May 2015

Organic prices

Below are the highest organic grain prices (spot market prices unless otherwise indicated) gathered recently by MAFRD. Sources include farmers and buyers who have shared recent sales prices and theUSDA National Organic Grain & Feedstuffs Report. Prices do not include transportation unless otherwise indicated. Conventional prices come fromFarm Leadin SK andRayglen Commodities. USDA prices are in US dollars, the rest of the prices are Canadian.

For vegetable prices, check outCOG's Organic Price Tracker(eastern Canadian data only).Cyber-Help for Organic Farmerslists wholesale prices for organic fruit (fresh and frozen) and vegetables (Vancouver).

Although buyers are purchasing specialty organic grains on the spot market, there is currently little movement of staples such as wheat on the spot market. Last year, many of the key commodity buyers insulated themselves from price fluctuations through higher levels of forward contracting. This situation is likely to persist and growers should consider contracting at least some of their 2015 crop as part of a business risk mitigation strategy. If you decide to contract, look for features such as "Act of God" to protect yourself against extreme weather before or during harvest. There are many more contracting options for organic grains than there was even a year ago.

Soybeans - food$30-32/bu (2015 contract); conv. $9.53/bu
Soybeans - feed$24.22/bu (2015 contract)
Black Turtle Beans$60/bu (2015 contract)
Oats - milling$6/bu (spot market and contract); conv. $2.70/bu
Oats - feed$4.00-$4.50/bu
Barley - hulless$0.40/lb. fob farm
Barley - feed$7.50-8/bu fob farm
Corn - feed$12.46 (USDA) ; conv. $3.65/bu
Corn - blue$18/bu
Lentils - large green$0.70/lb. fob farm
Lentils - black$0.90/lb. fob farm
Lentils - red$0.70/lb. fob farm
Mustard - brown$0.80/lb. fob farm (contract)
Wheat - milling (HRS)$18.86/bu (USDA); conv. $5.87/bu
Wheat - feed$10-$11/bu fob farm
Buckwheat$0.38/lb. fob farm
Rye - food grade$10/bu
Flax - brown$36/bu; conv. $13.75/bu
Flax - golden$50/bu
Peas - yellow$15/bu (contract)
Alfalfa hay$0.10/lb for 16% protein

Organic Premium this Month(based on highest organic and conventional prices)

Oats - milling207%
Corn - feed341%
Flax - brown262%
Wheat - milling321%
Soybean - food336%

Organic market opportunities

Activation Products in Cobourg, ON is looking for 1,000 lbs of organiccanary seeds. ContactThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.at 1 866 271-7595 x717

Grain Millers has spot market bids for:organic brown flaxat $36/bu fob farm (contactThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.at 306 933-4644, andorganic feed oats($4.50/bu) andbarley($7.50 fob farm) (contact Scott at 306 335-7707)

Roger Rivest Marketing is seeking growers fororganic pintoandblack turtle beansin 2015. Black Turtle seed will be treated with Heads Up. The company is also forward contracting fororganic yellow peas(Meadow variety) at $15.00 CDN/bu,organic soybeans- food grade $30-$32/bu, feed grade $24/bu,organic corn,organic sunflowers, andorganic wheat(food and feed grade). Call 519 687-3522.

Growers International Organic Sales Inc. has available production contract acres fororganic brown flaxin Manitoba, and Eastern Saskatchewan. Please contact Lorne Lix at 204-924-7050 for more information on prices and delivery options.

DeRuyck's Top of the Hill Farm is seekingorganic spring spelt. ContactThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.or 204 526-2066

Organic news bytes

Oat buyer says no glyphosate pre-harvest

Grain Millers, a major oat buyer in Western Canada, will no longer purchase oats if the crop has been desiccated with glyphosate.

In an April 20 memo to Prairie oat growers, Grain Millers said the new policy was “driven by functional performance attributes of finished products manufactured from oats known to have been treated with glyphosate and by customer demand.”

Edgar Scheurer, Prairie Oat Growers Association vice president, said the decision is disappointing.

