We all live in our own bubbles when it comes to food. Some of us want labels like local, vegetarian or natural. Most want affordable. With all the information that exists about how food is produced, few take you inside the farms, processors, retailers and markets to show you just what’s involved in getting it from the farm to your fork. We aim to change that with stories from across Canada, so you know exactly what’s behind your next dinner.
S1E18 – How Do You Make A Good Whisky?
When it comes to spirits production in North America, there isn’t anyone bigger than Windsor, Ontario’s Hiram Walker. They make and bottle brands like JP Wisers, Malibu Rum, Polar Ice Vodka, McGuiness liqueurs & more. For their Master Blender Dr. Don Livermore, it was the career he didn’t dreamed of at first, but you can easily tell just how passionate he has become on whisky. What makes a good product? How do you know what consumers want 10 years from now? And how does Canada make an impact globally? It’s all questions we get answers to:
S1E17 – Food Waste Is A Problem – But What Do We Do?
Food waste is becoming a clear concern for millions of Canadians. Stories of bushels of apples being thrown out because they didn’t look right or sour cream that was discarded because it was getting close to its best before date are all getting more attention as something that needs to change. But few have been doing more than Lori Nikkel at Second Harvest. Her team has worked hard to match food that might otherwise be thrown out, with people that need it. And now they are rolling out a new tool to help people match that need even more effectively all over Canada. Imagine a breakfast program finding apples from an orchard or community centre discovering cookies that need to be used up from a retailer. We talk how big of an issue it is and what we can all do about it in this episode:
S1E16 – What’s the Deal With Meat & The Environment?
The conversation around eating meat and the impact on the environment isn’t going anywhere. Whether that be plant-based food companies touting their product as the saviour of climate change, or meat-based farmers and food companies touting their sustainability efforts as the way forward, it can be hard to find the middle ground. That’s why we thought we better call a doctor. Dr. Jude Capper is a Livestock Sustainability Consultant based on the UK who looks at all kinds of data to piece together a clearer picture on what impact livestock farming has on the environment, both good & bad:
S1E15 – Top of the Food Chain – Michael Barrett, Gay Lea Foods
Michael Barrett may have wanted to stand in front of a classroom, but instead he is standing in front of Canada’s dairy industry. The President & CEO of Gay Lea Foods Co-operative has had the job for 5 years, leading the company through the biggest partnerships, investments and purchases the company has ever seen. Our one on one chat about leadership, the future of dairy and can the little guy really compete against the big guy:
S1E14 – Selling The Part of Beef That Isn’t Very Popular – Yet
When it comes to beef, burgers and steaks are usually top of mind in North America. Maybe a pot roast or prime rib dinner. But that is far from all that a beef animal produces. There’s lots of less popular cuts like tendons and belly, that have usually been sold internationally – but are now growing more popular here at home. Why is cow stomach and bone marrow demand growing? We find out.
S1E13 – Will Robots Take Over the Farm?
When we think about robots, most may think about their Roomba or something along the line of a car factory. But robots are also finding their way onto farms. In this episode, we find out how robots have been milking cows in Canada for over 20 years, and how another Canadian company hopes their robot revolutionizes how grain is grown.
S1E12 – “Do The Work & Let Success Speak For Itself”
If you look at what Google thinks a farmer is, you’ll find plaid and men.
If you look at the statistics of an actual farm, you’ll find that over a quarter of today’s farmers are women.
Are there any unique challenges being a woman in agriculture? Is there anything more than proving yourself with hard work and determination?
S1E11 – Why Travel Around the World To Help Another Farmer?
Things that many of us take for granted here in Canada are real-life struggles for millions in other parts of the world. Having enough food to eat, having a place to sell a product, having a safe place to sleep or wondering about the safety of your next meal. There are many projects that Canadians undertake globally to help those in need, but we wanted to focus on three of them that were helping farmers and helping feed & build up communities with some great success.
S1E10 – Are People Really Judging Us On What We Eat?
It’s probably happened to you too. Thinking of what to have at a restaurant, wondering if you’d better have one thing over another because of what the other person might think of you. The same can be said for what you might get at the grocery store or put in your child’s lunch. So we wanted to dig into whether that judgement was real or more our imagination. While trying to find it, we found a much bigger conversation. One that involves culture and morality, about guilt and grief, and about something that millions fight with every day.
S1E9 – Is Eating Insects the Next Food Trend?
I haven’t found anyone that stocks their pantry with it yet, but cricket powder is now for sale at grocers as part of a growing trend to eat insects. Ants, grasshoppers or crickets, whole or ground, it’s seen as a new way to get protein. We find out from an organizer of the event BugFeast as well as the CEO of a cricket farm just where this business is going and how long before we all think insects are a great afternoon snack.
S1E8 – What Happens When We Are Afraid of Foods?
We’ve all been there. Unsure of something we eat because we aren’t sure if it is good for us, safe for us or something we should make sure our kids avoid. But is that rational? And is there a way to avoid being afraid?
S1E7 – Why Would A Farm Hire Foreign Workers?
Thousands of workers migrate north into Canada from Mexico & Caribbean countries for the sole purpose of working on farms. Why does a farm need them and why would someone travel that farm for a job of hard labour?
S1E6 – Why Is Organic Milk More Expensive
If you ever compare the price tags of organic milk and regular milk, you are likely seeing a pretty big difference. Why is that? We head through the food chain to figure it out.
S1E5 – What is Corn Syrup & High Fructose Corn Syrup
The trend to take out corn syrups leaves a big question in some people’s minds. What is it and should we really be worried about?
S1E4 – Does Our Sense of Taste Change Over Time?
Kids won’t eat vegetables, you start out hating coffee – how does that all change? We find out how the genetics of taste impact what you like, how the sense works and how to train it.
S1E3 – Why Is Deciding Dinner So Hard?
From what to cook after work, to where to eat out, to what to pack in lunch boxes we spend hours every year deciding what to eat. Why is it so hard?
S1E2 – How Do You Make Food Sustainable?
The word sustainable is everywhere when it comes to food and farming, but what does it actually mean? Probably not what you think….
S1E1 – Building A Wine Business
A look at what it takes a build a successful wine region in Atlantic Canada.