April 25, 2014

VERMONT PASSES GMO LABELLING BILL . . . SLOW FOOD NOVA SCOTIA’S SPRING SUPPER . . . FARMLAND VALUES REMAIN STRONG . . . BC ANNOUNCES SUPPORT FOR CELLULOSE FILAMENTS RESEARCH

VERMONT PASSES GMO LABELLING BILL
Source: NPR
The Green Mountain State is poised to become the first to require food companies to label products containing genetically modified ingredients. Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin will sign a bill state lawmakers passed Wednesday mandating that foods with GMOs be labeled as having been produced with “genetic engineering.” The bill would also make it illegal for foods with GMOs to be labeled “all natural” or “natural.” (read more)

SLOW FOOD NOVA SCOTIA’S SPRING SUPPER
Source: NSFA
Slow Food Nova Scotia is hosting the 5th annual Spring Supper: the down home, no fuss, culinary event of the season! Featuring an oyster reception, followed by a locally-sourced six-course meal paired with Nova Scotia wines - prepared by the newly-formed East Coast Chefs Collaborative. May 3, Wentworth Recreation Centre, 6:30pm reception and 7:15pm dinner. $110 general public and $100 Slow Food members. (read more)

FARMLAND VALUES REMAIN STRONG
Source: FCC
Low interest rates, growing world food demand and the resulting strong commodity prices in the first half of 2013 contributed to a continued rise in Canadian Farmland Values last year, says a recently released report. Farm Credit study showed the average value of Canadian farmland increased by 22.1 percent in 2013, with the majority of this increase occurring in the first half of the year. (read more)

BC ANNOUNCES SUPPORT FOR CELLULOSE FILAMENTS RESEARCH
Source: Newswire.ca
FPInnovations is proud to support the Government of British Columbia's contribution of $2.25 million to cellulose filaments (CF) research, as announced today by the Honourable Steve Thomson, Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations. Details of the contribution were revealed at a press conference held in Vancouver, in the presence of the Honourable Andrew Wilkinson, Minister of Technology, Innovation & Citizens' Services and Mr. Pierre Lapointe, President and CEO of FPInnovations. 
This important research and innovation project represents investments to date totaling $43.1 million, including funding from Natural Resources Canada, through the Investments in Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT) Program, as well as a grant from the Québec Ministry of Natural Resources, a loan from Investissement Québec, a contribution from Kruger Inc. and funds from FPInnovations' pulp, paper and bioproducts industry members. (read more)

April 24, 2014

GROWING FROM THE HEART . . . ENVIRONMENTAL FARM STEWARDSHIP AWARD 2014 . . . SOUTHEAST N.B. BEEKEEPERS’ ASSOCIATION MEETING . . . BOLSTERED BOARD, AUDIT UPDATE FOR EXHIBITION

GROWING FROM THE HEART
Source: ThinkFarm
Growing from the Heart: Atlantic Canada’s Farmers’ Market Sector Inaugural Conference will take place in Truro on May 13 from 9 am to 5 pm. (read more)

ENVIRONMENTAL FARM STEWARDSHIP AWARD 2014
Source: NSFA
Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture (NSFA) celebrates Earth Day today by opening the Nova Scotia Environmental Farm Stewardship award for nominations. This award recognizes the contributions Nova Scotia farmers make towards protecting the environment and making the province a better place. This is the sixth year for the prestigious Environmental Farm Stewardship Award. In 2013, the award was presented to Wild Rose Farm, Digby County. The award is a $2,000 cash prize for activities that further enhance stewardship efforts plus a painting of the farm by a local artist. (read more)

SOUTHEAST N.B. BEEKEEPERS’ ASSOCIATION MEETING
The Southeast N.B. Beekeepers’ Association (SENBBA) will be holding its semi-annual meeting Saturday May 3, 2014 from 9 am to 4 pm at the Moncton Lions Club, Moncton, N.B. In addition to the association’s business agenda, the meeting will include a Spring Hive Preparation by the Chief Apiary Inspector and an overview of beekeeping programs by a N.B. government representative. evangelinemiel@hotmail.com

BOLSTERED BOARD, AUDIT UPDATE FOR EXHIBITION
Source: The Chronicle Herald
Bruce Kennedy will find out today who will join him on the board of the Nova Scotia Provincial Exhibition Commission. The Bible Hill man, who lives in the shadow o f the exhibition grounds, has been an interim chairman since shortly after the province called the commission’s loan and took control of the property and assets in early February. Kennedy, who has worked closely with fellow interim board member Cameron MacEachern since then, awaits Agriculture Minister Keith Colwell’s planned announcement today. (read more)

APRIL 23, 2014

. . . ATLANTIC SHEEP AND GOAT INTERNAL PARISITE WORKSHOP . . . RADICAL UN REPORT PROMOTES DEMOCRATIC CONTROL OF FOOD AND AN END TO CORPORATE DOMINATON . . . GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOODS AND YOUR HEALTH . . . STUDY CASTS DOUBT ON BENEFITS OF CORNFIELD BIOFUEL . . .

