For the Love of Beer

Beer drinkers – now there’s a group that should be interested in what’s happening with Canadian agriculture.  After all, the value chain is a relatively short one, barley growers to malters to brewers to retailers to consumers. 

So, educating beer drinkers about the importance of continued success for grain growers in Canada seems to make sense.  If dairy farmers can “rap”sodize about drinking milk, why not involve malt barley growers in campaigns directed at beer lovers.  Better barley = better beer could work.

The campaign would also be fitting in international markets, especially China, the land of future opportunities for Canadian exports.  According to Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, China is the largest producer and consumer of beer, and importer of malting barley, in the world.  And Canada just happens to be one of the top three exporters of malting barley to China, along with Australia and the EU.  In fact, Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development estimates that Canadian malting barley exports will increase to over two million tonnes by 2011 and China will account for almost 50% of those exports.  Whether we’re talking about supplying major or microbrewers, there are significant opportunities on the horizon for Canadian barley producers. 

So, the next time you raise a frosted mug of ale at your local pub, remember to thank a barley grower.  I’m sure the gratitude is mutual.

And The Winner Is…Not Sheila Watt-Cloutier

How do you suppose this happens?  Two people are jointly nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, and only one wins.  Am I mistaken about the meaning of jointly nominated?  Does it not mean that if one wins, the other does too?  Apparently not. 

The CBC headline, the day before the awards were given, declared of Sheila Watt-Cloutier, ”Iqaluit environmentalist ‘prepared for anything’ amid Nobel hype”.  I bet it was anything but seeing her co-nominee, Al Gore, win…without her.  In the Globe and Mail, the day after the announcement, Watt-Cloutier was nothing but gracious.  She claimed that “the Earth was a winner in the end”, as the environment was shown to be top of the list in importance.  However, she “was a little bit surprised to be honest because we had jointly been nominated…[and] it certainly would have helped to continue to put [Arctic] issues on the map”.

Now, one would automatically expect Al Gore to say something about Watt-Cloutier and the joint nomination…wouldn’t one?  I am still searching for his comments on the process that would allow such a thing to happen.  Maybe I’ll stop.  After all, Christmas is coming.

What does this ‘incident’ do, then, to the meaning of the prize.  In my estimation it is greatly diminished.  Does the selection committee have an agenda other than awarding those who have accomplished significant goals?  Would it have diluted Gore’s win to have another name beside his.  It would appear not, since he shared the prize with the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a separate candidate.  What then, is the reason?  Will we ever know?  Not likely.

We’ll just continue to watch as Gore travels the globe, espousing environmental responsibility, while buying carbon credits so that someone else can offset his exorbitant consumption of energy and his very large ‘footprint’.

Agricultural Fortune

I just finished reading one of the most enjoyable books ever.  “Eat, Pray, Love“, by Elizabeth Gilbert, chronicles the author’s year long journey through Italy, India, and Indonesia (specifically Bali). 

When describing Bali’s culture, Gilbert brings up the subject of farming, talking about “a vast rice-growing agricultural society”.  She is told that “in Bali, the collective is absolutely more important than the individual, or nobody eats.  

To that end, important agricultural decisions are actually made by corporate groups called ”subaks”, each of which corresponds to a section of wet-rice paddies.  The “subak” is a unit that organizes the flow of water, planting, and harvesting.  (Source:  US Library of Congress)

A somewhat disturbing contrast to this corporate structure is that Bali operates under a caste system.  Of the four castes in Bali, the lowest is the Sudra, which accounts for 90% of the island’s 2.5 million inhabitants, including farmers.  It is difficult for me, as a Westerner, to understand this system at all, and very disturbing that producers, or any citizens, are given such low standing. 

We are fortunate, as Canadians, that we have access to such a wealth of resources, and that we participate in a democratic process.  In the wake of the recent election, we need to keep in mind that our fate rests more in our own hands than we realize, more so than for those in other parts of the world.

Move Over Cotton, There Are New Threads In Town

Consumers are more concerned with health and environmental issues than ever before.  Decisions about the food we eat, the cars we drive, and even the clothes we wear are no longer based on price alone.  We want to know where things are made or grown, and how they’re processed. 

Cotton always seemed like a great choice for apparel.  It’s natural, comfortable, and versatile.  But now we can choose fabrics made from bamboo, soy, or corn.  There are even products made from fabric that started with milk being spun into yarn.  The possibilities seem endless.

Cotton Ginny is the classic example of a clothing company having to change with the times.  Early success was based on the appeal of cotton vs. synthetic fibres, but even cotton is taking a bad rap now, unless it is organically grown. 

With a tagline of “Sustainable Style”, the Canadian chain introduced their Ology line this year to show their ongoing commitment to the environment.  They even include farmers in their marketing campaign, defining sustainable living to mean that “there will be good soil to grow crops, and that the farmers who plant these crops are not harmed in any way.”  Now that is truly linking the value chain from end to end.

What About Water?

