Owen Roberts February 22nd, 2010
With all the reasons to feel good about farm prospects — the emergence of agri-food as the leading economic driver, the food-health-environment connection, local food, etc. — a new poll by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business announcing gloomy feelings on the farm seemed contradictory to me. But according to the federation, Ontario farmers don’t feel stabilization policies are in place to give them a secure feeling about the future. They’ve formed a coalition to draw some attention to their plight, which is the subject of my Urban Cowboy column in today’s Guelph Mercury.
Even with pessimism in the agri-food sector, the federation’s business barometer (below) is looking positive as 2010 gets underway.
Owen Roberts February 19th, 2010
The Enviropig, the first transgenic animal created to address phosphorus loading on the environment, is getting the green light from Environment Canada. Global TV has a story today on its website saying Ottawa has determined the pigs, developed back in 1999 at the University of Guelph, are not toxic to the environment under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, and says the official declaration will be made on Saturday. Below is a graphic from the University of Guelph showing how the Enviropig works.
Owen Roberts February 16th, 2010
In all of Canada, only one national research network is dedicated to agri-food, the Advanced Foods and Materials Network. Its seven-year funding term is up for renewal, and based on its performance, I believe it deserves another seven years. I write about the network’s past and future in my Urban Cowboy column in today’s Guelph Mercury.
Below is the cover of the latest AFMNet publication, Advance, produced by my SPARK program at the University of Guelph.
Owen Roberts February 16th, 2010
My daughter Kate’s significant other, Kitchener-Waterloo Record features reporter Greg Mercer, is in Haiti documenting the work of a group of doctors and nurses from St. Mary’s General Hospital. They’re helping at the Hopital Universitaire La Paix in Delmas, one of many hospitals in Port au Prince that have been overwhelmed with injured patients since the January 12 earthquake. Follow his blog here.
Greg photographed a Haitian health care worker (below) assigning records to emergency patients.
Owen Roberts February 12th, 2010
Renowned Elora food guru Anita Stewart MC’d a Canadian food showcase for the media yesterday in Vancouver, featuring dishes cooked by some of Canada’s top chefs. Menu items included wheat, beef, pork, eggs, canola oil, maple syrup, lentils, soybeans and ice wine. Introducing visiting media to Canadian food is important — we export about 45 per cent of what we produce, to 195 countries. Those exports account for nearly $43-billion worth of trade.
Federal agriculture and agri-food minister Gerry Ritz joined the culinary group for the photo below, supplied courtesy of his department. Anita is in the back row, second from the right.
