Food and Farming Canada

Local processor wins award for allergen-free meat products

Lilian — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 13:46:25 +0000

Brothers Kevin (squatting), Terry and Shawn Stemmler of Stemmler Meats and Cheese in Heidelberg, ON.

They built their business on the power of local long before it was popular and their allergen-free meat products are a life-line to many food allergy sufferers.

These efforts have won Waterloo Region’s Stemmler Meats and Cheese a Premier’s Award for Innovation [...]

Young farmers reach out to consumers

Lilian — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 12:56:41 +0000

A group of young farmers has taken to social media to share with Canadians how they produce food and two fruit and vegetable growers are right in the thick of it.

Erin McLean, whose family runs a pick-your-own berry operation near Peterborough and serves farmers’ markets and local grocers with fresh fruits and vegetables, and potato grower [...]

Beef farmers raise 70K for local cardiac rehab centre

Lilian — Thu, 30 May 2013 00:03:29 +0000

Picton – A desire to give back to a community that supported them in their time of need led to a fundraising campaign by local beef farmers that has raised $70,000 for a cardiac rehabilitation program in Picton, Ontario.

The donation by the Prince Edward County Cattlemen’s Association was instrumental in helping to establish an outpatient rehabilitation [...]

Sustainability, stewardship at heart of fifth generation family farm

Lilian — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 21:05:23 +0000

The Tyler farm family includes (from left) Sam, Jean, Joanie and Godfrey Tyler

(Haliburton Highlands) – If you take care of the land, the land will take care of you. That’s the philosophy of Godfrey and Jean Tyler who farm their family’s fifth generation century farm in the rocky Haliburton Highlands.

With no off-farm income, the Tylers [...]

Ultrasound helps beef farmers make better marketing decisions

Lilian — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 13:54:42 +0000

Using ultrasound on cattle to identify carcass characteristics is helping beef farmers maximize their profitability.

A project led by Beef Improvement Opportunities (BIO) has shown that ultrasound technology can accurately predict specific carcass characteristics, such as weight, back fat and marbling, which directly affect how much a producer is paid for an animal.

“Historically, beef cattle have been [...]

Keeping birds away from wine grapes

Lilian — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 14:00:52 +0000

Automating the acoustical devices that keep birds away from grape crops in Ontario’s vineyards could improve the effectiveness and efficiency of these tools.

Better management options for the devices – also known as bird bangers – can reduce crop losses and improve relations with non-farm neighbours put off by the noise, according to a recently completed Ontario [...]

Producing wine and cranberries in cottage country

Lilian — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 14:00:33 +0000

Winemaking and farming aren’t two things most people associate with Muskoka.

Yet fruit wines and an iconic fall holiday berry are helping farmer Murray Johnston and his wife Wendy Hogarth put their family business on the map.

The couple, with help from their four sons, run Johnston’s Cranberry Marsh and Muskoka Lakes Winery near Bala, where they grow [...]

Locally grown exotic plant opens new markets, creates jobs

Lilian — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 14:11:34 +0000

An exotic houseplant with pink flowers is turning heads across North America and creating jobs in the Niagara region.

The plant, named Medinilla Magnifica, is helping to expand operations and open up new markets for Ted Oorsprong’s Northend Gardens.

Thanks to some support from Ontario Agri-Food Technologies, Oorsprong is selling the plant in chain stores and garden centres [...]

New label makes soybutter safe solution for peanut-free schools

Lilian — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 13:45:06 +0000

A new approach to labelling a locally produced soybutter is making it easier to use in Ontario’s peanut-free schools.

The toasted soy spread looks and tastes so much like peanut butter that some schools weren’t allowing it, says Scott Mahon, President of WOWBUTTER Foods, a family-owned business in the Stratford area.

To address this challenge, the company has [...]

“Green” lubricant alternative now available in Canada

Lilian — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 13:16:20 +0000

A new vegetable oil-based multi-purpose lubricant is now available for sale in Canada – with the potential to open up significant new markets for Canadian grain and oilseed farmers.

Smart Earth Corporation’s new Ecolube product was developed in Canada by Linneaus Plant Sciences Inc. as an environmentally friendly substitute for popular lubricant and penetrant products currently on [...]