ATLANTIC SHEEP AND GOAT INTERNAL PARISITE WORKSHOP
Source: Dalhousie Faculty of Agriculture
All participants must pre-register by Friday April 25, 2014.Registration fee includes lunch and course materials. The sheep and goat industries in Atlantic Canada are facing unprecedented pressure from worms, specifically gastro-intestinal parasites (GIN). The goal of this interactive workshop is to bring together both new and experienced sheep and goat farmers and veterinarians for an intense, interactive day focused on: internal parasite infections, their causes and contributing factors, strategies for effective diagnosis, treatment and management, anthelmintic resistance and what this means for the sheep and goat industries. Saturday, May 10, 2014, Dalhousie Agricultural Campus, Bible Hill, N.S. (read more)

RADICAL UN REPORT PROMOTES DEMOCRATIC CONTROL OF FOOD AND AN END TO CORPORATE DOMINATON
Source: REVOLUCIONALIMENTARIA
A new report submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Council on the “Right to Food” took aim at the entire basis on which food is produced and distributed on a global scale. Reflecting the type of progressive analysis of our food system from experts like Vandana Shiva and Michael Pollan, report author Olivier De Schutter called for an undermining of large agribusinesses and an infusion of democratic control. Although the report’s recommendations are revolutionary, news of its release went largely unreported in the major U.S. media. (read more)

GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOODS AND YOUR HEALTH
Source: GE Foods Tour
A cross-Canada speakers’ tour. Join Dr Thierry Vrain, retired genetic engineer and Tony Mitra, internationally active citizen journalist and food security activist, to discuss your concerns about GE foods, and how you can take action. Nova Scotia and PEI dates, April 24-April 30.  gefoods.tour@gmail.com

STUDY CASTS DOUBT ON BENEFITS OF CORNFIELD BIOFUEL
Source: The Chronicle Herald
Biofuels made from the leftovers of harvested corn plants are worse than gasol­ine for global warming in the short term, a study shows, chal­lenging the Obama administra­tion’s conclusions that they are a much cleaner oil alternative and will help combat climate change. A $500,000 study paid for by the federal government and re­leased Sunday in the peer-re­viewed journal Nature Climate Change concludes that biofuels made with corn residue release seven percent more greenhouse gases in the early years compared with conventional gasoline. (read more)

APRIL 21, 2014

U.S. DELAYS FINAL CALL ON KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE . . . PLANT BREEDERS RELEASE FIRST OPEN SOURCE SEEDS . . . DO YOU KNOW WHAT ANTIBIOTICS YOU’RE EATING? . . . ACOA FUNDS CROP RESEARCH

U.S. DELAYS FINAL CALL ON KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE
Source: New York Times
The State Department will delay its decision on construction of the Keystone XL pipeline until it has a clearer idea of how legal challenges to the pipeline’s route through Nebraska will be settled, State Department officials said last week. Both supporters and opponents of the pipeline criticized the delay as a political ploy aimed at punting the final call on the divisive project until after the midterm elections in November. (read more)

PLANT BREEDERS RELEASE FIRST OPEN SOURCE SEEDS
Source: NPR
A group of scientists and food activists is launching a campaign to change the rules that govern seeds. They’re releasing 29 new varieties of crops under a new “open source pledge” that’s intended to safeguard the ability of farmers, gardeners and plant breeders to share those seeds freely. (read more)

DO YOU KNOW WHAT ANTIBIOTICS YOU’RE EATING?
Source: The Globe and Mail
In health, trends rarely result in lasting change. Diets come and go, foods such as kale have a limited shelf life of popularity and no one really knows whether coffee is actually good or bad for you. The trouble lies in the association of scientific evidence, which admittedly can be contradictory, with lifestyle choices. Yet over the past few years, a health trend has emerged that may beat the odds: Antibiotic abstinence in agriculture appears to be growing and, thanks to a recent move by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, may bring “antibiotic-free” meat into the mainstream there. (read more)

