What will they see? This video just about says it all.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Galloping Cows at the Oscars?
A Nova Scotia food producer is heading to the red carpet.
Ron and Joanne Schmidt of Galloping Cows Fine Foods in Port Hood, Nova Scotia, left Monday, Feb. 21 for the Oscars in Los Angeles, California. They will set up a display in the Oscars' Gifting Suite and present stars with a gift box of Galloping Cows Pepper Jellies.
Joanne says they broke into the star-studded gift scene when they attended the Toronto International Film Festival and the Golden Globes with their Brandy Cranberry Marmalade. But they will shine the spotlight on their Wild Blueberry Pepper Spread as the Oscars.
The company started as a roadside farm market 16 years ago. They've continued to evolve and develop new products over the years with Ron and Joanne creating the new recipes. They use 100 per cent Nova Scotia fruit in their products.
In addition to the red carpet, Galloping Cows pepper jellies are available in the deli departments at Sobeys stores in Atlantic Canada. Gift stores, farm markets, specialty food stores and their website also sell the product.
The Oscars air Sunday, Feb. 27.
Ron and Joanne Schmidt of Galloping Cows Fine Foods in Port Hood, Nova Scotia, left Monday, Feb. 21 for the Oscars in Los Angeles, California. They will set up a display in the Oscars' Gifting Suite and present stars with a gift box of Galloping Cows Pepper Jellies.
Joanne says they broke into the star-studded gift scene when they attended the Toronto International Film Festival and the Golden Globes with their Brandy Cranberry Marmalade. But they will shine the spotlight on their Wild Blueberry Pepper Spread as the Oscars.
The company started as a roadside farm market 16 years ago. They've continued to evolve and develop new products over the years with Ron and Joanne creating the new recipes. They use 100 per cent Nova Scotia fruit in their products.
In addition to the red carpet, Galloping Cows pepper jellies are available in the deli departments at Sobeys stores in Atlantic Canada. Gift stores, farm markets, specialty food stores and their website also sell the product.
The Oscars air Sunday, Feb. 27.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
New IFAJ contest addresses hot ag topic
It's a question the agricultural industry -- including journalists and communicators -- has been asking repeatedly lately. It's even a topic that has spilled into mainstream media as analysts examine the topic.
Experts say agricultural production must double during the next 40 years. How does the world continue to feed its growing population?
As our work as agricultural journalists and communicators leads us to examine this question, the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) has unveiled a new contest, the IFAJ Award for Reporting on Sustainable World Agriculture. The award will recognize excellence in work that examines issues-based questions each year.
The IFAJ Award for Reporting on Sustainable World Agriculture is open to articles, internet productions or radio/TV broadcasts on the broad topics of hunger, feeding the world sustainably and meeting the challenge of providing nutrition to a growing world population.
This new award provides a unique professional development opportunity for all IFAJ members to participate in a broad-based contest that is relevant to current global issues -- the goal of higher food production with a lower carbon footprint.
Entries to this year's contest must address the following theme:
"How to feed a still growing world population? Can we double agricultural production towards 2050? Experts say we must double agricultural production during the next 40 years in order to avoid hunger and in order also to produce agricultural products for energy purposes. At the same time agricultural land will only increase slightly, and water may be an even more limited resource."
Eligibility
Individual IFAJ members from countries with paid-up memberships are eligible to enter. This means national guilds are not required to have a judging or selection process to decide on an entry to go forward. One entry per member is allowed.
Entries may be a written article, a radio program or a television/internet production.
Entries should touch on the broad themes of hunger, feeding the world sustainably or meeting the challenge of providing nutrition to a growing world population. Entries can be macro (global, regional or national) or micro (local) points of view. Entries may focus on a broad array of topics including food supply and demand, trade, production agriculture practices and policy.
Judging will be based on objectivity, balance, content, clarity and relevance to the theme. Solid organization, depth of reporting and brightness of style will be examined. Entries have no length (words, minutes, etc.) requirement, but must have been published or aired in one (print) issue or single broadcast; series of reports are ineligible.
Entries must have been published or aired between January 1, 2010 and June 1, 2011. In this first year of the award, entries scheduled to be published or aired no later than December 31, 2011 are also eligible.
All entries must be written or spoken in English. The committee of judges will consider less perfect English from participants whose primary language is not English. Entry deadline is June 15, 2011.
