Canadians seeking ways to save on groceries as food costs remain top concern: survey

A survey of Canadians' perceptions around food affordability and purchasing behaviours suggests that consumers have changed how they shop, cook and eat in response to rising prices.

The latest edition of the Canadian Food Sentiment Index, released by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab in partnership with online data platform Caddle, said food remains the dominant household financial concern for Canadians.

More than four-in-five survey respondents indicated it's their top expense pressure. While that was down from 84.1 per cent of respondents a year ago, it still far outpaces other day-to-day expense concerns, such as utilities, household items and supplies, housing, transportation and entertainment.

Half of the nearly 3,000 respondents to the survey conducted last month said food costs increased "significantly" over the past year, while just over one-third indicated their food expenses were up "slightly" and close to 12 per cent said they stayed the same.

City tries to get the most bang for its (sewage) buck

The City of Winnipeg is exploring new ways to reuse its treated sewage sludge.

An expression of interest seeks feedback on the best options and technology available to recycle biosolids, a byproduct of the sewage treatment process. The document notes the treated sludge can be composted, used like a fertilizer, or even be transformed to produce energy.

A massive $3-billion upgrade to the city’s North End sewage treatment plant will add new biosolids facilities that improve the end byproduct, which means the city could soon have more options to reuse it, said Cynthia Wiebe, Winnipeg water and waste’s manager of engineering services.

“The key difference is that there are no pathogens in the (biosolids from the new facility),” said Wiebe.

Invention of combine part reaps recognition in Time

A dozen years ago, Jeremy Matuszewski had only visited farms a few times in his life. Now, Time magazine has recognized him for a product he created to help farmers.

Roasters and cafés grapple with rising coffee bean prices

Your daily cup of java is getting a little more expensive as roasters and cafés grapple with rising coffee bean prices.

Climate change has been the biggest contributor to the ongoing surge in bean prices, as coffee crops are very sensitive to temperature changes, said Michael von Massow, food economist at the University of Guelph.

"We've seen some increases in disease and some decreases in yield that have lowered supply, and basic economics 101 — when supply goes down, prices go up," he said in an interview on Monday.

Coffee prices have remained high amid concerns of dry weather in Brazil, a major coffee-producing country.

Foraging revival: How wild food enthusiasts are reconnecting with nature

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. (AP) — Standing barefoot in a grassy patch of dandelions, Iris Phoebe Weaver excitedly begins listing the many ways the modest plant can be used medicinally and in cooking.

“I just picked a bunch of dandelion flowers yesterday and threw them in vodka with some orange peel and some sugar, and that’s my dandelion aperitif,” Weaver said. “That will make a lovely mixed drink at some point.”

A longtime herbalist and foraging instructor in Massachusetts, Weaver takes people on nature walks that transform their relationships with their surroundings. Lately, she's been encouraged by the uptick in interest in foraging, a trend she sees as benefiting the environment, community and people.

“There is just an amazing amount of food that is around us,” Weaver said. “There is so much abundance that we don’t even understand.”

Prairie harvest a mixed bag as tariff strife casts shadow over healthy crop

CALGARY - Gunter Jochum can easily tell which parts of his farm got rain and which parts the clouds passed over this year.

He and his brother-in-law grow wheat, canola, oats and soybeans on 2,500 hectares west of Winnipeg, much of that on long tracts hugging the Assiniboine River.

"Some showers that came through this summer during the growing season when things were really, really dry didn't even cover the whole field," said Jochum, president of the Wheat Growers Association.

The quality of the crop Jochum has harvested so far this year has been excellent, but yields for his oats and wheat have varied field to field.

Livestock producers mull support amid dry spell

Though rain has fallen, pockets of livestock producers continue to struggle for feed and water — and future government support is being considered.

“With climate change, it’s more than likely that this will not go away,” said Richard Chartrand, reeve of the RM of St. Laurent. “We have to look at being proactive.”

St. Laurent declared a state of agricultural emergency in July. Interlake municipalities including Armstrong, Coldwell and Woodlands enacted similar statuses as drought hit local farmers.

A group of municipal leaders met Manitoba government officials to discuss short- and long-term solutions last month. Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn attended.

En 2025, des Jardins St Léon encore plus tournés vers le local

Les Jardins St-Léon, le marché extérieur situé sur St Mary’s, ouvre ses portes au public ce 30 avril. Colin Rémillard, copropriétaire, fait le point sur la saison qui s’en vient.

Même si la création des Jardins St-Léon remonte à 1979 par Lise Mulaire et Denis Rémillard, l’excitation est toujours la même quand la date de l’ouverture est connue. Cette année 2025 ne fait pas exception au regard de toutes les réactions enchantées sur les réseaux sociaux quand la compagnie a annoncé son retour pour ce 30 avril.

À l’image des internautes, Colin Rémillard, copropriétaire des Jardins St-Léon a hâte d’accueillir le public et travaille avec son équipe de 55 personnes sur les dernières préparations.

