BRANDON — Canadians are struggling to sell organic food and grains into Europe, even though it’s the world’s second largest market. That’s because Europeans are finding trace amounts of glyphosate in organic shipments from Canada. “Many of the containers of grains that arrive in Europe are being rejected because of glyphosate contamination,” said Laura Telford, […] Read more
Tag Archives organic
Prairie farmers grow more organic crops
Organic is back. After a period of sluggish growth and a decline in the number of producers in the early 2010s, organic farming is expanding in Western Canada. Certified organic acres on the Prairies reached 1.824 million in 2017, up 29 percent from 1.4 million acres in 2015. The number of organic producers hit 1,605 […] Read more
Organic acres on the rise
Organic is back. After a period of sluggish growth and a decline in the number of producers in the early 2010s, organic farming is expanding in Western Canada. Certified organic acres on the Prairies reached 1.824 million in 2017, up 29 percent from 1.4 million acres in 2015. The number of organic producers hit 1,605 […] Read more
Organic weed war uses ‘many little hammers’
Researchers identify three mechanical control practices for organic farming, but none of them work well on their own
Organic crop researchers are now focused on developing a larger, more diverse tool kit to control weeds. “The research has kind of evolved to the point where we’ve looked at things in isolation and now we’re looking at integrating a number of different factors,” Eric Johnson of the University of Saskatchewan’s agriculture college said during […] Read more
Organic gardener cuts out the middleman
On the Farm Alberta producer’s journey to the field began with a simple question: ‘where do you get your food?’
RED DEER — An innocent question from a subsistence farmer in Kenya in the mid 2000s affected Mike Kozlowski in ways he never imagined. He spent months in the east African country through a Canada Millennium Foundation Scholarship project where he helped identify agricultural-related community needs. The question and the conversation that followed initiated serious […] Read more
Northern organic farmers get help
Fort Vermilion, Alta. — A new organic program in northern Alberta hopes to help solve farmers’ woes when it comes to growing in the region. The recently launched Mackenize County Organic Success Program will see the hiring of an agronomist to help with issues relating to weeds, soil fertility, crop rotations, finances and marketing. As […] Read more
Organic farms getting bigger on the Prairies
The number of organic crop producers on the Prairies hit 1,442 in 2016, up from a recent low of 1,151 in 2013. That’s positive news for the organic sector, which lost producers on the Prairies from 2010-13, when prices for conventional grains and oilseeds were particularly strong. The number of organic acres also increased, going […] Read more
Organic dairy product demand sparks Alberta program
The marketing board that oversees Alberta dairy production has launched a new program to grow the organic sector, as demand for such products continues to increase. The program, spurred by Alberta Milk, aims to see two new organic dairy farmers join the supply managed system. Organic milk sales have increased by about 2.4 per cent […] Read more
Organic industry cracks down on fraud
The United States imported about 300,000 tonnes of organic corn from Turkey last year. The figure is surprising because farmers in Turkey grow a tiny amount of organic corn. “There’s only, reportedly, 2,000 hectares (5,000 acres) of organic corn grown in Turkey,” said Eric Jackson, chief executive officer of Pipeline Foods, a Minneapolis company that […] Read more
Organic company wrestles with U.S. customs over cracked corn
A Saskatoon company is dealing with a 25,000 tonne headache. Sunrise Foods, one of the largest wholesalers of organic feed and food ingredients in the world, has a shipment of 25,000 tonnes of organic corn currently at sea. That’s because United States Customs and Border Protection rejected the shipment at a California port in March. […] Read more
