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Organic in the News

2009: January / February / March / April / May / June / July / August / September / October / November / December / 2008 / 2007
 
 
 
The Ontario Farmer | August 2009
 
Iroquois - It wasn't always like this but, as of its 20th anniversary this year, Organic Meadow Co-Operative has developed a professional working relationship, an understanding...
 
The Ontario Farmer | August 2009
 
Fred Steen moved to Erin, when opportunity knocked, so that's where he established his dairy.  This year, 65 years later, his sons see new opportunity and are moving the dairy to...
The Ontario Farmer | July 2009
 
The market for organic goat milk is a niche within a niche, but when it comes to making a living, every niche counts.  Hewitts Dairy Ltd. in Hagersville introduced organic...
 
The Ontario Farmer | July 2009
 
There's an organic milk surplus so more emphasis is needed on promotion.  The members of Organic Meadow Co-op took time to reflect and celebrate at their 20th annual meeting...
 
Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN) Press Release | July 2009  
 
Farmer and environmental groups in the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN) are warning of several dangerous consequences of Canada's approval of Monsanto and Dow's new...
 
The Ontario Farmer | July 2009  

The base of a good organic farm is its soil, which can take years to rebuild.  The full conversion to organic agriculture doesn't come cheaply - or overnight...

The Canadian Press | July 2009
 
ST. MARY'S, Ont - Saturday mornings well before dawn, you'll find Ann Slater in her garden wearing a headlamp, gathering bagfulls of lettuce...
 
The Gazette | July 2009
 
How exactly did Vanessa Farquharson find herself without a fridge, eating only locally-grown food in the middle of winter and showering with luke-warm water while...
 
Indoor turkey raising rule under fire
Better Farming Magazine | July 2009
 
"Its about more than turkeys, say outdoor raising supporters who fear other marketing boards will require that other birds be kept indoors as well..."
 
Rural Voice - NFU Newsletter | July 2009  
 
"Last spring, without fanfare, the Turkey Farmers of Ontario published revised rulesfor raising turkeys within Ontario's supply managed quota system.  One of the new restrictions was..."
Ontario Farmer | June 2009 
 
"Conflicting rules on raising turkeys will create a vacuum for imported product, warns the Organic Council of Ontario (OCO).  The conflict is the result of two separate regulations..." 
 
Ontario Farmer | June 2009
 
"Agricultural innovators in Ontario were recognized during regional award presentations at Tweed, Espanola and Midmay recently.  The Agri-Food Innovation Excellence program is..."
 
CBCnews.ca | June 2009  
 
"New rules compelling organic food producers to comply with Canada-Wide certification standards went into effect Tuesday.  The new regulations, mandated by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency..."  
 
Organic Meadow | June 2009  
 
"(Toronto) - Organic Meadow Co-operative Inc., Canada's first organic dairy company and one of the leading organic brands in the country, today strongly endorsed two major developments..."  
 
Organic Council of Ontario Report on Turkeys and Outdoor Access
Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario Member Newsletter  | June 2009
 
"... These two conflicting regulations, make it impossible for turkey quota holders to produce certified organic turkey on Ontario ..."
 
 
In May 2008 the Turkey Farmers of Ontario, with little or no consultation with organic organizations or growers, released rules banning all outdoor access for turkeys raised under the supply managed system...
 
 
"Many farmers and farm organizations claim that they want science-based approach to rules when it comes to food safety and other issues..."
 
 
Ottawa, June 24, 2009 - The Government of Canada today revealed the new organic logo that will give organics producers access to more markets and make sure Canadian families can find more products in their grocery stores...
 
Consumers give green thumbs up eaurganic Fortifying Shampoo
d'Avicenna Inc. Media Release | June 2009
 
Toronto, Ont., June 23, 2009 - d'Avicenna is excited to announce that it has been awarded the influential PTPA Media Inc.'s Seal of Approval for excellence in parenting products...
 
 
Ottawa, June 17, 2009 - Canada and the United States have reached an agreement that will give organic producers access to more markets and make sure Canadian families can find more products in their grocery stores...
 
Canada Organic Regime - Announcement
Canada Organic Office - Press Release | June 2009
 
The Canada Organic Office is pleased to announce that the Organic Product Regulations, 2009 will be published on June 24, 2009 and come into force on June 30, 2009...
 
 
The Ottawa River Institute and the Ottawa Valley Food Co-operative are collaborating on a two year project (funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation) to promote increased consumption of local foods...
 
OTA opposes GE alfalfa in Canada
Organic Trade Association | June 2009
 
The Organic Trade Association in Canada has registered strong opposition to federal permission to allow permission of genetically engineered (GE) alfalfa in Canada...
 
