Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Pass the Mayonaise originally written for the September issue of the Rural Voice Magazine

Don't read this article on local food; go to http://www.eatrealeatlocal.ca/ and watch a short video. Seriously, watch the video, download it, send the link to all your friends and contact lists. It should be required reading for every politician and bureaucrat.
Pig farmers will have to examine these latest government handouts and determine if the glass is half empty or half full. I would like to thumb my nose at all government programs. They are all made up of half measures and ad hoc vote buying, All farmers should look instead to the only viable long-term solution to our perpetual farming crisis; local food.
So why will local food be better than waiting for Loblaws to buy Ontario Beef instead of American or, if you are really lucky, western Canadian beef? Well, let’s look at some success stories. West Grey Premium Beef has been featured in this magazine but suffice it to say they you can now buy beef that is purchased locally and featured at the best local restaurants; they proudly display it in signs in their menus or displayed in the windows. Green’s Meats in Wingham is another success story, as are The Beefway in Kincardine, Elora Road Meats, and Metzgers in Hensall. West Grey and Metzger’s are slightly different to many in the list, in that they are federally licensed, so they can sell their products more easily to the rest of Canada or even to Loblaw’s. Loblaw’s, who are back on the airwaves claiming that, in season, they use 40 percent local produce (as if this wasn't bad enough for being so low ... ) put an artificial barrier on Ontario meat by requiring federal inspection. But West Grey Meats don't lose any sleep waiting for Galen Weston to call, instead they out-sell him on quality and consistency and gradually educate the restaurant owner that quality has a price but it also has a reward...loyal customers that will tell their friends - the cheapest advertising.
Local food success story number two -Buddha Dog Restaurants. Buddha Dog will gladly "make you one with everything" at their stores in Picton, Toronto or now in Collingwood. Not only is the food heavenly, but it is also supporting a vast array of local food producers. The store in Picton (which I am more familiar with) has a huge map of the county with every producer that provides them with food ingredients. They range from the Caribbean-born woman who only makes jerk sauce to the local abattoir that makes these pepperette-sized hotdogs. They have many wineries on this huge map of the county not because they are licensed but because they use local wine in some of their sauces. Buddha dog employees directly or indirectly tell the local food story with every hotdog. They sell Pop Shoppe pop rather than national brands and make amazing fruit smoothies in season from local fruit and vegetables. You can get the full Buddha Dog story at www.buddhafoodha.com .
I have not been a big promoter of organic food but I have discovered that local food doesn't necessarily mean organic food. It is like the square versus rectangle, all squares are rectangles but not all rectangles are squares. What most people don't realize is that conventional locally produced food has a smaller environmental footprint than organic food grown in the states and trucked in. If you want to preserve the rural nature of Midwestern Ontario, buy local food. Demand it at your grocery store and walk past the American strawberries and only eat local. Buy Ontario-grown if not local, and Canadian above American, Mexican or anywhere else in the world. Shop at the farmgate whenever possible and also support your local farmers market. If you want to support local crop farmers use ethanol blend gasoline. Buy bio-diesels additives.
You also support Canadian crop growers when you buy soymilk or tofu and all of the meat products produced locally. Examine your dairy milk, cheese and ice creams -if it doesn't have the blue cow it could be made with butter oil from the States and New Zealand. Goat milk and goat milk cheese, yogurt and ice cream are usually made from Canadian goat milk but you might want to check with the Ontario Dairy Goat Co-operative in Teeswater to be sure. Gay Lea products not only are made from Ontario Milk, it is also a cooperative that pays the members a share of the profits, unlike Saputo Kraft or Parmalat where profits go out of the country. Finally, watch the video at www.hellmanns.ca, click on the real food logo or http://www.eatrealeatlocal.ca and eat Hellmann's mayonnaise guilt free.( I am not being paid to say this)
Hellman’s Mayonnaise contains 650mg ALA per serving, which is 50% Daily Value for Omega 3 ALA, and NO TRANS FAT which is the only fat you need to worry about. Hellmann's is made with 100% Canadian eggs, a dash of Canadian vinegar and a lot of pure Canadian canola oil…. much of which, this year, is grown in Bruce and Grey counties.

Please write me about your favorite abattoir or local food restaurant that isn't in this list so I can write about them here or on my blog at www.ontarioagriculturematters.blogspot.com Send me your emails to agriculturematters@scsinternet.com.

