In the E-News this month...
COG News
National
 Farm to fork
'Looking for opportunity' theme of organic farm tour
Organics go awol
Deregistered Canadian GM flax pops up in Europe
Standards
Soil Association Organic Standards for Ethical Trade
Health & Trends
Are organics more nutritious? Should you even care?
Organic food: Behind the hype
Consumers skeptical of organic, all-natural claims but still buy: Study
Opinion
Getting real about the high price of cheap food
Move to buy local can be beneficial to both
Why did Monsanto's latest GE foods get a free pass into Canada?
Global Snapshots
Peak oil? Urban farms? Cuba's been there, done it
India: Organic farmers seek healthier future
Organic food hits Eastern Europe
Coming Events
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COG News 
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Now that summer is over, please send us your pictures of wonky vegetables.
Visit our Photo Contest web page for more details.
As of October 1, COG's new membership fee will come into effect.
Details will be on the website at www.cog.ca on October 1, or you can call us toll free at 888-375-7383. At the same time, we will no longer be distributing this e-newsletter to non-members. The good news though, is that price is no longer a limitation. Membership is now affordable for all. If you're not currently a member, or if you're up for renewal, please consider making an annual donation to COG (this makes you a member) so that you can continue receiving this electronic publication which is paid for with membership dollars.
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National
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Farm to fork
Full story: Ottawa Citizen
| We who've been happily pawing through market stalls laden with lush lettuce, crisp cucumbers and heirloom tomatoes can only quiver at the prospect of so many delectable treats being offered at the annual Feast of Fields [held September 13] at Vincent Massey Park. There, about 650 ravenous folk - as many as 800, including volunteers - will sample foodstuffs proudly prepared by 25 teams of farmers and talented chefs at this most-anticipated culinary event. "This is one of the premiere food events in the city where local organic farmers join top restaurants from Ottawa-Gatineau to celebrate the harvest," says organizer Michele Green, event manager with the Ottawa chapter, Canadian Organic Growers. This year the non-profit organic growers are highlighting Community Shared Agriculture, where farmers enter into a supply contract with consumers. With CSA, the consumer purchases a share from the farmer prior to the growing season. The farmer gains a guaranteed market, while the consumer enjoys quality fresh food as it becomes available. CSA farms usually offer weekly delivery or pickup of vegetables and/or fruits, herbs and meat products. |
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| Ottawa Citizen - 09/09/09 |
'Looking for opportunity' theme of organic farm tour
Full story: Eastern Ontario AgriNews
| Canadian Organic Growers' Growing Up Organic program has organized a tour of Lanark County farms to be held September 26. The theme of this tour is seeking opportunity and [it] will be visiting farms looking for, and exploring, value added products and niche markets. [The tour starts at] New Life Retreat, [where] the owners are hoping to develop a business partnership with someone willing to organically manage the 40 acres of good agricultural land. The owners are open to a variety of land tenure arrangements and a variety of business options: such as market farming, field cropping, etc, and even developing a farm education centre. [Next stop will be] the Noble Bean Tempeh Company. Noble Bean buys local certified organic soybeans to make 400 pounds per day of the fermented soy "superfood" Tempeh. Aside from being a great example of a local niche market for small scale organic soy and small grain producers, this part of the tour will also be a window into processing and value added products. |
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| Eastern Ontario AgriNews - 09/2009 |
Organics go awol
Full story: Now Magazine
| Scarcer than a head of Canadian garlic in a big box store is pesticide-free produce grown in Ontario. Yes, you'll turn some up at earth-conscious farmers' markets, or in community-supported delivery boxes, but to find any at major retail outlets, you'd better have good tracking skills and patience. With consumers ever hungrier for more local and organic, what gives? "We're still having a major problem with demand exceeding supply," says Laura Telford, head of Canadian Organic Growers, while adding that most of what green farmers produce isn't for domestic consumption anyway. Think grains, oil seeds and hay for export to the U.S. and the EU. Oh, and lots of maple syrup. COG's now setting its sights on 200-acre conventional market growers, trying to convince them to convert even just 10 to 15 acres to chem-free methods. Telford says we shouldn't blame the big retailers for the lack of organic Ontario produce in stores. "In fact, they want more." |
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Deregistered Canadian GM flax pops up in Europe
Full story: Country Guide
| A Saskatchewan-bred, deregistered and never-commercialized flax variety that became both the first and last genetically modified linseed is reported to have turned up at a German food processing plant. And anti-GM campaigners suggest the finding may lead to some embarrassing questions for Canada's flax industry at a time when market prices for the crop are already under pressure. The European Commission's Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) on [September 1] got notification from Germany that flax variety FP967, otherwise known as CDC Triffid, was found by a company during a check of its cereal and bakery products. According to the RASFF database [September 3], the unnamed German processor said it was notifying the products' recipients and added that it was possible the products had already been put on the market. The database reported that the flax in question had come from Canada by way of Belgium. |
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Standards
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Soil Association Organic Standards for Ethical Trade
PDF document: Soil Association
| [This UK standards document is directed at organic farmers and processors.] |
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Health & Trends
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Are organics more nutritious? Should you even care?
