The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has lifted the restrictions placed on the movement of poultry in British Columbia. It’s been more than a month since avian influenza was last detected on a British Columbia poultry operation, and permits are no longer required for the movement of birds and bird products within the province. International requirements […] Read more
Stories by Mary MacArthur
Alta. gov’t adds $400M to MSI funding
The Alberta government has added another $400 million to its Municipal Sustainability Initiative grants, which are designed to help municipalities build infrastructure projects. Municipal affairs minister Diana McQueen said the additional funding will boost the 2014 MSI funding to $1.6 billion. “This funding is designed to help our partners meet their capital infrastructure commitments and […] Read more
Investor seeks game changers
Venture fund is looking for agricultural companies providing technology, services or livestock medicine
An Alberta company is looking for good agricultural technology companies in which to invest. AVAC, an early stage investment company, recently launched Verdex Capital, which will focus on investing in agriculture technology companies. Verdex Capital is overseeing the Canadian operations of Finistere Ventures’ FVII Fund. It will travel to conferences and industry events over the […] Read more
Chefs seek unique produce unlike grocery store fare
LEDUC, Alta. —Vegetables are king as far as chef Ben Staley is concerned. For chef Jasmin Kobajica, it’s meat that wears the crown. “Vegetables deserve respect,” Staley said during an Alberta Agriculture Explore Local event designed to help farmers get their food into restaurants. “The humble carrot should be given the same respect as a […] Read more
Alberta consumers buy into buy local
Producers participate in a workshop designed to help find market opportunities with restaurants
LEDUC, Alta. — In a time when local, regional and Canadian food is promoted in grocery stores, restaurants and farmers markets, it’s hard to remember when local wasn’t cool. Jasmin Kobajica does. The former chef at Edmonton’s Chateau Lacombe said his customers were not amused in the late 1990s when he switched rack of lamb […] Read moreCattle market stays strong despite latest BSE case
News of the latest BSE case and the fact that it shared the same birth farm as a previous Alberta case has had little impact on cattle markets, an analyst said. “It’s generally been quite limited,” said Brian Perillat, senior market analyst with Canfax. “It has added a little bit of skepticism and nervousness from […] Read more
Forage incentive program aims to expand waterfowl habitat
A new program will pay for half the cost of forage seed in an effort to en-courage producers to seed land to hay or pasture to attract waterfowl. The forage incentive program from Ducks Unlimited Canada and Crop Production Services will pay for up to $100 per 50 pound bag of Proven Seed forage varieties […] Read more
The art of cheese
Olga Payne didn’t make a special batch of cheese to enter in the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. The manager of Tiras Dairies simply pulled the cheese out of the cooler shelf and sent it to Toronto for the competition. The Camrose cheese maker won first place in a hard cheese category with her saganaki, second […] Read more
South Korea may open door to elk velvet
A thaw has begun that may soon allow Canadian elk velvet producers to sell to South Korea after being frozen out of the lucrative market for 14 years. Canadian elk officials were asked during a recent trade mission to Korea to sign a memorandum of understanding to work on reopening trade between the two countries. […] Read more
Canadian elk velvet producers to sell to South Korea
A thaw has begun that may soon allow Canadian elk velvet producers to sell to South Korea after being frozen out of the lucrative market for 14 years. Canadian elk officials were asked during a recent trade mission to Korea to sign a memorandum of understanding to work on reopening trade between the two countries. […] Read more