Views: 367

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

Comment by John Beardsley on September 11, 2009 at 3:21am
its also in the video page on ONTAG
Comment by Joe Dales on September 10, 2009 at 4:51pm
Here is the link to John's Commentary.

http://www.eatrealeatlocal.ca/

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Governments Of Canada And Manitoba Celebrate Agriculture By Supporting Royal Manitoba Winter Fair

The governments of Canada and Manitoba are providing financial support to the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair in Brandon, one of Manitoba’s key cultural events, federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay and Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn announced here today. Through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, the governments of Canada and Manitoba are providing $20,000 to the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba for a one-year sponsorship of the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair. The sponsorship supports agriculture as the backbone of the provincial economy as a leader in innovation, research and job creation. The Royal Manitoba Winter Fair in Brandon is organized by the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba. It is one of Canada’s largest agricultural events, showcasing the Manitoba Cup, livestock shows and sales, more than 300 commercial and agricultural exhibits, the Royal Farm Yard and more. The Manitoba Cup Equestrian Event is Manitoba’s premier horse jumpin

Qualified Alberta Pulse Growers Eligible for 11.9% Tax Credit for Investing in Research

The Alberta Pulse Growers Commission has confirmed that 11.9% of eligible producers’ 2023 check-off payment is eligible for the Scientific Research & Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax credit for their investment in APG-funded research and development projects. Producers who have paid check-off this past year and have not asked for refunds are eligible claimants for this year’s credits. For more detailed information about the SR&ED Tax Credit, APG advises you to contact an accountant or the Canada Revenue Agency. For a history of SR&ED with Alberta Pulse Growers visit https://albertapulse.com/growing-pulses/sred-tax-credit/ . A summary of APG research investments in 2022-23 is available at https://albertapulse.com/research/. The federal SR&ED tax program is administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and encourages businesses to invest in and perform research and development in Canada. The SR&ED Tax Credit application forms for individual producers and Canadian controlled pri

Saskatchewan Government Delivers for Agriculture

The Saskatchewan Government delivered for grain farmers in the 2024 – 25 budget. Allocating $570.6 billion towards a variety of programs that support the agriculture industry, grain farmers will have access to a variety of risk management programs, including Crop Insurance and AgriStability. “It is a great assurance to Saskatchewan grain farmers as we plan our 2024 growing season, knowing that these programs will backstop us,” said Daryl Fransoo, Chair. Grain farming is a key part of the provincial economy, exporting over $20 billion in agri-food products and harvesting over 31 million acres across the province. “The Saskatchewan Government understands the value that agriculture brings to our economy and hears the needs of grain farmers. Their stance on the carbon tax is a great step and one that the Wheat Growers supports,” closed Fransoo. About the Wheat Growers: Founded in 1970, the Wheat Growers Association is a voluntary farmer-run advocacy organization dedicated to developing

Do More Ag fills board seats

Five individuals have been selected to serve on the board of directors for the Do More Agriculture Foundation (Do More Ag). Board chair Lauren Martin said the combined expertise of the new board members will drive the Foundation’s strategic objectives forward and each new board member brings unique perspectives and innovative ideas to Do More Ag’s mission of promoting mental health awareness and support within the Canadian agriculture industry. The new board members include Calvin Sonntag, the executive chair of BrettYoung Seeds; fifth generation farmer Robert Hunter; Holstein Canada CEO Sartaj Sarkaria; beef producer Emma Cross; and Angela Geddes, the spouse of a beef farmer on the East Coast and owner of “Soul on Fire Coaching,” Martin said this is a significant step towards a future where all members of the agriculture community are encouraged, supported, and empowered to take care of their mental wellbeing. “We are exceptionally pleased to welcome Angela, Calvin, Emma, Robert,

Research underway to benefit sustainability of swine industry

The Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan is working to develop an on-farm tool for pork production companies to make business decisions to meet animal welfare and sustainability goals. The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) in partnership with 14 industry partners and the university provided funding for the research program in swine welfare. The program is led by Dr. Yolane Seddon. Her team of four research scientists and technicians will study data gathered from interviews with producers who make management decisions, as well as herd vets in Canada and the United States. “The outcome of this work is that we aim to produce a tool that will support decision making on the farm that will influence animal welfare, but also with the knowledge of how it interacts with business, profitability and environmental emissions and therefore, overall business sustainability goals that could influence market access,” Seddon explain

© 2024   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service