Cut Waste, Grow Profit Forum

Nov 20, 2012

On Monday, November 19, 2012 approximately 85 participants, which included representatives from food service/retail, academia, farmers, government and academia attended the Cut Waste, GROW PROFIT Forum, which was hosted by the George Morris Centre at the Maple Leaf ThinkFood Centre in Mississauga. The theme of the day was on how to reduce food waste, leading to increased profitability and environmental sustainability.

Focus was placed on the four main areas:

Canadian opportunities within an international perspective
Opportunities in processing and distribution
Reducing food waste along the value chain
Creating institutional change

Participants had the opportunity to hear from speakers such as Dr. Keivan Zokaei, University of Buckingham (UK); Andrew Telfer, Manager of Sustainability, Walmart Canada; David Smith, Vice President of Sustainability, Sobeys Inc; Jamie Reaume, Chair, Ontario Food Terminal/ Executive Director, Holland Marsh Growers’ Association, and more.

Source: OntarioPork

Video: WARNING! Rough Start To Breeding Season!!

WARNING! Sheep Breeding Season Begins With A Bang! Breeding season is officially underway at Ewetopia Farms, but it didn’t exactly start the way we planned!

This vlog begins with us sorting through our rams to find the perfect match for a customer’s breeding program. What should have been routine quickly turned dangerous when one of our more nervous rams panicked. In seconds, Arnie’s knee was injured, and then I was slammed hard onto the concrete floor — both of us taken down by one ram!

Thankfully, it was just bruises, but it’s a reminder of how unpredictable and powerful mature rams can be. Once we recovered, it was time to get back to the real work — the start of breeding season.

We sorted the ewes into four breeding groups (two Suffolk and two Dorset), checking parentage as they ran through the chute, deworming those that needed it, and setting aside thinner ewes for session two of breeding season in a month’s time.This staggered approach keeps lambing organized and prevents overcrowding in the barns.

From rogue rams to the excitement of new breeding groups, this episode is full of action. Stay tuned for the next vlog, where we’ll share how we chose the rams for each group!