Clickherefor the story

Canadian market needs more herb growers, say herbal product producers

Canada’s herbal products industry isn’t keen on statistics. 


When asked about the size of the domestic market for herbal remedies or Canada’s share of the marketplace, most industry representatives couldn’t even hazard a guess.


A 2012 paper from the U.S. Agricultural Marketing Resource Centre said the American market is probably worth more than $3 billion a year and 60 million Americans use herbal remedies. 


Adjusting the U.S. figure for Canada’s population, the Canadian market could be worth $300 million.


Rick DeSylva, an Ontario herbalist, said demand for herbal remedies and natural health products is booming.


“It’s much higher than it was five years ago,” said DeSylva, who runs the Herb Works of Rockwood, Ont., which makes and sells natural herbal products.


DeSylva said pharmaceutical drugs and surgery are critical components of medical care, but more Canadians are turning to herbal remedies to treat chronic illnesses.


DeSylva would prefer using locally grown medicinal herbs in his products to satisfy that demand, but he often relies on organic herbs from the United States because they aren’t available in Canada.


Clickherefor the story

The Dorito Effect: How our approach to food is killing its flavour

That 14-week-old pasture-raised barred rock chicken was (and remains) the best fried chicken I have ever tasted. This was not a rational measurement of chicken quality based on crispiness, juiciness and “fried chicken flavour,” the way it happens in a sensory evaluation. This was get-up-out-of-your-chair-and-start-dancing fried chicken.

Clickherefor the story

GMO-free burritos: Chipotle 1st fast-food chain to ditch genetic-modifications

Chipotle has become the first fast-food chain to ban genetically modified foods, known as GMOs, in all foods served in its restaurants. The Mexican fast-casual chain has removed non-organic soy and corn from its tortillas and other menu items.

Clickherefor the story

Need your information for a new organic business to business directory

MAFRD is putting together a directory of all of the Manitoba grown and or processed organic food products available for sale in retail and food service channels. If you have packaged organic products, we want to hear from you. There is no cost for this service. Please send your complete list of products and package sizes toThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Calling all organic or transitioning producers to complete survey

This survey is part of the Prairie Organic Grains Initiative which will benefit organic growers in the Prairies. The survey is intended for all certified organic and transitional producers who actively grow organic or transitional field crops (cereals, pulses or oilseeds) for the food or feed market in one of the three Prairie provinces.

If you are not certified or in transition under the supervision of a Certification Body or if you only grow feed grains for your own livestock, you do not have to complete the survey.

All data are confidential and all respondents will have their name entered to win free organic certification for 2015. Winners will be contacted in the Fall of 2015.

Clickhereto go to the survey

Or send or call or send an email for a print version:

1-855-521-2400
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Thank you for your contribution!

Researcher seeks organic farms for study

Hi there, my name is Calvin Dick and I am a graduate student working with Martin Entz at the University of Manitoba. I am looking for potential participants for a project that will form part of my thesis. The goal of the project is to begin researching ecologically driven farming plans and practices as they are applied on the Canadian Prairies. To accomplish this, I am hoping to do an in-depth interview and farm visit with applicable farmers to describe their farming systems and start developing a systematic approach to farming more ecologically. The project should help to connect and inform participants about one another, produce a resource for other interested farmers, and create more support and interest for scientists and academics in this area.

I am looking for participants from a variety of Prairie ecoregions that make at least a significant portion of their income from the farm. I am also looking for a range of ecological farms which includes operations that:

If your farm fits this description and you are interested in the project, please contactThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.for more information.

PMRA invites written comments on glyphosate

The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) is inviting the public tosubmit written commentson the proposed re-evaluation decision for glyphosate. This is following the World Health Organization (WHO's) research indicating glyphosate is a probably carcinogen. The consultation is open for public comment from 13 April 2015 until12 June 2015.

Organic university

During the very dry and very windy days in mid-April 2015, the organic no-till system at Glen Lea shows no signs of soil erosion. The mulch is from a hairy vetch cover crop that was seeded in 2014. Hairy vetch winter kills under Manitoba conditions - using low temperature instead of herbicide for vegetation management. Spring wheat will be direct-seeded into the mulch in 2015.