ACOA FUNDS CROP RESEARCH
Source: The Chronicle Herald
The federal government is invest­ing $223,880, through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, in a project to identify the potential to grow high-value crops in south­west Nova Scotia. “This project represents an important opportunity to diversify the economy and encourage new agricultural investments in south­western Nova Scotia," said South Shore-St. Margarets MP Gerald Keddy on Thursday. The regional climate data re­search project is a joint venture involving CBDC Shelburne, CB­DC Yarmouth and South Shore Opportunities. (read more)

APRIL 17, 2014

. . . SEEDS OF DIVERSITY . . . FARMWORKS HONORED AMONG TIDES TOP 10 . . . A GUIDE TO SPEEDY VEGETABLES . . . CORRECTED LINK TO FUNDRAZR SITE

SEEDS OF DIVERSITY
Source: Seeds of Diversity
Seeds of Diversity is a Canadian volunteer organization that conserves the biodiversity and traditional knowledge of food crops and garden plants. Seeds of Diversity is the source for information about heritage seeds, seed saving, plant diversity, garden history and your own garden heritage. (read more)

FARMWORKS HONORED AMONG TIDES TOP 10
Source: FarmWorks
Tides Canada named FarmWorks Investment Co-operative Limited among its Tides Top 10 - a national annual award honouring some of Canada's most innovative social change efforts that inspire people to take action, think in new ways and make the world a better place.
We chose them for: Creating meaningful partnerships with investors and with loan recipients, businesses and other lenders - partnerships that contribute to the growth of food-related enterprises across Nova Scotia. (read more)

A GUIDE TO SPEEDY VEGETABLES
Source: NPR
Yes, it is true that gardening requires patience. But face it, we live in an impatient world. And gardeners everywhere were depressed by the brutal and endless winter. (True story: The polar vortex killed my fall kale crop!) So we are understandably eager to get sowing. And to see results by ... well, if not next Thursday, then maybe mid-May? (read more)

CORRECTED LINK TO FUNDRAZR SITE
Source: fundrazr.com
On March 26 two organic farms in southwestern Nova Scotia were hit so hard by the spring “weather bomb” that their newly built greenhouses were completely destroyed. Winds of over 140km per hour also ruined newly planted crops and seedlings inside the greenhouses of Whippletree Farm (near Annapolis Royal) and Wild Rose Farm (near Weymouth), causing a total damage of more than $35,000. “Acts of God” of this kind, are not covered by their farms’ insurance policies. (read more)

APRIL 16, 2014

. . . FORENT ENERGY BAILING FROM N.S. . . . INTRODUCTION TO FOOD FOREST GARDENING . . . COMMUNITY LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN TO HELP STORM-DAMAGED ORGANIC FARMS . . . SCOTSBURN COMPLETES SALE TO SAPUTO

FORENT ENERGY BAILING FROM NOVA SCOTIA
Source: AtlanticFarmer.com
Forent Energy CEO Richard Wade cites the province’s independent review of fracking for creating uncertainty for investors. The review is scheduled for release this summer. Energy Minister Andrew Younger says Forent, and other oil and gas exploration companies will be free to come back and bid on resource blocks after the decision is announced.

INTRODUCTION TO FOOD FOREST GARDENING
Source: Community Forests International 
Join us on May 28 for a tour of CFI’s Food Forest Garden, Sackville Community Garden, Sackville, N.B. and a demonstration of how to use perennial plants to provide food and habitat in the image of a natural woodland. Participants will enjoy a brief introduction to perennial food gardening and a discussion about food security and climate change in our region. We will then get our hands dirty with spring clean-up and care of the forest garden - including mulching, weeding and composting. (read more)

COMMUNITY LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN TO HELP STORM-DAMAGED ORGANIC FARMS
Source: fundrazr.com
On March 26 two organic farms in southwestern Nova Scotia were hit so hard by the spring “weather bomb” that their newly built greenhouses were completely destroyed. Winds of over 140km per hour also ruined newly planted crops and seedlings inside the greenhouses of Whippletree Farm (near Annapolis Royal) and Wild Rose Farm (near Weymouth), causing a total damage of more than $35,000. “Acts of God” of this kind, are not covered by their farms’ insurance policies. (read more)

SCOTSBURN COMPLETES SALE TO SAPUTO
Source: Chronicle HeraldScotsburn Co-operative Ser­vices Ltd. announced Monday it has completed the sale of its fluid milk division in Atlantic Canada to Montreal-based Saputo Inc. The Pictou County co-operative said it will continue to operate its ice cream and frozen novelty business across Canada. “This is good news for our co-operative members who will see immediate and long-term benefits from Scotsburn’s growth and innovation strategy focused on ice cream and frozen novelty products," Doug Ettinger, presid­ent and chief executive officer at Scotsburn, said in a news release. (read more)