Full story: Now Magazine
| Buying organic - what a wallet buster. All those extra dollars because we're convinced we're feeding our digestive tracts the best edibles possible. So what are we actually getting for our selective shopping? Well, for one thing, we're being kind to a planet suffering from depleted topsoil, and for another, helping to free plants and creatures from contamination. And going pesticide-free means reducing our own chemical hit. But are organic eats more nutritious? A recent study supported by the UK's Food Standards Agency and published in the American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition found that there are no significant differences in the levels of nutrients between organic and conventional food. The organic camp is flipping, and some in the field are questioning the researchers' methodology. Know what? It probably doesn't matter. Are you really eating the stuff for its vitamin C content? [Refer to the full article for brief commentaries from various expert observers including Laura Telford, National Director, COG.] |
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Organic food: Behind the hype
Full story: Forbes.com
| In 2008, [U.S.] consumers spent $23 billion on organic food. The market, which grew by 16 per cent last year, is seen by many as an alternative to the practices of industrial agriculture. And though most organic food producers don't bill their products as more nutritious than conventionally grown food, the organic label tends to confer increased health benefits. Yet according to a recent comprehensive review published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, there is no evidence to support the claim that organic food has higher quantities of vitamins and minerals. This news points to how it's become increasingly difficult to trust the claim that organics are healthier for you - and the confusion has a lot to do with the complicated evolution of scientific research. The trouble with relying on just one well-designed study to prove a claim is that another equally competent study may contradict its findings. |
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Consumers skeptical of organic, all-natural claims but still buy: Study
Full story: Progressive Grocer
| When it comes to all-natural and organic foods, today's consumers are wiser to the differences than most marketers might think and eager to purchase them if the price is right. More than three-quarters of respondents in a recent survey said they'd prefer to purchase organic and all-natural goods if those items were comparably priced with other leading brands. That was one of several insights revealed in a study conducted by Harrisburg, Pa.-based marketing agency Pavone, whose roster includes several food and beverage clients, and marketing research firm Leap, also based in the state capital. The findings were good news for an industry that's poured millions of dollars into educating the public about the value of all-natural and organic products, but looming consumer skepticism about all-natural and organic benefits also places increased pressure on manufacturers to make sure their products support the claims made on the packages. |
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| Progressive Grocer - 08/20/09 |
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Opinion
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Getting real about the high price of cheap food
Full story: Time
| Somewhere in Iowa, a pig is being raised in a confined pen, packed in so tightly with other swine that their curly tails have been chopped off so they won't bite one another. To prevent him from getting sick in such close quarters, he is dosed with antibiotics. The waste produced by the pig and his thousands of pen mates on the factory farm where they live goes into manure lagoons that blanket neighboring communities with air pollution and a stomach-churning stench. He's fed on American corn that was grown with the help of government subsidies and millions of tons of chemical fertilizer. When the pig is slaughtered, at about 5 months of age, he'll become sausage or bacon that will sell cheap, feeding an American addiction to meat that has contributed to an obesity epidemic currently afflicting more than two-thirds of the population. And when the rains come, the excess fertilizer that coaxed so much corn from the ground will be washed into the Mississippi River and down into the Gulf of Mexico, where it will help kill fish for miles and miles around. That's the state of your bacon - circa 2009. |
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Move to buy local can be beneficial to both
Full story: Winnipeg Free Press
| Research recently commissioned by Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) has shown it's costing an average of 3.2 per cent more to put the same food into the grocery cart as it did last year. The annual food survey is based on Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating for two adults, a teenager, and a child. The KAP study also highlights some striking differences between the farmers' share for the different food groups and the growing importance of local marketing. As a rule of thumb, the shorter the value chain via transportation and processing, the greater the return to the farmer. As it turns out, the same goes for consumers. Buying what's available seasonally and locally is not only better for the budget, it is better for our health (ie: nutritionally dense potatoes instead of frozen french fries). Local food is catching on, not only from a health angle but a cultural angle. That's all well and good. But there are limiting factors. While there might be extra dollars to be made, the majority of farmers are poorly positioned to direct market their production. [But,] none of these barriers is insurmountable and it is unlikely they will stall the momentum building behind the buy local movement. |
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| Winnipeg Free Press - 09/12/09 |
Why did Monsanto's latest GE foods get a free pass into Canada?
