Posts Tagged ‘Canola Council of Canada’

How to sear a steak, and other learnings from AGRI-TRADE 2011

By admin, November 17, 2011

AG TRADESHOW REPORT: AGRI-TRADE 2011Show3

By Wendy Ell - Thanks to information I picked up from the Alberta Beef Producers at this year’s  Agri-Trade Exposition,  I now know that a rare steak is seared outside with 75% red through the centre while a “medium” rare steak is seared on the outside with a 50% red centre. There’s a fine line of difference there.

This show has been an annual gathering place for the Alberta farm community for the past 27 years  and for those of you who haven’t ever attended the show, it has come be known as THE place to learn, first-hand, about the machinery and products that you need to farm successfully in the Alberta area.  The show was held November 9th-12th at the Red Deer Westerner Park.Show2

LEARNING MATERIAL

There was no shortage of material on hand for distribution to attendees. I picked up a Canola Swathing Guide from the Canola Council of Canada, the latest issue of Top Crop Manager’s Western Edition, documents explaining how I can double my investment with an RBC Agri-Invest account,  a Canadian Beef “Merchandising Guide” explaining in detail the various beef cuts and how they appear at the grocery counter , a tractor notepad,  various tattoos and pens, a photo of myself with the Grey Cup, an autograph from CFL great Rocco Romano, a photo of an enormous New Holland combine and information on three upcoming Ag-related seminars.Show4

 WHAT ATTENDEES HAD TO SAY

While I walked the aisles, I asked five attendees why they came to the show and here are the responses I got:

-“I have to see every year what the suppliers have to offer”

-“It’s something we do as a family”

-“I come so that I can see what’s new and flashy”

-“I get to see all my buddies here every year”

-“There are lots of products, lots of equipment.”

In the words of Jack Hayden, former Minister of Alberta’s Agriculture and Rural Development, “Agriculture is a valued and essential part of Alberta’s economy and it is events such Agri-Trade that provide opportunities for our agricultural sector to meet, reconnect and share experiences and new ideas.” Judging from the comments I got from other attendees, it looks like he was right.

THE GREY CUPGreyCup1

A nice highlight for me was on Friday, November 11th, when the Grey Cup made a special appearance at the Dow AgroSciences booth, in the Prairie Pavilion. At 10am that day, there was a procession into the Pavillion, led by a bagpiper in uniform, a RCMP officer and the well-known Rocco Romano, former offensive lineman with the Calgary Stampeders. There was quite a crowd hovering around the Dow AgroSciences booth for much of the day. And with the 99th Grey Cup itself only weeks away, having the Grey Cup there for public viewing was quite a treat.

 To find out more about the show, or to view the winners of this year’s Ag Innovation awards, you can view the Agri-Trade site at http://www.agri-trade.com/.

 

Wendy is the Director of Public Relations with AdFarm. You can reach Wendy via email at wendy.ell@adfarmonline.com or follow her on Twitter at @wendy_PRLady.

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Growing canola on the AdFarm Alberta Farm.

By ron wall, February 18, 2010

We’re doing our part to make Canola Council’s Growing Great 2015 strategy a reality.

As more people discover the health benefits of canola oil for human consumption, animal feed and as biofuel source, the greater the demand on Canada’s canola industry to increased production. So we’re going to do our part and grow canola – varieties are yet to be determined – on our Alberta farm as part of the Canola Council of Canada’s Growing Great 2015 strategy. The Canola Council represents the entire Canadian canola industry – growers, crop development and protection companies, processors, and exporters.

According to the CCC, Growing Great 2015 is “an ambitious plan to take the Canadian canola industry to 15 million tonnes of sustained market demand and production. The industry will focus on those markets for which canola’s primary attributes – high oil yield and low saturated fat – will create superior value and benefit human and environmental health.”

So just how ambitious is the plan? By way of contrast, canola production in Canada in 2006 was 9 million tonnes and the anticipated 2009 yield is set to be in the neighborhood of 10.3 million tonnes. Ambitious, but definitely achievable.

Good for people:

Canola oil is the healthiest commodity oil available to consumers, the food service industry and food processors.

Canola oil contains the least amount of saturated fat (7%) of any common edible oil, with the remaining 93% healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

The polyunsaturated fats in canola oil are essential omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. The omega-3, alpha-linolenic acid, may help prevent heart attacks and strokes. The omega-6  linoleic acid is important for the brain and essential for the growth and development of infants.

Good for livestock

Canola meal is used as an animal feed for dairy cows, pigs and poultry.

Its unique characteristics are especially valuable in the dairy industry, where it has been shown that including 20% canola meal in a feed ration improves milk production by one litre per cow per day.

Good for the economy

Canola adds $14 billion annually to Canada’s economy.

Canada produces 15% of the world’s supply of canola/rapeseed, but it is responsible for 75% of its global trade.

Canola is the No. 1 cash crop for 50,000 Canadian farmers. And the canola industry employs more than 216,000 people across Canada in production, transportation, crushing, refining and food development, manufacturing, and service.

(Source: Canola Council of Canada)

Find out more about Canada’s canola industry, check out the Canola Council of Canada.

If you were planting canola on your farm, would you choose a hybrid like InVigor or an open pollinated variety?

Ron Wall crafts the perfect balance of strategic, creative and agronomic communications for AdFarm clients. He can be reached directly at Ron.Wall@adfarmonline.com

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