Ontario nut business sees surge in demand

Ontario nut business sees surge in demand

Ontario’s Jewels Under the Kilt, hazelnut industry see benefit of consumer interest in home-grown products

Ontario nut grower and manufacturer Jewels Under the Kilt has seen a surge in demand for its products due to ‘buy Canadian’ sentiment.

AgSights scaling bioLinks platform

AgSights scaling bioLinks platform

Company says software suits producers selling at farmers’ markets as well and small to medium-sized businesses

AgSight’s bioLinks platform is now ready to take on new clients after being successfully trialled by users such as Chatham-area Buis Beef.

Scenic autumn view of the rural landscape, orchards, vineyards, and wineries of Oliver located in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada. Photo: laughingmango/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Local food system would reap big economic benefits researcher says

B.C. researchers found that the Okanagan could produce two thirds of its own food while maintaining exports

Assuming an average Canadian diet, the Okanagan can currently produce 88 per cent of its dairy needs, Mullinix and colleagues wrote in a report on the study. It can produce 60 per cent of its poultry needs, 34 per cent of its fruit needs (due to fruits eaten that can’t be grown in the region, or are eaten out of season), and small amounts of other food groups like grains, red meat, eggs and oils.

Some of the products marketed into retailers by Boreal Berry through FreshSpoke.

Online driven home delivery of local food products spells opportunity

FreshSpoke connects producers of food with local markets, home delivery and retailers

COVID-19 has been challenging for many businesses but for some, the pandemic has also presented new opportunities. One such company is FreshSpoke, an online Ontario wholesale marketplace for local food that has expanded into home delivery and curbside pickup in response to consumer shopping behaviour changes.  That expansion has also had positive impacts right back […] Read more

A trout sandwich created through the Re(PURPOSE) project.

The circular meal: thinking about food differently

Farmers, restaurateurs and food producers join together to create a meal out of waste

Fish poop, bugs and beer waste aren’t the top of mind ingredients when one contemplates a gourmet meal. But they’re exactly what went into “upcycled” dinners served at three Guelph restaurants this fall as part of a pilot project to reduce food waste and encourage everyone in the food chain to change their thinking about […] Read more


While Canadians said they were willing to pay more for local food, the study also found that shoppers paid little attention to where their food originates.

Canadians will pay more for local food, but don’t necessarily look for it

Younger people said they were more likely to pay a premium

A new study says that four of five Canadians are willing to pay more for locally produced food. The study, conducted by the Dalhousie University Food Analytics Lab in cooperation with Caddle is based on survey data from more than 10,000 Canadians. While Canadians said they were willing to pay more, they also were found […] Read more

Spinach being planted in greenhouses at Side Road Farm.

Taste for local food explodes

Marketing during COVID-19: Farmers who sell directly to consumers are scrambling to keep up with demand

Farmers who market directly to consumers are seeing unprecedented demand for their products – and many are struggling to keep up. At Side Road Farm, near Walter’s Falls, the Kitchen family has an on-farm market where they’ve sold their own organic vegetables, chickens raised as part of the artisanal chicken program and flowers. March and […] Read more

Great Canadian is one of the sausages created at Finest Sausage & Meat in Kitchener.

Independent meat processors show increase in sales during COVID-19

Restaurant and market sales are down for independent meat processors, but overall sales have increased

Ontario Meat and Poultry, representing Ontario’s independent meat processors, says that business has increased during COVID-19. The pandemic has driven up demand for independent meat processors across the province as consumers are purchasing more products and looking for options outside of grocery stores. Why it matters: Independent meat processors have seen increasing demand, but virus […] Read more


Consumers are demanding new packaging including less plastic when taking food home from restaurants.

Connecting with consumers: Food trends for 2020

Consumers are changing their food-buying habits and adopting new attitudes toward food technology

Consumer preferences are changing rapidly and the trends that are showing up illustrate those changes. Nourish Network has identified nine food trends for 2020 that will also affect farmers, in everything from packaging to science and entertainment. Why it matters: Consumer trends eventually filter down to farmers and the products they sell. Jo-Ann McArthur, president […] Read more

The Open Food Network started in Australia, but now has funders from Ontario.

Open Food Network targets small-scale e-commerce

Not-for-profit platform now available in 12 countries

Food, unincorporated. That’s the tagline atop the website of the Canadian version of a 12-country digital commerce platform for small-scale farmers. Theresa Schumilas of Open Food Network (OFN) Canada, told those attending a Jan. 25 seminar at the Guelph Organic Conference that the platform is free for those selling less than $500 in produce per […] Read more