Food Farm Talk

A panel discussion exploring the business case for climate solutions was part of the 2023 Arrell Food Summit: Pathways to Change on November 14, 2023. Speakers included: - Mauricio Alanis, Director of Sustainability Strategy and Partnerships, Maple Leaf Foods - Mohamed Yaghi, Climate and Agriculture Policy Lead, Climate Action Institute, RBC - Julie Gartside, Global Head of Integration Management...

Ralph Martin’s book is an evocative mix of science, philosophy, memoir, reflection and manifesto for change. And food and farming tie it all together. Food security is certainly a focus, but the book ranges far beyond a narrow view of that phrase. Ralph is a retired professor of plant agriculture at Guelph with an emphasis on organic agriculture and forage crops. The book promo says the following....

Agriculture played an important role in colonialism and the dispossession of Indigenous peoples. Today it could help build prosperity and reconciliation. We hear from Chief Cadmus Delorme on the history of agriculture and colonialism as it is expressed on Cowessess First Nation, Treaty 4 in Saskatchewan. In this episode, Chief Delorme traces the history of his First Nation from before European con...

Water is Food - Emerging Knowledge is a panel discussion hosted by the Arrell Food Institute at the University of Guelph. This was held on World Food Day on October 16, 2023, as a panel discussion looking at emerging research and insights into best practices, barriers and opportunities at the intersection of water and agri-food. Arrell Food Institute director Dr. Evan Fraser moderated a panel of U...

Wrapping up our Stories of Regeneration tour, we land in Ottawa at Just Food Community Farm, a 150-acre farmstead located in Ottawa’s Greenbelt that is championing small-scale, viable agriculture businesses and initiatives like Chi Garden and Urban Fresh Produce. Dedicated to cultivating a thriving local food economy and sustainable farming sector, Just Food integrates agroecology-based conservati...

On this stop in the Stories of Regeneration tour, we returned to Alberta, making a stop at Peony Farms in Lacombe. Facing his daughter’s health issues, rancher Craig Cameron and his family turned to regenerative farming to grow the healthiest food possible for her. Craig, alongside his father-in-law Peter DenOudsten, shifted their traditional beef farm to a regenerative model. They now grow over 1...

In this episode, we’ll be doing some exploration into the relationship between society and regenerative agriculture and how one can help advance the other. But the real meat and potatoes of the last three episodes, just like in all the other episodes in this series, will be about getting to know and understand the boots on the ground folks who are leading the way on this change that we are seeing...

During the growing season of 2023 as summer turned into fall, the Rural Routes to Climate Solutions podcast and Regeneration Canada were on the final leg of the Stories of Regeneration tour. After covering most of the Prairies and most of central and eastern Canada in the summer, our months-long journey came to an end in Canada’s two most western provinces around harvest time. This next phase of o...

2023 was a challenging year for Canadian farmers and ranchers and for humanity in general. We had droughts, wildfires, floods, an affordability crisis and a number of armed conflicts. According to scientists working with the European Union, 2023 smashed temperature records globally. And yet, someone like Nova Scotia organic and biodynamic wine producer, Rachel Lightfoot still finds ways of being o...

Fifth generation farmer, Rébeka Frazer-Chiasson believes strongly in the practices of regenerative agriculture. Located in Rogersville, New Brunswick, her farm Ferme Terre Partagee currently operates as a coop based on common values and objectives including peasant agroecology and food sovereignty. Welcome to Stories of Regeneration, a podcast series brought to you by Rural Routes to Climate Solut...

A panel discussion exploring the business case for climate solutions was part of the 2023 Arrell Food Summit: Pathways to Change on November 14, 2023. Speakers included: - Mauricio Alanis, Director of Sustainability Strategy and Partnerships, Maple Leaf Foods - Mohamed Yaghi, Climate and Agriculture Policy Lead, Climate Action Institute, RBC - Julie Gartside, Global Head of Integration Management...

During the growing season of 2023, Rural Routes to Climate Solutions teamed up with Regeneration Canada to connect with agricultural producers across Canada who are tackling the pressing social and environmental crises through the adoption of regenerative agriculture.  One such farm is Axten Farms, situated in Minton, Saskatchewan. With a steadfast commitment to growing healthy grains, Axten Farms...