The following information must be provided in the e-mail to which the article is attached:
Experts say agricultural production must double during the next 40 years. How does the world continue to feed its growing population?
As our work as agricultural journalists and communicators leads us to examine this question, the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) has unveiled a new contest, the IFAJ Award for Reporting on Sustainable World Agriculture. The award will recognize excellence in work that examines issues-based questions each year.
The IFAJ Award for Reporting on Sustainable World Agriculture is open to articles, internet productions or radio/TV broadcasts on the broad topics of hunger, feeding the world sustainably and meeting the challenge of providing nutrition to a growing world population.
This new award provides a unique professional development opportunity for all IFAJ members to participate in a broad-based contest that is relevant to current global issues -- the goal of higher food production with a lower carbon footprint.
Entries to this year's contest must address the following theme:
"How to feed a still growing world population? Can we double agricultural production towards 2050? Experts say we must double agricultural production during the next 40 years in order to avoid hunger and in order also to produce agricultural products for energy purposes. At the same time agricultural land will only increase slightly, and water may be an even more limited resource."
Eligibility
Individual IFAJ members from countries with paid-up memberships are eligible to enter. This means national guilds are not required to have a judging or selection process to decide on an entry to go forward. One entry per member is allowed.
Entries may be a written article, a radio program or a television/internet production.
Entries should touch on the broad themes of hunger, feeding the world sustainably or meeting the challenge of providing nutrition to a growing world population. Entries can be macro (global, regional or national) or micro (local) points of view. Entries may focus on a broad array of topics including food supply and demand, trade, production agriculture practices and policy.
Judging will be based on objectivity, balance, content, clarity and relevance to the theme. Solid organization, depth of reporting and brightness of style will be examined. Entries have no length (words, minutes, etc.) requirement, but must have been published or aired in one (print) issue or single broadcast; series of reports are ineligible.
Entries must have been published or aired between January 1, 2010 and June 1, 2011. In this first year of the award, entries scheduled to be published or aired no later than December 31, 2011 are also eligible.
All entries must be written or spoken in English. The committee of judges will consider less perfect English from participants whose primary language is not English. Entry deadline is June 15, 2011.
The following information must be provided in the e-mail to which the article is attached:
- Name, address, e-mail address and telephone number of the entrant;
- Name of IFAJ member association of which the entrant is a member;
- Name of publication, broadcast station or Web site where entry was published or aired;
- Date and/or issue of broadcast, posting, airing, or publication;
- The intended audience for the entry (consumers? farmers?)
For print entries, the layout and design will not be considered in the judging.
Entries, submitted in electronic format such as PDF or MP3, must be submitted to:
International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ)
c/o Secretary General Owen Roberts, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada
email: owen(at)uoguelph.ca.
An email directing judges to the entry via a link to broadcast sites such as www.youtube.com is also acceptable.
Prizes
An email directing judges to the entry via a link to broadcast sites such as www.youtube.com is also acceptable.
Prizes
Cash prizes for first (3,000 euro), second (1,500 euro) and third place (750 euro) will be awarded, with the winners of the contest announced at the 2011 IFAJ Congress in Canada, September 2011. IFAJ will publish the names of the winners and will publish their work at www.ifaj.org. IFAJ reserves the right to use the entries and subsequent critiques in future professional development activities.
Judging
Judging
A panel of three judges will form an independent committee. The judging panel is lead by distinguished professor Henning Otte Hansen, senior adviser at the Institute of Food and Resource Economics, University of Copenhagen. Other judges will be selected from North/South America, and Africa/Asia/Australia/New Zealand.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Applications for Young Journalist Award now being accepted
Are you:
• 35 or younger?
• A member of the Canadian Farm Writers' Federation?
• Interested in boosting your ag journalism or communications career?
The Canadian Farm Writers' Federation (CFWF) is now accepting applications for the 2011 IFAJ-Alltech Young Leaders in Agriculture Journalism Award.
CFWF will select one entry from the Canadian applications for further judging by the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ). IFAJ judges will go on to select the winners of the IFAJ-Alltech Young Leaders in Agriculture Journalism Award.
This award recognizes the leadership potential of 10 young members from the 29 countries belonging to the IFAJ, and supports the young persons' participation at the 2011 IFAJ congress. The award is designed to offset travel and registration costs.