 
Listen to a live feed discussing the new movie - Food Inc. - which takes aim at corporate giants behind the U.S. food supply.
 
Agriculture's best and brightest honoured
The Intellegencer | June 2009
 
2009 Premier's Agri-Food Innovation Excellence Awards.  The best and the brightest innovators of agriculture were celebrated in a ceremony here...
 
 
As livestock farmers, especially organic producers, look for lower cost ways of feeding animals, there's new interest in open pollinated corn...
canada.com | May 2009
 
Every Sunday, a group of farmers, many themselves unemployed, gather on a plot of donated land to conduct an experiment in human compassion, with the goal of cultivating an organic farm...
 
 
"Families are becoming more budget conscious these days, but not everyone is willing to use chemical products to save money, " says Shahin Kalantari, d'Avicenna's President...
 
 
Following the spring 2009 public comment period (held from March 10, 2009 to April 10, 2009), the
Non-GMO Project Standard Committee and Board of Directors have agreed on proposed revisions...
 
 
Tawse Winery is a blue-chip Niagara producer that focuses its efforts on Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, and Cabornet Franc varieties that thrive on Ontario's cool climate conditions...
 
In all of North America, the only place you can major in organic agriculture is the Ontario Agricultural College.  Recently, the program came under fire for low enrollment and a widely held belief emerged that organic teaching and research at the college was on the block...
 
Ontario going green with lawn laws
Canada.com | April 2009
 
The discovery by Swiss chemist Paul Mueller in 1939 that DDT kills insect "pests" was hailed as a breakthrough.  Dr. Mueller went on to win a Nobel Prize in 1948 for his work and DDT became the most widely used pesticide in the world during the 1950's...
U of G cuts academic programs
Guelph Mercury | March 2009
 
The University of Guelph's women's studies program and organic agriculture major, two programs that aroused the most outcry from the student body, have been eliminated...
 
Organic farming courses move to Kemptville Campus
Eastern Ontario AgriNews | March 2009
 
Canadian Organic Growers (COG) is bringing a message to Ottawa area farmers: the organic sector is growing at 20% annually, faster than any other agricultural sector.  This rate is not expected to change, despite economic recession...
 
National organic standard June 30; loopholes in Ontario
Eastern Ontario AgriNews| March 2009
 
Opportunities for dishonesty in organic labelling become scarcer on June 30, when Canada implements a national standard governing the use of the term on products shipped across provinical boarders, replacing the current voluntary norm...
 
UWL would benefit from farming shares
Cord Weekly | March 4, 2009
 
CSA shares, which deliver seasonal fresh produce right to your door, are a great way to help local farmers and the enivronment...
 
 
Food writer takes trip to farm country to see where many city restaurants' pork supple comes from...  OCO member featured:  Blue Haven Farm
Eco Farm Day bursting at the seams: chair
Standard Freeholder | February 27, 2009
 
Organic farmers know how to get growing and nowhere is this more apparent than at Eco Farm Day. Although the conference has been in existence for more than 25 years, it has nearly doubled in size since coming to Cornwall five years ago, said event chair Tom Manley...
 
Cloned organics denied in Canada
Globe & Mail | February 18, 2009
 
Is eating steak made from a cloned cow more appealing if it was raised organically?  The answer, according to Canadian food authorities, is no. Canada has declared organic food and cloned animals to be mutually exclusive - which means any products derived from cloned animals won't carry the country's new organic logo...
Local organic produce now popular
The London Free Press | November 28, 2008
 
Locally grown organic food was a tough sell a couple of decades ago but it isn't any more, an Elgin County farmer said at a conference in London yesterday. "A conference like this couldn't have happened 15 years ago," Cathy McGregor-Smith of RR 6, St. Thomas, said after speaking at an event promoting greater use of local food on local tables...
 
Winery takes `green' to the limit
The Star.com | November 22, 2008
 
Southbrook Vineyards, which opened its new state-of-the-art winery building in Niagara this summer, now has become the first Canadian winery to achieve biodynamic certification...
 
Halton program brings produce to local school
Burlington Post | November 19, 2008
 
Halton Region wants to bring fresh, locally-grown produce into the area’s elementary schools, and it plans to do so through the Farm to School Committee...
 
Here are some ideas to chew on
London Free Press | November 17, 2008
 
You pick up a jar of pickle relish and wonder. Is it organic or genetically modified? What's the sodium content? Was it made in Chatham or China and most of all, is it safe?...
 
 
Be it an environmental family who wants to protect bees; a scientist who is creating innovative flax products; a team who creates outreach projects that profile farmers to urban Canadians; an inspirational 25-year-old woman who took over the family farm...
 