Water is Food - Emerging Knowledge is a panel discussion hosted by the Arrell Food Institute at the University of Guelph. This was held on World Food Day on October 16, 2023, as a panel discussion looking at emerging research and insights into best practices, barriers and opportunities at the intersection of water and agri-food. Arrell Food Institute director Dr. Evan Fraser moderated a panel of U...

Soil is very much alive. And hungry too. Some estimates go as far as saying that there is more life in a teaspoon of healthy soil than there are people on the planet. You just need a microscope to see the vast majority of it. Or you do what grain farmer Blake Vince did, and bury a pair of “tighty whities” (underwear) in the soil to produce proof of the existence of this vast and diverse soil micro...

Climate change challenges Canadian agriculture in so many ways. How can Canada help farmers adapt? The report, “A New Ag Deal: A 9-Point Plan for Climate-Smart Agriculture”, lays out ideas to help farmers adapt and reduce the impacts of climate change on their farms while growing food production to feed the world. Mohamad Yaghi, Agriculture & Climate Policy Lead at the Royal Bank’s (RBC) Clima...

Sustainable farming is about the people and organizations working daily to that end. Stuart Wright is a dairy and cash crop farmer from Kenilworth, Wellington County, and a past President of Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association. Both Stuart and the Soil and Crop organization work hard on farm sustainability. Stuart describes his family’s work building soil health and sustainability using...

The Guelph Centre for Urban Organic Farming at the University of Guelph is a fascinating project combining the university’s strength in food and agriculture, local food supply chains, student learning and research, student activism, and community engagement. Mike Smith, the centre’s farm coordinator, talks with us about the activities of the Guelph Centre for Urban Organic Farming. University of G...

In this 2022 episode, we speak to Katherine Eckert, a Ph. D. student and Arrell Food Scholar at the University of Guelph. Katherine discusses working with the Guelph Family Health Study and the creation of the new book "Plant-Based Proteins: Recipes Made Easy-Peasy". We also discuss Katherine's journey to health and nutrition, Ph. D. research, and the conversations around plant-based diets. The 20...

"Recruiting Soil to Tackle Climate Change: A Roadmap for Canada" is a 2022 report by the Soil Conservation Council of Canada and the Compost Council of Canada aimed at helping more people put carbon into soil and keep it there.  The world’s soils have lost an estimated 133 billion tons of carbon since the beginning of agriculture 12,000 years ago. This loss represents a substantial opportunit...

First Nations are building modern agricultural businesses in many parts of Canada. Historically, agriculture played an important role in colonialism and the dispossession of Indigenous peoples. Today it could help build prosperity and reconciliation, as envisioned in Truth and Reconciliation Commission Call to Action 92. In this episode, we hear from Cadmus Delorme on their efforts to build succes...

"When More Isn’t Better", thoughts from the world’s #1 management thinker, Roger L. Martin, on farm resilience, presented at the virtual Midwest Cover Crops Council Conference on February 24, 2021. Roger Martin is professor emeritus and former Dean of the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. He grew up in Wallenstein, Ontario where his family was active with an agri-business i...

The Environmental Farm Plan or EFP builds sustainability on Ontario and Canadian farms by farmers assessing their farms' environmental risks and changing practices to reduce or eliminate those risks. It began over 25 years ago in Ontario, led by farmer organizations working with governments, building consensus and changing social norms. EFP has now spread across Canada and evolved to fit each regi...

Fertilizer is fundamental to agriculture and key to feeding all us, but excess nitrogen and phosphorus have unintended effects on soil ecosystems, water quality, and greenhouse gas emissions. This episode explores how the 4R Nutrient Stewardship program brings together research, agronomy, environmental science, and education to help farmers plan fertilizer use to conserve the environment while gro...

Fertilizer is fundamental to agriculture and key to feeding the world population. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are often the focus—what agronomists call crop nutrients. Yet fertilizer use can have unintended effects on soil ecosystems, water quality, and greenhouse gas emissions. So, sustainable use of fertilizer is a key issue in farm sustainability. The 4R Nutrient Stewardship program brin...

Abdul talks to Alan Abdul Kader (@AlanKaderAg) , now a graduate of the Ontario Agricultural College, on a range of issues in today's agriculture. Alan traces his journey as a young high school  student who fell in love with agriculture while working on friend's family farms. The values of farming, including the ability to care for nature and being outdoors are among the drivers in &...