Full story: Rabble.ca
| On July 15, Monsanto and Dow AgroSciences announced that they had received approval to introduce their new eight-trait GE corn 'SmartStax' into Canada and the U.S. But Health Canada did not assess 'SmartStax' for human health safety and didn't even authorize it. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) officially approved the environmental release of 'SmartStax' but didn't conduct an environmental risk assessment. Furthermore, the CFIA actually substantially weakened a critical environmental stewardship rule just for the introduction of 'SmartStax' - without publishing a justification. In authorizing release of 'SmartStax' without approval from Health Canada, the CFIA has also ignored a safeguard it established to protect public health, the food industry, and farmers from contamination by unapproved GE foods. This complete lack of safety evaluation is not an oversight or loophole in the regulation of GE crops and foods however. Rather, it is the deliberate extension of a regulatory system that relies on corporate data and was designed to support the industry. |
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Global Snapshots
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Peak oil? Urban farms? Cuba's been there, done it
Full story: The Tyee
| Last year all of us were afforded a frightening glimpse of how expensive fuel can trigger a global food crisis. In Cuba, peak oil hit the island with a crash when the Soviet Union imploded in 1989. A food system built on false economic pretenses - subsidized oil and fertilizers from Russia which also paid inflated prices for Cuban sugar - suddenly disappeared. So the country with the most industrialized agricultural system in Latin America, and a farming strategy built on monocrop exports, was left to fend for itself. It didn't help when the U.S. government tightened its trade embargo in 1992. And yet, ten years after the Soviet collapse, food had become more plentiful. How did it happen? Faced with hunger, many city people, including doctors, lawyers and engineers, developed an interest in growing food. The Cuban government promoted and nurtured a public enthusiasm for urban agriculture. It ruled that any unused city lot, even state-owned, could be taken over by citizens to grow food. Growers were permitted to sell their surpluses on the open market. Government programs were launched to help city folks learn to farm. Experts explained organic growing, composting, natural pest control and water conservation. Shops were opened to sell seeds and supplies. An estimated 1,000 kiosks for fresh local produce were set up at farm gates and busy street corners throughout Havana. |
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India: Organic farmers seek healthier future
Full story: The Wall Street Journal
| Valued at $20 million, India's organic farming sector is a sliver of the $26 billion global market. But with its promise of higher profit margins and lower production costs, organic farming provides an alternative to a debt spiral by eliminating a farmer's dependence on expensive pesticides. Farmer Vasant Pohekar, aged 54, made his 25-acre farm chemical-free two decades ago. As the founder of the Organic Farming Research and Development Association, he has since introduced 5,000 local farmers to organic farming. Even today, his yield is lower compared to farms that use pesticides. This is primarily due to crop-rotation which restricts the amount of farmable acreage each season. However, his production costs have shrunk by a third. He's no longer subjected to high up-front rates for chemical fertilizers and insecticides. In addition, he draws healthy seeds directly from the previous year's crop rather than invest in genetically modified ones. Plus, cutting out middle-men and selling his products directly to textile mills across the country earns him 20 per cent more for his organic cotton, he says. |
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| The Wall Street Journal - 08/25/09 |
Organic food hits Eastern Europe
Full story: Google News / AFP
| When communism crumbled two decades ago, Eastern Europeans were only too delighted to discover the fast-food chains that symbolized the West. But today they increasingly long for organic food. "The general trend is that more and more organic products are being sold in former Soviet-bloc countries," said Amarjit Sahota, head of the research department of London-based consulting firm Organic Monitor. The Romanian capital recently saw the opening of organic stores named Biofood, or Bio Revolution, and in neighbouring Hungary, organic markets are held countrywide on a regular weekly basis. In Poland, there are organic corners in almost every supermarket, and in the Bulgarian capital Sofia, the country's first specialist organic store, which opened last year, now is extending its activities to a neighbouring cafe. Even Transylvania's archbishop has converted to pesticide-free food. |
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| Google News / AFP - 09/13/09 |
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| Coming Events
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To stay current on organic happenings between e-newsletters, check out COG's online calendar.