The honourable Gerry Ritz has been very busy spreading the wealth since being named federal Minister of Agriculture in August.  On September 21st, he gave $1.5 million to the Canadian Beef Export Federation to boost exports of Canadian beef products.  On October 4th, he allocated $5 million to a new ethanol plant in Unity, Saskatchewan in support of the biofuels industry. 

What about water?  Well, thankfully, he didn’t leave that precious commodity out.  Rather, he pledged $3.2 million in support last week for water conservation and protection projects in Quebec.

Is this an agricultural issue?  It sure is!  A few years ago an Environment Canada report, entitled “Threats to Water Availability in Canada”, identified agriculture as the largest net consumer of water in the country.  That puts the responsibility on producers and processors to manage operations in a way that protects water sources.  It also places an onus on government agencies to work together, ensuring that policies support sustainable production, and protect natural resources consumed in the process.  Payments for ecological goods and services (EG&S) like maintaining buffers along waterways, and filtering and recharging groundwater aquifers can make a significant difference.

That’s why Minister Ritz’s contribution in Quebec is a good start, but only a start.  Producers across the country need to know about beneficial management practices that protect water sources, and EG&S programs that pay producers to make responsible, sustainable choices.  Getting the word out about these options should be a high priority, and one that we need to work on proactively rather than after we reach a stage of critical threat to our freshwater resource.

Strengthening the Chain

The Canadian Farm Writers Federation held their 2007 annual meeting in Prince Edward County last weekend.  The theme was “Taste the Future” and it fit beautifully with the county’s current push to promote local foods and beverages. 

The meeting included tours of local wineries, farms, and museums.  As well, delegates participated in plenary discussions with experts in areas like agri-food policy, ethics in the media, copyright law, and local food initiatives.

Delegates to the meeting came from across Canada to spend time with their counterparts from other provinces and to discuss ways to take messages from the agricultural sector to a wider audience.  Although consumers are concerned about issues that stem from agricultural production and processing, like food safety and the environment, there is still a disconnect between those who buy food and those who grow it.

It is our responsibility, as agricultural communicators, to join those disconnected links in the value chain and bring the “we” and “they” together in order to sustain the sector.  It’s the “how” that poses the challenge.  Joining forces with other communicators strengthens our ability to overcome that hurdle, and the Canadian Farm Writers Federation takes us on a step in the right direction.

Waupoos Winery

Ed Neuser and Rita Kaimins drove from Toronto to Prince Edward County in the summer of 1983 and fell in love with the area.  They bought a farm on the shore of Lake Ontario that same year and began to ponder the possibilities.  In 1993 they planted their first grapes and in 2001 Waupoos Winery was the first winery in Prince Edward County to open for business.  Their wines are now designated VQA.

Although they don’t produce the quantities required to be listed at the LCBO, their retail store does sell out every year.  Ed also carefully selects area restaurants in which to feature his varieties.  As he says, “we’re finding the niche.  Building a reputation is key to our success.”

Ed is a history buff, and appreciates the culture defined by the area.  The winery was built with Kingston limestone and features a tasting room and gift boutique.  There are 27 – 28 employees throughout the season, mostly part time and mostly local people which is also very important to Ed, as he appreciates being able to support area families. 

Ed is keen to learn from others, and to use modern technology to further the venture.  His advice to new farmers is “Don’t be afraid to start”.

Vicki’s Veggies

According to Vicki Emlaw, “people are starting to appreciate what it takes to produce their food”. 

She is the Vicki of Vicki’s Veggies, an enterprise established in Prince Edward County in 2002, and now a four acre operation. 

While trying to build her business, Vicki was introduced to Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) by her friend, Karyn Wright, of Terra Edibles in Foxboro, Ontario.  The CSA concept has been around for a few years, and its intent is to bring consumers closer to food production.  The program is designed for people who want to know the growers of their food. 

In Vicki’s case, there are 80 local families involved in the CSA part of her business.  Couples can purchase half shares, while families of four or more would likely purchase a full share.  The price of the share depends on whether the families want to participate in the actual production of their vegetables.  By signing up for 32 hours of work throughout the season, there is a discount in the share price. 

From spring to fall, shareholders receive a box of produce every week.  Members are asked at the beginning of the season to list their three most favourite and three least favourite veggies so that the boxes may be packed appropriately.  Each family begins the season with two containers, which are rotated so that a full one is delivered and an empty one picked up each time.  This makes for very environmentally friendly packaging.  An email also goes out each week explaining what is in the box, and includes recipes and tips for storage, freezing, and preparation of the items, a definite value-added service.

Vicki holds an heirloom seedling sale each May which is very popular with folks in the area, and any leftover veggies are sold at a roadside stand throughout the season.  Vicki has devoted several rows of veggies, including several varieties of heirloom tomatoes, to Chef Michael Potter’s restaurant, Harvest, in Picton.  Potter offers a hundred mile menu in August and September, using ingredients from a hundred mile radius. 

Young and old, alike, are supporting the local food movement through initiatives like CSA.  Look for opportunities in your area.