At the 2011 congress, winners of the young leaders' award will participate in a Boot Camp workshop. This will provide participants with expert training and feedback through on-site writing or broadcasting assignments and further develop their leadership skills through formal in-class training. They will be teamed with mentors during the congress to help with learning.
Participants will also write or record spot news three times during the congress. The stories will be made available to the general media and posted on the IFAJ website, http://www.ifaj.org/.
The 2011 IFAJ Boot Camp and congress are September 10-18, 2011, in the Guelph, Ontario, Canada region. Details, including the agenda, are available at http://www.ifaj2011.com/.
The only way apply for 2011 IFAJ-Alltech Young Leaders in Agriculture Journalism Award is through the Canadian Farm Writers' Federation.
A team of CFWF judges, selected by the federation executive, will pick one entry to represent Canada and will submit the successful candidate's name to IFAJ for further judging. The remaining nine IFAJ-Alltech Young Leaders in Agriculture Journalism Award winners will be selected from entries from other IFAJ member countries.
Rules and procedures for nomination and selection
1. Applicants must be CFWF members.
2. Applicants must write a brief (500 word maximum) essay that addresses:
- why they believe they have leadership potential in IFAJ.
- how attending Boot Camp and 2011 IFAJ congress will benefit them in their professional life.
Application essays, as well as the applicant's name, mailing address, email address, telephone number and regional farm writer organization, must be sent to Allison Finnamore, Canada's IFAJ executive member, at allison@finnamore.ca by 5 p.m. eastern time, Monday, February 28, 2011.
3. The IFAJ-Alltech Young Leaders in Agricultural Journalism Award is valued at 1,000 Euro per winner.
4. The candidate must be able to attend Boot Camp and the IFAJ congress, September 10-18, 2011 in Ontario, Canada.
5. The Canadian Farm Writers' Federation will select one entry from the Canadian applications for further judging by the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists. CFWF will forward supporting information about the Canadian nominee, who will be required to provide CFWF with supporting information in a timely fashion.
6. Candidates must be involved in agricultural journalism or communications.
7. Candidates must be no more than 35 years old as of December 31, 2010.
8. Final judging will be conducted by a three-person panel chaired by the IFAJ general secretary.
9. Judges’ decisions are final.
Questions? Call Allison at 506-860-7761 or email allison@finnamore.ca
CFWF members, please share this with your regional associations.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Food Freedom Day
Today is Food Freedom Day in Canada.
That means the average Canadian has now earned enough disposable income to pay for his or her individual grocery bill -- food and alcohol only -- for the entire year.
And yes, it's only February 12.
This is the third year in a row that Food Freedom Day has fallen on this date, and only slightly later than in previous years. The recession and an increase in the price of food have helped push the date back. The calculation is made by comparing Canadians' disposable income and the amount we spend on food.
According to the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, in 2010 the average Canadian spent approximately 11.9 per cent of personal disposable income on food.
Beth Densmore, president of Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture points out that even though we enjoy reasonably priced food in Nova Scotia and the rest of the country, Canadian farmers "continue to be challenged with gaining a fair return of the food dollar."
Consumers want cheap food that is reliably safe. Farmers want to get paid fairly for the food they produce. Should Canadians spend more than 11.9 per cent of disposable income on food? What's the value of a safe food supply? Is enough money getting back to farmers?
Food Freedom Day may be a good time to take pause to reflect on these types of questions.
More on Food Freedom Day.
That means the average Canadian has now earned enough disposable income to pay for his or her individual grocery bill -- food and alcohol only -- for the entire year.
And yes, it's only February 12.
This is the third year in a row that Food Freedom Day has fallen on this date, and only slightly later than in previous years. The recession and an increase in the price of food have helped push the date back. The calculation is made by comparing Canadians' disposable income and the amount we spend on food.
According to the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, in 2010 the average Canadian spent approximately 11.9 per cent of personal disposable income on food.
Beth Densmore, president of Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture points out that even though we enjoy reasonably priced food in Nova Scotia and the rest of the country, Canadian farmers "continue to be challenged with gaining a fair return of the food dollar."
Consumers want cheap food that is reliably safe. Farmers want to get paid fairly for the food they produce. Should Canadians spend more than 11.9 per cent of disposable income on food? What's the value of a safe food supply? Is enough money getting back to farmers?
Food Freedom Day may be a good time to take pause to reflect on these types of questions.
More on Food Freedom Day.
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
It'll be a wild party!
It's been 15 years since Nova Scotia named the wild blueberry its official berry.