Bowmanville Community Organic Garden - Grow Your Own Organic Fruit & Vegetables
Bowmanville, ON
The Canadian Organic Growers, Durham Gardeners, would like to extend an invitation to anyone who would like to take part in the Bowmanville Community Organic Garden (BCOG). Founded several years ago through the hard work of COG members, the garden provides space for organizations and individuals who would like to explore nature through the art of gardening.
For more information, call Vincent Powers at 905-263-9907 or Peggy Clark at 905-623-5278.
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September 26, 2009
Canadian Organic Growers: Organic Farm Tour in Lanark County
10:00am - Lanark County, Ottawa Region, ON
Click here for tour details.
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September 26, 2009
Pollinator Education Day - Pollinators: Vital Key to Garden Success
9:00am-4:00pm - Algonquin College, Woodroffe Campus, Ottawa, ON (south of College Square Mall near Woodroffe Avenue and Baseline Road)
Ottawa-Carleton, United Counties and Lanark Master Gardeners is pleased to present a star-studded program featuring a very special keynote speaker, Dr. Peter Kevan. Dr Kevan will be ably supported by excellent local presenters on the vital matter of pollination - that quiet activity that often goes unnoticed and under-appreciated, but which plays a major role in the ongoing survival of our fragile planet.
$35 for Master Gardeners, $40 for all other participants
United Counties Master Gardeners
Mail To: E. Falconer, 3276 Klondike Road, North Gower, Ontario K0A 2T0
Lunch and refreshments for the day will be catered by the Algonquin College Catering Service. Cost of all food and beverages is included in your registration fee. If you have special needs, please note them. If we can accommodate them we will.
For more information phone 613-489-0081 or email.
Email: Edythelf@netscape.ca
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October 4, 2009
Seeds of Diversity AGM
1:30pm - YWCA, 1355 Rene Levesque Blvd., Montreal, QC
Guest speaker, Frederic Sauriol from Union Paysanne.
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October 5, 2009
Organic Processing in Canada
International Centre, Toronto, ON (beside Pearson Airport)
Presented by the Organic Trade Association.
The popular workshop on everything you need to know to comply with Canada's new organic standards, regulations and labelling requirements returns for one session only: October 5, 2009 in Toronto. Recently updated to include the June 2009 publication of the Organic Products Regulations and the Canada-U.S. Equivalency Agreement, this one-day technical training will provide participants with the essential information for doing business in Canada.
The workshop for organic handlers & distributors, quality assurance staff & line managers, product developers & brand managers, regulatory affairs officers and any company considering organic manufacturing will cover the Canada Organic Regime, Can-U.S. Equivalency, new processing standards, the permitted substances list for manufacturers (including materials, processing aids, cleaners), and a full label guide.
The all-day session will include meals and health breaks, take-away course materials, and a two-day pass to the Ethnic & Specialty Food Expo, including All Things Organic™ (www.organicfoodcanada.ca).
OTA members receive discounted rates.
For more information and registration, please visit the website.
Website: www.ota.com
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October 5-6, 2009
Ethnic & Specialty Show
International Centre, Toronto, ON (beside Pearson Airport)
For more information, contact Donna Wood at 888-443-6786 x231, or via email.
Email: Donna Wood
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October 21-22, 2009
Seed Production Course on the Fundamentals of Organic Plant Variety Improvement
Les Cèdres, QC (45 minutes West of Montreal)
The course will be given by John Navazio, Seed Research and Education Specialist for Organic Seed Alliance. The course includes a half day at Tourne-Sol farm evaluating vegetable seed crops in the field.
For more information, contact: Daniel Brisebois at 450-452-4271, or Greta Kryger at 613-521-8648, or via email.
Email: Daniel Brisebois
Email: Greta Kryger
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November 16-17, 2009
Eastern Prairies Organic Trade Show
Brandon, MB, Victoria Inn (3550 Victoria Avenue)
You are invited to attend the first Eastern Prairies Organic Trade Show! Admission is free to the public.
Representatives from all aspects of the organic industry will be in attendance. Guest speakers will cover topics including:
- Organic crop production
- Livestock production
- Marketing and MORE!