“Tout se passe bien, nos étagères sont déjà bien remplies et nous continuons de les remplir. On a quelques nouveaux employés, mais aussi beaucoup de retours d’anciens, ce qui est toujours un bon signe. La météo a l’air de bien s’annoncer. L’année dernière a été plus occupée que l’année précédente et l’on verra ce qui va passer cette année.”

Sirop d’érable, le trésor de Saint-Pierre-Jolys

L’incontournable Festival du Temps des sucres se prépare à revenir au village de Saint-Pierre-Jolys les 5 et 6 avril. Prenant place dans la Cabane à sucre, une extension du musée, les visiteurs pourront festoyer et célébrer ce fameux sirop local aux teintes ambrées.

Le temps se fait plus doux dans le village de Saint-Pierre-Jolys où les récoltes de sirop d’érable ont doucement commencé depuis la semaine du 17 mars.

En effet, des gelées la nuit combinées à des températures plus élevées le jour créent les conditions propices à la saison des récoltes. Ce type de météo permet d’exercer une pression à l’intérieur de l’arbre favorisant ensuite l’écoulement de “l’eau sucrée” comme aime l’appeler Roland Gagné, le gérant de la Cabane à sucre du village.

“Grâce à Mère Nature, l’eau remonte des racines jusqu’en haut de l’arbre. Ça permet de nettoyer les veines de l’érable et ensuite le liquide s’écoule.”

Food sovereignty on menu as farmers from across Canada gather in New Brunswick

Farmers from across Canada are gathering in New Brunswick this week for the annual National Farmers Union convention.

Food sovereignty and justice are themes this year at the gathering of the advocacy group.

Phil Mount, vice-president of policy at the union, says food sovereignty is a timely topic as the trade war with the U.S. has put Canadian food and food producers in the spotlight.

The convention will allow farmers and farm workers from across the county to debate national policies and listen to speakers.

Trump’s trade battle with China puts US soybean farmers in peril

MAGNOLIA, Ky. (AP) — The leafy soybean plants reach Caleb Ragland's thighs and are ripe for harvest, but the Kentucky farmer is deeply worried. He doesn't know where he and others like him will sell their crop because China has stopped buying.

Beijing, which traditionally has snapped up at least a quarter of all soybeans grown in the U.S., is in effect boycotting them in retaliation for the high tariffs President Donald Trump has imposed on Chinese goods and to strengthen its hand in negotiations over a new overall trade deal.

It has left American soybean farmers fretting over not only this year's crop but the long-term viability of their businesses, built in part on China's once-insatiable appetite for U.S. beans.

“This is a five-alarm fire for our industry,” said Ragland, who leads the American Soybean Association trade group.

What to know before you try foraging for edible plants and mushrooms in backyards or public spaces

BOSTON (AP) — Amid renewed interest in foraging for edible wild plants, mushrooms and other foodstuffs, experts caution aspiring foragers to prioritize safety, plan carefully and learn proper identification. Here are some things to consider before venturing out to gather food from forests, urban landscapes and elsewhere.

Confirm plant identification

It's critical to avoid accidental poisoning. If you have even the slightest doubt about a plant’s safety, don't touch or taste it. Relying solely on photos from a quick online search also can be dangerous, as those are often misidentified, said Iris Phoebe Weaver, a longtime herbalist and foraging instructor in Massachusetts.

Know toxic look-alikes

Adaptability key in climate change crop fight

Higher food prices and a significant drop in production of wheat — one of Manitoba’s most prominent crops — could come by the century’s end due to climate change, a new study suggests.

Meanwhile, Manitoba wheat farmers are taking measures to adapt their practices and produce greater yields amid changing conditions.

A report published in Nature this week projects Canada, China, Russia and the United States — when grouped together — could lose 30 to 40 per cent of wheat yields if the Earth warms roughly 4.3 C by 2100.

Canada alone could see a 20 per cent reduction, according to the study’s lead author.

‘Time is now’ for new Cereals Canada HQ

Scientists have baked bread, created noodles and processed flour in a tower above the iconic Portage and Main intersection for years.

However, Cereals Canada has been calling for a new, modernized research facility for nearly two decades. As of Thursday, the long-sought project is one step closer: the Manitoba government injected $13 million as a “down payment.”

“If all goes well, we’re going to be there for one-third of this,” Premier Wab Kinew promised.

He stood inside Cereals Canada’s 11th-floor pilot bakery. Delegates from Japan, Britain and Italy, among other countries, have walked through the site, observing how Canadian cereal grain crops could work in their products.

Kindness crops up in harvest for hungry

NEAR LANDMARK — Grain dust billowing in their wake, eight combines drove back and forth across a 100-acre field near Landmark on Tuesday to bring in a harvest for hungry people around the world. The combines were there to take off a crop of wheat for the Landmark Canadian Foodgrains Bank growing project — the first fall harvest for 41 such projects across Manitoba communities. “The field looks good,” said growing project organizer Randy Plett, who farms oilseeds and grains near Landmark. NIC ADAM / FREE PRESS Foodgrains regional representative Gordon Janzen (centre right) and Landmark growing project coordinator Randy […]