Author: Owen Roberts

British Columbia’s flooding last November was catastrophic for livestock, poultry and vegetable producers in the affected areas. Images of desperate farmers trying to rescue their animals from rising waters touched us all. This week’s federal-provincial announcement of $228 million to help farmers return to production was welcome news. Photo: theguardian.com

The federal government made the right move when it halted export of P.E.I. potatoes to the U.S. due to the presence of a fungal disease called potato wart. It poses no risk to human health, but America says it is free of it and wants to keep it that way. While a science-based solution is worked out, the newly announced Surplus Potato Management Response will direct as many potatoes as possible to processors, packers and food banks to minimize the amount of potatoes that must be destroyed. Photo: agriculture.canada.ca

Ontario’s livestock farmers in the North and remote rural areas of the province have a tough time accessing veterinary care. So last week’s federal-provincial announcement of $4 million for mobile clinics and enhanced telemedicine support was welcome news. It won’t solve the shortage of food-animal veterinarians in these areas, but it’s a step in the right direction. Image: vetnow.com

The pandemic has changed the way we eat, grocery shop and get together around food-related activities. How will that change in the coming year? Local business owner and nutritionist Jane Dummer forecasts more e-commerce, more honest communications between companies and consumers. Image: janedummer.com

More dairy products (especially cheese) labelled Product of USA could show up in Canadian supermarkets shortly. It’s the result of a recent US-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade agreement ruling that said Canada has been unfairly keeping American dairy out of this country’s retail food market. Now it will be up to Canadian consumers to decide what they put in their shopping carts. Photo: pinterest.com