Hotel Registration: 1-800-852-2710 (toll free)
Hotel Booking Confirmation #140666
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November 16, 2009
Canadian Organic Growers - Understanding the New Organic Regime for Crop Producers
Brandon, MB, Victoria Inn (3550 Victoria Avenue)
Janine Gibson in conjunction with the Eastern Prairies Organic Trade Show.
Cost: $25 ($20 for COG members) Course binder included.
Pre-registration is required. Contact COG at 888-375-7383.
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November 17, 2009
Canadian Organic Growers - Understanding the New Organic Regime for Livestock Producers
Brandon, MB, Victoria Inn (3550 Victoria Avenue)
Janine Gibson in conjunction with the Eastern Prairies Organic Trade Show.
Cost: $25 ($20 for COG members) Course binder included.
Pre-registration is required. Contact COG at 888-375-7383.
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November 18 and 20, 2009
Canadian Organic Growers - Crop Planning for the Vegetable Grower
Leduc, AB on the 18th and Saskatoon, SK on the 20th
A third workshop will be held in the Winnipeg area later in the same week (date TBA).
This workshop, facilitated by Daniel Brisebois, uses a systematic crop planning system that can be adapted to market farms of all sizes. The morning will focus on how to create field planting schedules, greenhouse schedules, and seed orders so that you can meet your financial goals. The afternoon will focus on how to use your crop plan through the growing season, adapt it as conditions change, and modify it in future years.
Cost: $50 (COG members $45), includes a coupon for a free copy of COG's soon to be published book Crop Planning for the Organic Vegetable Grower and lunch.
Pre-registration is required. Contact COG at 888-375-7383.
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November 19, 2009
Marketing Caravan Workshop
Saskatoon Farmers Market, Saskatoon, SK
Hosted by Organic Connections.
Contact Lorraine Beaudette via email for further information.
Email: Lorraine Beaudette
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November 23, 2009
Canadian Organic Growers - Making the Transition to Organic Livestock Production
Queensbury Centre, EVRAZ Place, Regina, SK
In conjunction with Canadian Western Agribition.
This one-day workshop is intended for livestock producers who are considering or are in the process of transitioning to organic production. You will learn about converting to organic, breed selection, nutrition, grazing management, health care alternatives and certification and record keeping. Although there will be some coverage of all types of livestock, the focus of the workshop will be beef.
Cost: $50 (COG members $45), includes a free copy of COG's Organic Livestock Handbook and lunch.
Pre-registration is required. Contact COG at 888 375-7383
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January 2010 (date TBA)
Canadian Organic Growers - Making the Transition to Organic Crop Production
Saskatoon, SK
In conjunction with the Western Canadian Crop Production Show.
This one-day workshop is intended for producers considering a switch to organic (crops or livestock) or who have recently started the transition process.
Cost: $50 (COG members $45), includes a free copy of COG's Gaining Ground: Making a Successful Transition to Organic Farming and lunch.
Pre-registration is required. Contact COG at 888 375-7383
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January 28-31, 2010
Guelph Organic Conference & Tradeshow
University of Guelph, Guelph, ON
Visit the website for details.
Website: www.guelphorganicconf.ca
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January 29, 2010
Understanding the New Organic Regime: A Primer for Farmers
Queensbury Centre, EVRAZ Place, Regina, SK
In conjunction with Pro Cert's Annual Meeting.
This one-day workshop is intended for transitioning and experienced organic farmers who want to better understand the new Organic Products Regulations and recent changes to the Canadian Organic Standards.
Cost: $50 (COG members $45), includes a participant binder and lunch.
Pre-registration is required. Contact COG at 888-375-7383.
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February 27, 2010
Canadian Organic Growers present Eco Farm Day
Ramada Inn, Cornwall, ON
Stay tuned for more information.
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March 4-6, 2010
10th Annual ACORN Conference and Trade Show
Rodd Charlottetown, Charlottetown, PEI
Visit the website for more information.
Website: www.acornorganic.org/conference.html
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November 21-23, 2010
Organic Connections 2010
TCU Place, Saskatoon, SK
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Note:
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Whenever possible, stories are linked to the original source. Some sites may require registration, and/or not archive the stories. All links were active at the time of publication.
Articles reprinted in this newsletter are not necessarily endorsed by Canadian Organic Growers.
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This newsletter is produced by Canadian Organic Growers.
If you would like to be removed from this list, please send an email to laura@cog.ca.
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