April 15, 2014

. . . THINKFARM HAS A NEW LOOK ONLINE . . . RECORD BEEF PRICES MAY LEAD GRILLERS TO CHEAPER CUTS . . . REVIVING A LOST TRADITION IN THE NORTHEAST. . .  SLOW LIVING SUMMIT 2014

THINKFARM HAS A NEW LOOK ONLINE
Source: ThinkFarm
Our website has been reformatted to make it easier to find the information you’re looking for. We’ve also added new content on the farm purchase process, including two video case studies of Misty Hills Farm, a dairy farm in Antigonish county, and Broadfork Farm, a market garden in Cumberland county. (read more)

RECORD BEEF PRICES MAY LEAD GRILLERS TO CHEAPER CUTS
According to federal government figures, beef prices are at their highest levels in almost 30 years. The average price of choice-grade beef in February was $5.28. Numbers aren’t out yet for March or April, but they’ll be high as well. “We're in record territory actually,” says David Anderson, a professor of agricultural economics at Texas A&M University. (read more) 

REVIVING A LOST TRADITION IN THE NORTHEAST
Source: Modern Farmer
Jonathan Stevens wants to know the farmers who grow his food. So when he and his partner, Cheryl Maffie, opened Hungry Ghost Bread, an unassuming bakery in Northampton, Massachusetts, in 2004, they decided to source many of their ingredients locally. This included most of the fruits and vegetables used in their pastries and also their staple ingredient, the foundation of every loaf of whole-grain bread to emerge from their wood-fired oven: the flour. (read more)

SLOW LIVING SUMMIT 2014
Source: StrollingoftheHeifers.com
Registration is now open for the 2014 Slow Living Summit, taking place June 4-6 in downtown Brattleboro, Vermont. The Summit is a unique intergenerational conversation about life, health, happiness, money, community, soil, soul, food, arts, and story. (read more)

April 14, 2014

. . . REGISTER FOR THE ATLANTIC FARM WOMEN’S CONFERENCE . . . N.S. INSTITUTE OF AGROLOGISTS ANNUAL AWARDS . . . MUD FEVER . . .  CANFAX LAUNCHES CATTLE MARKET APP

CANFAX LAUNCHES CATTLE MARKET APP
Source: FCCCanFax has developed the first domestic cattle market smart phone application built specifically for Canadian cattle market information. “There’s lots of market apps that show futures information, but nothing that gives you Canadian specific prices,” says CanFax manager and senior analyst Brian Perillat. “This uses futures prices for cattle and the Canadian dollar, but then takes in a whole bunch of CanFax benchmarks around basis levels and cost of production, etc., that produces a truly Canadian price.” (read more)

MUD FEVER
Source: Equine Guelph
Scratches, greasy heel, dew poisoning, dermatitis – no matter what you call it, it irritates your horse’s skin and like any bacterial infection it has potential to do much deeper damage. Skin which is exposed to wet conditions on a continual basis can result in a breakdown of the protective barrier of epidermis, allowing bacteria to invade which results in infection. (read more)

NOVA SCOTIA INSTITUTE OF AGROLOGISTS ANNUAL AWARDS
Source: N.S. Institute of Agrologists
The banquet was held at the Best Western Glengarry, in Truro, N.S., following the Institute’s AGM. Congratulations are extended to the very deserving recipients this year: Outstanding Farmer, Quita Gray and Scott Whitelaw of Sugar Moon Farm; Honourary Member, Dirk van Loon; Distinguished Life Member, Jim Goit; Distinguished Agrologist, Dale McIsaac; Outstanding Young Agrologist, Brad McCallum; C.A.Douglas Award, Dr. Erin Smith. (read more)

STILL TIME TO REGISTER FOR THE ATLANTIC FARM WOMEN’S CONFERENCE!
Source: Atlantic Farm Women
In the past, Farm women sought out these conferences as a unique way to work collaboratively and help move agriculture forward. Organizers plan to pair some serious discussions with some light and fun activities!  They promise to send you home stuffed with new knowledge and rejuvenated to continue in this industry!  April 25 (evening) & 26, 2014, Moncton, N.B. (read more)

