project was designed to share this information with trail users within the Greenbelt. Many hiking trails within Ontario’s Greenbelt are located on or near farmland, allowing trail users the opportunity to see farmers’ commitment to the environment first-hand.

Partnering with AGCare (Agricultural Groups Concerned About Resources and the Environment) on this project are the Ontario Farm Animal Council (OFAC), and the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation, as well as conservation partners including Conservation Ontario, Credit Valley Conservation (CVC), Conservation Halton, Hamilton Conservation Authority, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority (NVCA), the Bruce Trail Association, and the Oak Ridges Trail Association.

More information about the project can be found on www.caringfortheland.com.