Author: Owen Roberts

Should temporary migrant workers become permanent citizens?

The 2020 pandemic showed us the critical role of temporary foreign workers in producing Canadian foods, especially our fruits, vegetables and meats. Because we’re so dependent on them to do the work that others won’t, shouldn’t we find a way to offer them a path to more permanent arrangements? Two Canadian senators are trying hard to make that a real possibility.

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Farmland needs to be preserved, not developed

Ontario Premier Doug Ford seems to have done an about-face on agriculture recently with his attempts to limit conservation authorities’ control of the lands within their regions, including the Greenbelt. The provincial government’s focus should be on developing up, not out. Ontario needs that quality farmland to feed the province’s growing population.Image: CTVnews.ca

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This cattle feeder cuts emission equivalent of 13,000 vehicles

Grassland soils can sequester a huge amount of the greenhouse gas, CO2. At Shipwell Cattle Feeders in Taber, Alta., the company’s adaptive multi-paddock grazing system removes the equivalent CO2 emissions of about 13,000 vehicles per year. On a cold winter day in Alberta, Algonquin College executive chef Russell Weir’s pot roasted beef recipe would be warm and welcomed comfort food in Taber, as it is in Ottawa.

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Beef producers manage pastures for a better environment

Much of Ontario’s beef comes from Western Canada, with cattle being shipped across the prairies to mature and be processed. Cattle farmers like the Tapleys of Manitoba know that managed pastures sequester carbon in the soil and grasses, which helps reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Wilfrid Laurier University executive chef Cory Armitage uses Canadian beef with his spicy, aromatic version of beef vindaloo.

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Urban Cowboy

Raising awareness and promoting dialogue about current food and agriculture issues.

OWEN ROBERTS

Owen Roberts is an agricultural journalist and communications instructor based in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. He is a trustee on the Global Foundation for Agricultural Journalism and an associate editor (communications) for the Journal of Agromedicine. Previously, Owen was president of the International Forum for Agricultural Journalists, an agricultural communications faculty member at the University of Illinois, and research communications director at the University of Guelph. His programs and research papers have been recognized through awards from the Journal of Applied Communications, the National Agri-Marketing Association, the Association for Communications Excellence and the Canadian Farm Writers' Federation.

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