Farm Tour Handbook - A complete guide to planning and hosting an organic farm tour! The handbook includes plenty of ideas for tour activities and themes; a full step-by-step guide to planning and promotion; a section on hosting school tours; and information about farm liability insurance. This handbook is a MUST read if you are planning on hosting a farm tour!
AB Government Agriculture and Food Exports Export Marketing Video Series - There are 10 different videos on marketing agricultture and food products internationally. Topics include marketing, branding and strategic positioning.
Seed, Nurture, Harvest - Steps to Success in Farm Direct Marketing - Alberta Farm Fresh Producers' Association have released this new E-book. This reference manual features safe food-farm direct advantage, Farmers' Market information, pricing for profit and more! This valuable information will become a longtime business reference for the farm direct marketer.
Facing the Challenges to Organic Grain Pricing (Feb 10) - Demand for organic products has been strong and growing for many years, but even organic producers are facing challenges in today’s economic situation. Facing these challenges was the focus of ProCert’s Update Meeting in Regina this January, as the certification company celebrated its 20th anniversary in the organic business.
Market opportunities abound for organic produce (Jan 10) - Fresh, local and organic make up the hat trick that can move the horticulture game forward on the Prairies. More than 90 percent of the fruit and vegetables eaten on the Prairies are grown outside of the region.
Organic food: what’s behind certification and organic logo? (June 10) - Organic, natural, pesticide-free — there are many food claims out there today. To what extent are these claims meaningful? How can we be sure we are getting what we want?
The seven principles of the Canadian Organic Standards (by Janine Gibson Jan 09) - Historically our Canadian Organic Standards have been voluntary. That will change in June 2009. Formally structured by the Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB) the donation of countless volunteer hours has made the expensive but democratic methods for standards and committee formation possible
Glendive, Montana: Farm to Table Coop (Nov 09) - In small town eastern Montana, Bruce Smith gives new meaning to buying fresh and local. Smith is the 4-H agent and Dawson County Extension Officer in Glendive Montana. Along with a small team of other empowered individuals, he is working towards creating a co-op that operates around small scale processing.
Building community to support agriculture (Dec 07) - Community supported agriculture (CSA) brings organic consumers back to their roots. It gives consumers fresh quality food and producers reliable markets. Consumers get a sense of connection with their food, with the land, with the seasons, as well as community with ‘their’ farmer and the other members of the CSA farm. Producers get a sense of connection with consumers, as well as money up front, and the ability to focus on growing healthy food.
Alberta organic demand strong, with room to grow (Aug 07) - The Alberta demand for organic products in grocery stores is growing 44 percent per year, according to ACNielson. Although still a small part of the total grocery package, the demand presents significant opportunities for organic producers and processors. "Alberta imports $2 of organic products for every $1 that is grown locally," said Rosalie Cunningham from Alberta Agriculture, in a recently released study.
Organic livestock markets show great potential (Sept 06) - Saskatchewan Organic Livestock, or SOL, is a nonprofit co-operative dedicated to educating the public, promoting organic meat and facilitating marketing for organic livestock producers. A year ago, the Saskatchewan Organic Directorate, the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada and Saskatchewan Agriculture hosted a meeting to consider the strong growth potential of the certified organic meat market. SOL was founded in response to this potential.
What's in a label: for organics, the sky's the limit (Apr 04) - The term organic has a variety of meanings, from healthy, environmentally friendly and pesticide free to expensive and niche market. It is time to set out definitions and clarify misunderstandings. If a product is certified organic, it was grown and processed using established organic production and processing systems. The word certified tells us that an independent third party has inspected the operation and can verify that organic practices were used.