 
When Planet Organic Health Corp., an Alberta-based natural and organic supermarket chain opened its first store in Ontario in Port Credit in 2007, it knew it was on to something big ...
 
Expect changes to organic standard: OMAFRA - Guelph, Ontario
Alberta Farmer Express article | October 16, 2008
 
Canada's organic farmers will want to watch for revisions to the planned "Canada Organic" standard between now and its delayed implementation at the end of June next year...
 
 
Investeco Capital Corp. (ICC), a leader in environmental investing, today announced that it has reached an agreement to sell its interest in Organic Meadow back to the dairy co-operative that created the company ...
 
 
Grant Hepburn began shipping organic milk in July and on a fine fall day in September about 30 friends and neighbours visited his farm to celebrate his organic certification. Hepburn is a member of Ontario-based Organic Meadow ...
 
Organic Restaurant Looks to Expand: London, Ontario
News Release | September 30, 2008
 
It's a fast-food concept that stands alone as the only one of its kind in Canada, and after one successful year operating in London, it's looking to expand nation-wide. Dubbed a "fast-food alternative," or "quick-service casual" no other restaurant in the country...
 
 
The Centre for Systems Integration is the first Canadian-owned and operated organic certification body to be recognized as a Registered Overseas Certifying Body under the Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS)...
 
Mama Mia... An Organic Pizzaria
Here MAgazine I July 24, 2008
 
“This is what the three of us do in our own homes. It’s not part of a fad or anything, we just want quality, good tasting ingredients that are good for us,” MacPherson explains. “We’re all part of a community agriculture program that brings us fresh vegetables during the growing season. We all get our meat through (local organic butcher) Kuinshoeve Meats and they supply the restaurant as well. We know everything is all natural and organic and it simply tastes better.”
 
I Scream... You Scream
The Hamilton Spectator I July 14, 2008
 
At Hewitt's Dairy Bar in Hagersville, Ontario business is booming. "They are all-Canadian, all-dairy, and additive-free -- and there's no shortage of businesses clamouring to become customers. The dairy doesn't employ a sales staff because stores come to them."
 
 
"The red-haired, long-backed porkers, common on our pioneering farms, were dubbed bacon pigs for their succulent bellies. But they did not take well to the get-fat-fast demands of big farms, taking a year to reach market size compared with just six months for a white pig."
 
The Scoop on Sludge
The Toronto Star I July 12, 2008
 
"...while experts on both sides of the issue are mostly at odds, they agree on the first point: There is still a lot to learn about sludge."
 
Everdale Organic Farm is Using Local Bio-fuel
Biodiesel Magazine I July 10, 2008
 
"Everdale, a non-profit organic farm and learning center in Hillsburgh, Ontario, wanted an option that would be financially and environmentally beneficial to farmers and the local community. It was decided that a locally-based biodiesel co-op would be the best way to reduce petroleum consumption, promote the local economy and benefit the local farming community."
 
Toronto Chefs Willing to Weed
July 8, 2008 I Taste T.O.
 
"From the second we arrive, I am enchanted, opening the car door to find half a dozen of Patterson’s colourful laying hens rushing toward me with curiosity. We’re not here to play with chickens, however, and Patterson quickly directs us to a nearby field where we’re put to work weeding rows of peas..."
 
Off to My Market
July 8, 2008 I Parkdale Liberty Villager
 
The My Market was one of two trial markets last growing season run by Farmers Markets Ontario, a provincial association representing more than 135 farmers markets. The markets are producer-based and serve to champion the cause of Ontario farmers and build community by connecting the farmer to the urban marketplace.
 
Ontario Farmers' Markets Get Funding
June 24, 2008 | Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs
 
The government wants to see more Ontario grown food on the tables of Ontario families. That is why it is providing $4 million over four years to help people buy food directly from Ontario farmers. The funding will help Farmers' Markets Ontario and the Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association work with farmers to sell more local food...
 
Going Organic Pays Off
June 17, 2008 | Toronto Star
 
Once you manage the paperwork, going organic pays off. Organic farms pay less for energy, veterinary services and other items according to recent University of Guelph Study...
 
 
Stonemill Bakehouse, Canada's leading health and wellness bakery, today presented eight climate change solutions in its goal to become a carbon neutral operation. In addition to the bakery's switch to 100 per cent renewable energy - making it Toronto's first bakery to switch to green power - Stonemill is putting out a call to Ontario farmers to participate in partnership opportunities to increase its sources for locally grown ingredients...
 
