It is spring and the time when all Canadian farmers think of green grass, planting, awakening forests, early rains and trickling rebirth. This is our land and our livelihood and no one understands it better. Our soil, so firmly attached to our working boots, is the foundation of our existence and the reason for the […] Read more
We live in a vulnerable world
What does it take for farmers to earn public trust?
As a followup to the last column we ask the question: What does it take to earn public trust? A few initiatives are underway to answer that question and address the concerns that consumers have already expressed. It is not that the public does not mistrust farmers — they just don’t know them. The rural […] Read more
A balanced approach to corporate social responsibility
There is a shift happening in the business world and it’s coming to a company near you. It is the new, intensified and completely transparent model of corporate social responsibility. In many communities social responsibility has two tags: one is environmental and the other is community. Are the major employers playing by the rules of […] Read more
Pointing people in the direction of simple science
I am looking at my teapot. It is not an ordinary teapot but one which you drain from the bottom as it sits on top of your cup. Simple enough in design but transformational in the tea time world. How often, I wonder, do we skip simple innovation or science to get to the point […] Read more
Farmers are the front line
At this time in history, when the world is cast in the shadow of doubt and the restless hands of fate twinge with fear, it is the security of Canada that comforts us. Not that we are not immune to adversity for surely the world is one stage, nor can we justify the acts of […] Read more
How clean is our protein engine?
Woody breast has the poultry industry in a flap. Today, 50 per cent of the American broilers for slaughter suffer from the dense, dry tissue in the most expensive part of the bird. References to woody breast portray an industry in surprise and confusion. Hardly. The move toward single-trait selection for huge breasts on birds […] Read more
Beef — naturally
A chart on the slide laid it out in colour. Food sales in “natural” and “organic” products were not a niche or a fad — they were a well-established trend. Deep in a city boardroom shared with the major food industries, it became clear to me that what we assume of our urban and global […] Read more
Revelation in the boardroom
The constant evolution of the boardroom experience is one which every industry is experiencing. The transparency and rapid transfer of information allow for higher knowledge coming into the boardroom and a more transparent level of discussion. What is it that makes for an industry board that empowers members and hits all the right targets while […] Read more
Schoepp: Farming with ‘intentional design’
There are many ways to describe intentional design — from the theory of creation to a management style. When I think about the term, I am drawn to compare it to reactive design and how they differ in result from an industry and labour perspective. This is not a critical singling out of any industry […] Read more
Beef industry could learn from ‘Champion’ pet food maker
The Canadian Beef Centre of Excellence is a great start, as long as we fully understand our customers
Mankind has long claimed the sharing of food is an international activity that crosses all borders and beliefs. Ancient history depicts food in love and war and those recordings in stone, paper, parchment, canvas and thread always included other under-the-table guests. For 10,000 years these revered companions, dog or cat, have occupied our historical pages. […] Read more
Canadian Cattlemen Presents: Depth of Field
