Organic Week Celebrated in Canada

Sep 26, 2012

Organic food and agriculture production is being celebrated this week with Canada’s National Organic Week that runs from September 22-29th. The annual celebration seeks to showcase organic agriculture at a national scale and engage in a dialogue about the health benefits of organic food. There are three main points that the advocacy week is celebrating. The following is what the supporters of the organic week want consumers to know:

•    A growing and thriving sector – there are lots of new organic farmers entering into the industry and the trade opportunities for the organic market abroad is growing.
•    A transparent food option – organic food is heavily regulated in Canada so consumers can trust that if they see an organic label in the grocery store or farmers market that they are getting what they are paying for.
•    A source of food that is environmentally sustainable – organic farmers are stewards of the land and work towards ensuring that the food they produce protects and preserves the soil and encourages biodiversity.

There are a number of events happening all across the country. More information can be found at http://www.organicweek.ca/events.php

You can also follow their Twitter feed for the latest updates at @organicweek

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.