 
Harry Stoddart didn't want to go to market. At least, that wasn't his plan. But Mr. Stoddart and his wife, Silvia, certified organic farmers near Little Britain, Ont., knew that they had to start doing things a little differently. Though they owned about 227 hectares of land and the family had been farming for six generations...
 
Organic winemaking a worldwide rarity
May 14, 2008 | Town Crier Online
 
You don’t have to be an organic evangelist to buy some organic products in your weekly shop, and or to have a weathered eye out for new organic products. For instance, restaurants for the first time are starting to offer some organic selections in their wine lists. There are very few wineries in the world making organic wine, and only one of these is in Ontario...
 
 
Clearly Canadian Brands announced today the successful launch of their extensive bulk offering in the Canadian market place. We have made a number of successful presentations to date and have begun shipping products to customers nationally...
 
100 Mile Bread
May 8, 2008 | The Ottawa Citizen
 
Ever wonder where your daily bread comes from? The answer is easy to see at Bread & Sons, on Bank Street just north of Laurier Avenue. A big map of Eastern Ontario is adorned with large cut-out arrows pointing to the area farms where the bakery's rye and wheat ...
 
 
d’Avicenna’s eaurganic skin care line was selected as the second best new product at the 2008 Green Living Show which took place April 25-27 in Toronto...
 
What is the meaning of organic?
April 27, 2008 | The Star.com
 
Understanding food may never have been so bewildering as it is today. On the one hand there is the world's food supply, currently in a state of shock. Drought, underproduction, and high petroleum and transport costs are spiking prices and sinking supplies...
 
Freeman Farms takes provincial award
April 23, 2008 | The Meaford Express
 
David and Lynn Freeman know how to capture value by freezing Mother Nature's gifts. The couple, who operate a garlic farm on the Third Line, have invested close to a million dollars in freeze-drying technology and were recently rewarded with an Agri-Food Innovation Excellence Award...
 
Nutrition: Should you eat organic?
April 22, 2008 | National Post
 
Should you eat organic? This being Earth Day and all, I'd love to answer that million-dollar question with a few irrefutable facts (for one side or the other), leaving everyone feeling satisfied that the choice (one way or another) is easy...
 
Organic farming gets boost
April 11, 2008 | London Free Press
 
Canada's growing organic farming industry will get a boost from new national certification standards coming this December, says the president of Field Gate Organics....
 
 
Toronto, Ontario, February 27, 2008 – Strict natural and organic certification standards for cosmetic products are now available in Canada for the protection and benefit of Canadian consumers and the environment...
 
 
PLANET ORGANIC MARKET, Canada's leading natural and organic products retailer, is pleased to announce the opening of a new store in Vaughan, Ontario. At 13,400 square feet, it will be the largest Planet Organic store in Canada...
 
Small farmers find strength in numbers
March 8, 2008 | The Star.com
 
At the Quinte Organic Farmers Co-operative, the 13 members are defying the conventional wisdom drilled into MBA students at university business schools – that competition is the essence of success, and that constant growth is the holy grail...
 
 
SunOpta Inc. today provided an update on the status of activities relating to its January 24, 2008 press release which provided an overview of expected financial results for 2007, the potential impact on previously issued 2007 quarterly financial statements and actions being taken to address the issues identified...
 
Organics: Stay the course
March 1, 2008 | Progressive Grocer
 
A small supermarket operator in New York City recently quit stocking Stonyfield Farm Organic Yogurt after several years of carrying the line. The reason? "We had all this expired product," explains the frustrated dairy manager...
 
Organic safety: false security
January 30, 2008 | Globe and Mail
 
When an organic baby food company recalled four types of cereal on Friday because of fears they were rancid, it may have come as a surprise to many consumers who have turned to organics as a safer choice than conventional food...
 
 
Planet Organic Market, Canada's largest natural foods retailer, today announced that construction on a second Ontario location in the northwest section of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is underway. In addition, detailed renovations of a chain of vitamin/supplement stores called Healthy's has begun...
 
New organic milk group takes shape
January 3, 2008 | Farm Focus
 
The president of the Prince Edward Island Organic Dairy Producers Association sees a bright future in the new year for those willing to make the changes to fill a niche market. “It’s not for everyone but there is some room for organic milk and there is a market,” says Joey Arsenault. “I’ve been slowly changing my farming practices to go organic.” ...
 
Canada's organic agriculture industry is getting a boost with nearly $1.3 million to help accelerate its growth in Canada, announced Gerald Keddy, Member of Parliament for South Shore-St. Margaret's and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, on behalf of the Honourable Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board. "Organic food is an amazing growth market," said Mr. Keddy...

Last Updated: 2009-12-18 07:57:12