STROLLING OF THE HEIFERS WEEKEND

Source: StrollingoftheHeifers.com
Join us in beautiful, historic Brattleboro, Vermont for a weekend of activities honoring farmers and celebrating local food, all built around our signature event, the world-famous Strolling of the Heifers Parade, Saturday, June 7 at 10 am sharp! All Strolling of the Heifers events are rain or shine! The heifers don’t mind the weather, the farmers are working in all kinds of weather, and we will be honoring and celebrating them this weekend, regardless of weather! (read more)

BANNING TRADITIONAL ANIMAL SLAUGHTER, DENMARK STOKES RELIGIOUS IRE

Source: NPR
In a conflict that pits animal welfare against religious rights, Denmark has ordered that all food animals must be stunned before being killed. The move effectively bans the ritual slaughter methods prescribed in both Muslim and Jewish tradition. (read more)

SPCA SEIZE ALMOST 900 SHEEP FROM SASK FARM

Source: The Western Producer
The Saskatchewan SPCA seized a record number of animals in a single case April 1. Close to 900 sheep and four dogs were removed from a farm in the Rural Municipality of Key West, near Kayville, Sask. (read more)

TIGHTER SUPPLIES DON’T HINDER FEBRUARY RED MEAT EXPORTS

Source: Beef Producer
Double-digit growth to Mexico kept U.S. pork and beef exports afloat in February, even as higher prices and tight supplies continue to surface, USDA data compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation showed Monday. (read more)

CHANGES TO AGRICULTURAL LEGISLATION PATENTLY ABSURD

Source: NFU
The Agricultural Growth Act, Bill C-18, is currently before Parliament. It is an omnibus bill amending nine separate pieces of agricultural legislation. The changes vastly increase corporate control of seed and will result in higher seed costs for farmers in the future. (read more)

FOOD SCRAPS TO FUEL VERTICAL FARMING’S RISE IN CHICAGO

Source: NPR
From plant factories fueled by the magenta glow of blue and red LED lights, to the 30-foot tall Ferris wheel for plants in Singapore, we’ve shown you the design possibilities for growing vegetables up instead of out. (read more)

RESEARCHERS DESIGN TREES THAT MAKE IT EASIER TO PRODUCE PULP

Source: UBC.ca
Researchers have genetically engineered trees that will be easier to break down to produce paper and biofuel, a breakthrough that will mean using fewer chemicals, less energy, and creating fewer environmental pollutants. “One of the largest impediments for the pulp and paper industry as well as the emerging biofuel industry is a polymer found in wood known as lignin,” says Shawn Mansfield, a professor of Wood Science at the University of British Columbia. (read more)

HIGH QUALITY BEEF CONNECTS URBAN AND RURAL ISLANDERS

Source: gov.pe.ca
All winter, 10-year-old Isaac Drake got off the school bus and headed to the cattle barn just up from his family’s Vernon River farm to check up on his steer. He cared for the 1255-pound Golden Charolais by feeding it, brushing it, walking it, and washing it. The steer later sold for $2.70/pound. He didn’t give it a name. Last week he brought it to the Easter Beef show and sold it to Cardigan Feed Services (read more)

BEEF PRICES HIT ALL-TIME HIGH IN U.S.

Source: LA Times
Come grilling season, expect your sirloin steak to come with a hearty side of sticker shock. Beef prices have reached all-time highs in the U.S. and aren't expected to come down any time soon. Extreme weather has thinned the nation's beef cattle herds to levels last seen in 1951, when there were about half as many mouths to feed in America.  (read more)

GROWING FROM THE HEART

Source: ThinkFarm
Atlantic Canada’s Farmers’ Market Sector Conference, May 13, 9am. Truro, N.S. We share a vision of a strong local food system across Atlantic Canada with farmers’ markets at the heart. With that shared vision in mind, Farmers’ Markets of Nova Scotia (FMNS) is very proud to announce Atlantic Canada’s Inaugural Farmers’ Market Sector Conference. (read more)

NOVA SCOTIA WOODLOT OWNERS AND OPERATORS ASSOCIATION 2014 AGM

Source: NSWOOA
NSWOOA AGM, Saturday, April 12, Old Barns, N.S. Registration and coffee, 8:15-8:45am; Call to Order, 8:45. The cost (which includes lunch) is $15 for members and $20 for guests. Reservations are not required, but they would be appreciated. (read more)

SURVEY REGARDING THE STATE OF THE SCOTIAN SHELF

Source: ACZISC
The Atlantic Coastal Zone Information Steering Committee (ACZISC) is inviting people to participate in a survey investigating the awareness and use of the State of the Scotian Shelf Report. This survey replaces the regular annual survey from the ACZISC for the Coastal Update Newsletter. (read more)