Food Focus

Labelling foods with genetically modified ingredients has been a contentious debate. Some argue labelling is unnecessary and causes undue alarm. Others suggest consumers have a right to know. There remains a question as to whether it matters to consumers and whether labels will make any difference at all even if we do label. In this episode Mike chats with Dr Jane Kolodinsky of the University of V...

The Opaskwayak Cree Nation has built a small smart vertical farm in Northern Manitoba. The technology is very cool but the impact on the local community is what really caught my interest. Vertical farms are not some sort of futuristic pipe dream but real and practical production systems that are evolving to provide food sources in all sorts of different communities. This episode is dedicated to sh...

Farmers are people too. Economists traditionally assume that farmers will behave rationally and maximize profits. The truth is there are many things that influence farmer decisions in adopting new practices, products, or technologies. That's the point Dr Ellen Goddard made in her Presidential Address to the Canadian Agricultural Economics Society. I this episode, Mike talks to Ellen about why we n...

In this episode of Food Focus, Mike talks to Dr Kelly Barratt a dairy veterinarian in Ontario. Their conversation ranges from the role of a veterinarian in modern dairy production, how she became a vet, the joys and challenges of being a female veterinarian, and the critical issue of on farm mental health. Her passion for being a vet is clear and you'll find it engaging and educational. The episod...

Cellular agriculture is not a concept you hear about every day - but it soon might be. You've heard about lab grown meat. We can also produce some dairy proteins using genetically modified yeasts. Technological innovation is allowing a wide variety of food products and ingredients to be produced outside of traditional agricultural production. In this episode, Mike has a conversation with Dr. Lenor...

We hear a lot of different descriptions of egg production - cage free, enriched housing, free run, free range - but what does it all mean? How should we be making choices? It seems as though the industry is struggling with it as well as the Retail Council of Canada just rescinded a cage free commitment to move into alignment with the national codes of practice on laying hen housing. In this episod...

Brian Alexander grows grass in Kansas for a living. Mike wanted to chat with him because many say he is farming regeneratively. We are hearing more and more about regenerative agriculture and many of us aren't sure what it means. In this episode Mike talks to Brian about what he does and why he does it. This will be the first of several episodes on regenerative farming to improve our understanding...

Food Focus is back after some technical issues and the recruitment of a new producer we will be posting regular episodes again. In this episode I speak with two researchers from the Department of Food, Agricultural, and Resource Economics at the University of Guelph. We talk about how carbon taxes affect farmers and what the future of carbon credits for farmers might look like. Taxes are here now...

Mike had a conversation with Hal Herzog as part of a seminar for the Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare at the University of Guelph. They talk about how we think about different animals differently, why it happens and what it means.

How does a small family run grocery store thrive in the era of big box grocery retail and ongoing consolidation? In this episode, Mike speaks with Jackie Fraser of Fraberts Fresh Foods about how they differentiate in the market by selling local and developing a relationship of trust with customers. They talk about the keys to success and some of the challenges a smaller player faces. They also tal...

This is the podcast version of my second YouTube discussion with experts on the dairy and palm issue. I visit with a dairy farmer (Andrew Campbell), a dairy nutritionist (Mike Steele), and a veterinarian (Stephen LeBlanc) about what is happening, what we need to understand better, and where we go from here. You can also see the video version of the discussion if you prefer that to a podcast (https...

Palm oil has gotten a lot of attention lately, particularly in the context of dairy feed. This video presents and discussion with three experts from the University of Guelph and highlights what palm oil is, why it is used in the food industry, why and how it is used in dairy nutrition and how it might be affecting milk and processed products. We originally posted this as a video on YouTube (https:...

Many of us take internet connectivity for granted. For some, however, in rural communities even simple things like streaming a Netflix program is frustratingly unpredictable. This affects not only leisure time but also critical economic and social functions. Running a business is impossible without good and affordable internet. We are learning more from home. We are bridging the health service acc...

This is the second conversation that Mike had with Chef Pam Fanjoy. The focus on Pam's culinary therapy program that provides both cooking skills and mental health and life skills support. She uses a kitchen as a context for an activity to help people relax and be somewhat distracted while dealing with broader issues.

This is the 50th episode of the Food Focus podcast. We're exited to hit this milestone and look forward to talking to many more people about a wide variety of issues related to food. This episode is the first half of Mike's conversation with Chef Pam Fanjoy. She talks about her food business (restaurant, meals to go, and more) before and after COVID and how her business reflects her values.

In this episode Mike talks to Ken McEwen about Canada's pork industry. The Canadian industry represents 6% of farm cash receipts and we export between 60 and 70% our our production. This is a profoundly important segment of our ag sector and many people don't have any idea of how it works. They talk about industry structure, strengths, challenges and opportunities.

Mike chats with Dana McAualey about the future of meat. We are seeing more and more restaurants offering plant based burgers (most recently McDonalds and the McPlant). Singapore recently approved lab grown meat for human consumption. Are the stars aligned for the end of traditional livestock production? While there are clear changes in meat consumption, we believe that we are not at the end of mea...

This is the second half of Mike's conversation with Angela Straathof on soil. In the first half they spoke about why soil is important and what soil health means. In this episode they talk about improving soil health and the potential for carbon sequestration or carbon capture as a revenue source for farmers.

This is the second half of Mike's conversation with Angela Straathof on soil. In the first half they spoke about why soil is important and what soil health means. In this episode they talk about improving soil health and the potential for carbon sequestration or carbon capture as a revenue source for farmers.

In this episode, Mike has a conversation with Angela Straathof, a soil scientist with the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association. This is the first half of a longer conversation. They talk about why we should care about soil and how its so much more than just dirt - in fact Angela says we shouldn't use the "D" word at all.

We are hearing more and more about large food retailers increasing the charges they put on suppliers. These are the costs of doing business with these retailers who provide access to a large share of the consumer base. In this mini-pod Mike provides a perspective on what these fees do in the market place. He anticipates higher costs (or smaller packages), less choice, and more pressure on an alrea...

Mental health is a topic we need to bring to the fore; in agriculture and everywhere. During ag mental health week, Mike spoke with Jason Medows, host of the mental health focused Ag State of Mind podcast, about the issue and how to help. Jason has a unique perspective as a farmer, a pharmacist, and someone who has battled mental health himself.

In this episode Mike speaks with Evan Fraser, Director of the Arrell Food Institute on the issue of food security. We've seen food security issues worsen during the pandemic. They talk about why that is and what we might do about it to lessen the impacts of food security in North America and around the world.

Have you tried online ordering and home delivery for groceries yet? If so was it a good experience? If not, whats holding you back? In this episode Mike speaks with Sarah Joyce, Senior VP of Ecommerce at Sobey's about their new Voila home delivery offering. We talk about the size of the market, what their research suggests are the keys to success, some details or their offering, and what an online...

This is a first for Food Focus. This is a mini pod - a shorter recording with just the host, Mike von Massow, providing a perspective on a topical issue. In this mini pod, Mike talks about tipping and restaurants. Many restaurants are talking about ending the practice of tipping. Mike talks about why, some of the pro's and con's of tipping and why it may be tough to change - especially in the curr...