Fruits and vegetables are good for you. But what if you could extract that goodness, concentrate it, and add it to yogurt, snack bars or even cookies? This is the latest dream of André Gosselin, a biology professor from Université Laval who has helped to revolutionize horticulture in Quebec in the last quarter century. Full Story 

It’s a sign of the times in European milk production that nowadays there’s hardly any investment in new or expanded dairy farms without a clear value-adding marketing concept for the end product. Full Story 

It seems like forever but it has only been three decades since the former Soviet Union was the world’s largest grain importer, buying as much as 50 million tonnes a year. So it’s a bit of a jolt to see the former Soviet states are now the largest wheat exporter, and with a 28% market share, a whopping 10 percentage points above the U. S., the traditional market leader. Full Story 

Leaders are fond of boasting that supply management is working well, but there are signs of big problems in Canada’s chicken industry. Many chicken processors can’t buy all the chicken they want. This is particularly true of the relatively small and specialized processors in Ontario who have developed and are serving niche markets. Full Story 

A cow’s udder, the source of milk, hangs below its belly. That isn’t news to most people. But the significance of that fact appears to be lost on those demanding the “freedom” to drink raw milk. Full Story 

Changes are needed. That’s the message we should be taking from news that glyphosate-resistant giant ragweed has been confirmed in Ontario. Full Story 

By 2050, we’re going to have to feed more than nine billion people! Full Story 

Once a year a fascinating magazine arrives in my mail which I wish every Canadian farmer would read. However I’m afraid if this magazine arrived at your farm, it would be glanced at, set aside to be read later, and eventually forgotten. The magazine reminds us the world is an interconnected place. Full Story 

It’s easy for economists and government officials to talk about the need for the market to adjust to new realities. However, "adjustment" doesn’t begin to describe the impact on the individuals affected. Recently, I had a chance to hear the story of one such pork producer. Full Story 

You’ve heard about Peak Oil – now get ready for Peak Phosphorus. Now, a growing number of experts are talking about Peak Phosphorus and warning society needs a major rethink: We need to stop viewing phosphorus as an noxious environmental threat and instead realize it is a precious — and dwindling — non-renewable resource. Full Story 

There’s a harsh economic wind blowing through Prince Edward Island that has some potato farmers wondering if they’re little more than employees of big corporations. Full Story 

While much of the world is focused on the debt crisis in Greece, many Europeans are more worried about a decision by the European Commission to approve a new variety of potato called Amflora. Amflora is a transgenic potato. Full Story 

When it comes to livestock identification, Canada and the U.S are headed in opposite directions and it makes you wonder whether one of us is crazy. Here in Canada, we’ve got age verification, RFID ear tags, movement tracking and a premises identification program. We’ve done just about everything but attach a GPS locator to each individual cow. Full Story 

What producer would not want sky-high prices for their commodity? But the current state of the blueberry industry shows sometimes prices can be too good. In the last few years blueberry growers enjoyed great returns, but those high prices prompted a massive expansion in production that could keep their industry in a long-term price slump. Full Story 

For some producers, local food is just a way to earn a better price for their farm goods. But others, such as Ontario vegetable grower Jason Verkaik, see an opportunity to re-invent their farm business. Full Story 

Is the flurry of interest in locally grown, locally raised and locally processed food just a passing fad? Not likely — the food sector is a long way from meeting the wants of locavores. Full Story 

If you want to know the future of local food in the coming decade, look to the past. Full Story 

There is a big demand in my province these days for locally grown wheat – consumers are willing to pay a premium for artisan bread made from wheat grown in Quebec. But flour producers can’t always source all the wheat they would like because of fusarium damage. Full Story 

Farmland prices have reached astronomical levels in recent years. But farmers are now seeing the other side of the coin. Lifestyle or hobby farmers were important drivers in this. But then banks started cutting back on their million-dollar bonuses. With fewer lucky businessmen buying country properties for the granddaughter’s ponies, prices dropped by as much as 20% in 2009. Full Story 

If you’re an oilseeds producer in North or South America, you should be thinking a lot about China because – next to the weather – it’s hard to think of anything that could have a bigger impact on your fortunes. Full Story 

There’s been a lot of talk about the emerging bioeconomy but so far the action’s not making it to the farm. Ethanol certainly made a big splash but it’s struggled lately and we’ve yet to see scores of new biorefineries start up. This isn’t really surprising. Full Story 

American critics of Canada’s supply-managed dairy system have been noticeably quiet lately. These days, the Americans, who in the past have been particularly vocal in their criticism, are more worried about their own dairy industry, which is awash in both milk and dairy farmers teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. Full Story 

The local food movement has become a huge business in Canada, with sales of over $1 billion at farmers’ markets alone. Still, the movement is not without flaws, and those who put profits ahead of customer satisfaction are giving local a bad name. Full Story 

The local food movement has become a huge business in Canada, with sales of over $1 billion at farmers’ markets alone. Still, the movement is not without flaws, and those who put profits ahead of customer satisfaction are giving local a bad name. Full Story