Hard to pry consumers from their trans-fats Tuesday, June 2, 2009 Fast food chains such as Kentucky Fried Chicken boast trans-fat-free menus. Plant breeders are striving to develop soybeans with healthier oils. Can we expect consumers to be informed and make healthier eating decisions? According to research conducted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health and Society Scholars Program, maybe not. Researchers compared news coverage about trans-fats to the sales of seven specific products (targeted because they contain more than half a gram of trans-fats per serving) from a major grocery chain in Los Angeles County, California.Their conclusion? Sales of buttered popcorn, vegetable shortening, buttermilk biscuits, sandwich cookies, stick margarine and crescent rolls fell for a week following negative coverage and then rose to previous levels. Sales of hot dogs, the seventh highest trans-fat product, remained steady.The news coverage reiterated the relationship between trans-fat consumption and heart disease. BF Educators top the pay scales in public sector agriculture Fighting to prevent a California 'dust bowl'
Minnesota Wildfires Threaten Agriculture as Governor Walz Mobilizes National Guard Friday, July 17, 2026 Farmers across Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ontario and Manitoba are closely monitoring a growing wildfire situation in northern Minnesota after Governor Tim Walz declared a peacetime emergency and mobilized the Minnesota National Guard to assist firefighting efforts. The decision... Read this article online
Woodland Mills Expands Portable Sawmill Capacity Friday, July 17, 2026 Woodland Mills has introduced the HM126MAX Portable Sawmill, a new machine designed to provide greater cutting capacity and improved lumber production for customers. The latest model builds on the success of a long-standing portable sawmill platform while offering enhanced performance and... Read this article online
Asian Vegetables Like Bok Choy Grown Right Here in Ontario Friday, July 17, 2026 When you think of vegetables grown in Ontario, do you think of ethic vegetables? Also known as pak choy or Chinese cabbage, bok choy has become an increasingly important crop for Ontario's vegetable industry, driven by growing consumer demand for fresh, locally produced ethnic... Read this article online
Survey aims to amplify voices of rural Ontarians Friday, July 17, 2026 New surveys for rural Ontarians are helping people in these communities paint a comprehensive picture of what life is like. “For too long, rural communities have lacked access to reliable, credible and reflective data,” Leith Deacon, a professor at University of Guelph’s School of... Read this article online
Wildfire Smoke Over Ontario--What Farmers Need to Know Thursday, July 16, 2026 Ontario farmers are becoming increasingly familiar with hazy skies as wildfire smoke drifts across the province. While much of the public focus remains on human health and visibility, the agricultural impacts are also drawing attention as smoke affects crop development, livestock... Read this article online