Organic

A new generation of people want to  farm . Their parents are more likely to have been nurses or teachers or plumbers or engineers, but they are more interested in working the land than working for the man. Across Canada, farming is capturing the imagination of a growing group of men and women who have no recent ancestral connections to agriculture. These are the people who will likely play an important role in a new food system and make the idea of local food possible in Canada.  Farm internship programs are rising in popularity, like the Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training in Ontario. CRAFT matches aspiring farmers with organic farms in the hope of strengthening the organic farming community in the province. Applications for their two dozen internships have risen into the hundreds in the last few years. The international organization called WWOOF - World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms - which facilitates volunteering on farms, has a Canadian membership ...

Remembering our horticultural roots While food security, seed policy and biodiversity conservation issues swirl around our heads, let’s take a break and stroll down memory lane. The least glamorous parts of Canadian history often have the strongest and longest-lasting influence on our present-day lives, and we propose that our root vegetables are unsung historical heroes that quietly shaped our country through its early centuries. Easy to grow, easy to store, reliable, and nutritious for both people and livestock, our nation was built upon the humble root vegetable. Here’s a quick glance at a heroic few. PHOTO: PUBLIC DOMAIN Beets  are native to Europe and Asia, and they have been cultivated there for at least 4000 years. Originally, they were cultivated for their greens, but the Romans learned that the roots made a good livestock feed. Several varieties are still known as ‘leaf beets’ for their succulent greens, which are delicious (raw or steamed) and high in Vitamin...