Clickherefor the update

The presentations from the February Organic Alberta conference are now available on line. Clickhereto check them out.

Events

May 21 2015Creating an Effective Sell SheetThis MAFRD workshop will help food entrepreneurs understand retail requirements, how to design a sell sheet, successful strategies for pitching your products and how to determine your product's competitive position. ContactThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.at 204 461-2978

May 21 12:00-1:30 pm2015 CFIA WebinarCFIA is reaching out to small and micro businesses in a series of webinars and in person meetings. They will provide an overview of the proposed approach to strengthen food safety in Canada and why this is important. The goal is to open a discussion and seek input on what this would mean for micro and small businesses like yours. Clickherefor the details.

May 28 2015 5:00 - 6:30 pmCFIA WebinarSee details under May 21rst event.

May 28 9:00 am -4:30 pm2015 Food Handler Certificate CourseThe Manitoba Food Processors Association is offering a one day training in Winnipeg that covers everything from microbiological issues to cleaning. The cost is $65 + GST for members and $120 + GST for non members. Clickherefor the details.

June 1-3 2015Marketing and Stockmanship School Wawota, SKRichard McConnell and Tina Williams will taken you through some of the latest stock management practices. Cost $725. Clickherefor more information.

June 4 2015 Making the PresentationThis MAFRD workshop will help food entrepreneurs understand industry jargon, make presentations to retailers and undertake follow-up activity with retailers to ensure product sales. ContactThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.at 204 461-2978

June 6 2015DIYHomesteader Festival. The DIY Homesteader Festivalhttp://homesteaderfest.ca/is back this year at Nourished Roots Farm in Fraserwood. Tickets are on sale now! In 2013- its first year- the event sold out. The fest featured more than 20 high-calibre re-skilling workshops over the course of the day. This year- you can expect all that and MORE since there will also be a marketplace, DIY Kids Area, live music, and fabulous food vendors. Not to mention a day on the farm (Nourished Roots). Get your tickethere.

June 6 12:00-1:30 pm2015 CFIA WebinarSee details under May 21rst event.

June 8 4:30-9:00 pm2015 Getting Your Food Product into a Grocery StoreSteinbach. All D's Restaurant, 104-320 Main Street. This MAFRD workshop will cover packaging and labelling requirements, available food safety programs, cost-share funding programs, and understanding retailer expectations. Cost is $20. Make cheques payable to P.E.S.A.I. (Prairies East Sustainable Agriculture Initiative). To register, contactThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

June 10 4:30-9:00 pm2015 Getting Your Food Product into a Grocery StoreStonewall. See details above. ContactThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.to register for this location.

June 15 12:00-1:30 pm2015 CFIA WebinarSee details under May 21rst event.

June 20 12:00-1:30 pm2015 CFIA WebinarSee details under May 21rst event.

June 24- 26 2015International Symposium on Bison HealthRadisson Hotel, 405 20th St. E., Saskatoon.

June 25 9:00 am -4:30 pm2015 Food Handler Certificate CourseSee details listed underMay 28thevent.

August 6-8 2015Sustainable Ranching and Regenerative Grazing CourseLearn how to double your profits while regenerating your environment. Instructor Johann Zietsman is a renowned cattle and composite breeder and a certified Holistic Management practitioner. Zietsman is acknowledged as the first person to use Ultra High Stock Density. Cost $500, lunch is provided all three days. For more information and to register, contactThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 204 662-4060

August 27 9:00 am -4:30 pm2015 Food Handler Certificate CourseSee details listed underMay 28thevent.

September 2015 Organic Week

September 20 2015Open Farm DayIf you're interested in being a host farm this year,please apply by June 1rst.

September 2015 Canadian Health Food Association East

October 7-8 2015Packaging Conference: Packaging that Makes Products SellRichardson Centre for Functional Foods & Nutraceuticals
University of Manitoba. Clickherefor the details.