Nova Scotia's wild blueberry is worth $40 million in export sales to 30 countries.
Proclaimed the provincial berry on Jan. 11, 1996, the wild blueberry is often touted for its medicinal benefits.
"Early research suggested the antioxidant power of blueberries was responsible for health benefits," said Wilhelmina Kalt, research scientist, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, who is investigating the berry's health attributes. "More recently, research indicates blueberries may be important in reducing inflammation that comes with disease and aging."
Health research is examining the blueberry's benefits in areas such as cardiovascular health, neuroscience, cancer, inflammation, aging and, more recently, diabetes and sight.
For more information about the wild blueberry or Select Nova Scotia, go to http://www.selectnovascotia.ca/.
Nova Scotia's wild blueberry is worth $40 million in export sales to 30 countries.
Proclaimed the provincial berry on Jan. 11, 1996, the wild blueberry is often touted for its medicinal benefits.
"Early research suggested the antioxidant power of blueberries was responsible for health benefits," said Wilhelmina Kalt, research scientist, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, who is investigating the berry's health attributes. "More recently, research indicates blueberries may be important in reducing inflammation that comes with disease and aging."
Health research is examining the blueberry's benefits in areas such as cardiovascular health, neuroscience, cancer, inflammation, aging and, more recently, diabetes and sight.
For more information about the wild blueberry or Select Nova Scotia, go to http://www.selectnovascotia.ca/.
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
Maple Syrup Dreams
When I met recently with colleagues from the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists in Berlin, there was much talk about maple syrup. It may have been because we discovered the wonderful drink, firewater, or... well, no, the discussion about maple syrup definitely came from the firewater conversation.
It's easy to take what we have for granted and I forgot how novel the notion is of harvesting sap from a tree and turning it into sweet syrup. Eastern Canadians share the annual spring tradition of pulling on our rubber boots, usually one of the first times we wear them after shedding the winter boots, and heading into the barren woods for a walk to the sugar shack.
Timing is everything with maple syrup production. The night temperatures must drop below freezing and temperatures during the day must be above freezing. The see-saw on the thermometre is what makes the sap in the tree begin to flow after its winter's rest. Depending on the weather, the sap could run for many weeks.
Maple syrup facts and history
My most memorable spring maple syrup memory is from when I was about 12-years-old. I had a mouth full of braces -- the big, heavy braces that felt and looked like railroad tracks. They came with the firm instructions: no gum and nothing sticky to eat.
I was at a sugar camp and when it was time for some maple candy, the owner of the camp passed the first, sticky, gooey piece to me. Of course I took it. Of course it hauled the cemented-braces right off my teeth. Of course my parents were upset and of course, I was at the orthodontist the very next day to have the cement reapplied. But of course, for maple candy, I would do it all over again in an instant.
These are photos from a couple of years ago when my son's Cub group went the the maple sugar woods.
It's easy to take what we have for granted and I forgot how novel the notion is of harvesting sap from a tree and turning it into sweet syrup. Eastern Canadians share the annual spring tradition of pulling on our rubber boots, usually one of the first times we wear them after shedding the winter boots, and heading into the barren woods for a walk to the sugar shack.
Timing is everything with maple syrup production. The night temperatures must drop below freezing and temperatures during the day must be above freezing. The see-saw on the thermometre is what makes the sap in the tree begin to flow after its winter's rest. Depending on the weather, the sap could run for many weeks.
Maple syrup facts and history
My most memorable spring maple syrup memory is from when I was about 12-years-old. I had a mouth full of braces -- the big, heavy braces that felt and looked like railroad tracks. They came with the firm instructions: no gum and nothing sticky to eat.
I was at a sugar camp and when it was time for some maple candy, the owner of the camp passed the first, sticky, gooey piece to me. Of course I took it. Of course it hauled the cemented-braces right off my teeth. Of course my parents were upset and of course, I was at the orthodontist the very next day to have the cement reapplied. But of course, for maple candy, I would do it all over again in an instant.
These are photos from a couple of years ago when my son's Cub group went the the maple sugar woods.
Heading into the muddy woods
The sap lines snaking through the bare tress
A gentle tap into the tree
Before producers used tap lines, they put buckets directly on to the trees. Some small producers still do, while others only do a few trees to demonstrate past practices.
The evaporator. It's not operating in this shot or it would be a room full of steam
Maple candy in the snow
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