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NOVA SCOTIAN BEEKEEPER RECEIVES RESEARCH HELP AFTER RECEIVING NSERC ENGAGE GRANT Text by Lindsay Grummett When Margaret Cornect and her husband bought land in rural Nova Scotia over 20 years ago, they decided to start a blueberry farm. “We realised we would need bees to pollinate the blueberries so I bought two beehives,” says Cornect. Since then Cornect Family Farm’s …

CANADA AGRICULTURE AND FOOD MUSEUM EXPLORES THE SCIENCE BEHIND FOOD PRESERVATION The Canada Agriculture and Food Museum’s (CAFM) new exhibition, Food Preservation: The Science You Eat, gives the topic of food science centre stage. The CAFM’s mandate, to foster scientific and technological literacy, meant the science behind food preservation was a natural fit. “Early testing on the topic of the …

After some recent high-profile closures the food manufacturing industry received a boost with the official opening of the new Dr. Oetker’s facility in London. The company’s new frozen pizza production facility, which has been in operation since mid-March, will act as a production hub for the company’s North American pizza operations. “Canada is an excellent market for Dr. Oetker,” said …

Loblaw Companies Limited announced the purchase of Arz Fine Foods, an established Middle Eastern grocery retailer located in Toronto. It will operate as a unique operating division of Loblaw. Canada’s Middle Eastern population represents about 2 per cent of the population and is one of the fastest growing market segments. “This key partnership holds great promise as Canada’s Middle Eastern …

Ontario farmers and processors have a new tool to measure current business performance and help build an action plan for greater success. The Agricultural Management Institute’s (AMI) Business Score Card is an online business assessment tool developed for farmers and processors to help them to identify business management strengths, weaknesses and gaps; develop action plans to improve business management performance; …

The Canadian Health Food Association (CHFA) announced the top natural health trends to look for this summer at local health food stores. “Summer heat and seasonal changes put new stresses on our body’s systems,” said CHFA president Helen Long. “Leading experts helped us find new, exciting, natural solutions that we are pleased to share with Canadians across the country to …

AFTER TRAVELLING IN SPACE WITH ITS HONIBE LINE OF FOODS, ISLAND ABBEY FOODS IS HOPING TO HIT SIMILAR HEIGHTS WITH PURAGAVE, ITS NEWEST INNOVATION. The PEI-based specialty food and natural health product producer, has created a novel patented pure dried platform technology to solidify blue agave nectar. This new platform technology maintains the natural flavour, colour and other elements of …

CREATIVITY AND ADVANCEMENTS IN CROP ROTATION SYSTEMS IN HIS NO-TILL FARMING OPERATION EARNED TOM BARRIE THE 2013 INNOVATIVE FARMER OF THE YEAR AWARD. The Bowmanville, Ont., native and his team was presented the award at the Innovative Farmers Association of Ontario Conference in February by BASF Canada and the Innovative Farmers Association of Ontario as a grower who promotes innovation …

THE COST OF COMPLYING WITH THE CANADIAN FOOD INSPECTION AGENCY’S (CFIA) REGULATIONS IS $657 MILLION EACH YEAR FOR CANADA’S FARMERS AND THE AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY. A Canadian Federation of Business report based on a survey of its agri-business members provides a review of how the CFIA interacts with farmers, as well as its impact on the agriculture sector. The report highlighted …

THE INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE (IFPRI) SAYS AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGIES COULD INCREASE GLOBAL CROP YIELDS AS MUCH AS 67 PER CENT AND CUT FOOD PRICES IN HALF BY 2050. Security in a World of Natural Resource Scarcity: The Role of Agricultural Technologies, a new report by the IFPRI pinpoints the agricultural technologies and practices that can significantly reduce food prices …