Common Ground.ca

National Health Food Month Common Ground.ca The retail value of organic food products in Canada in 2008 was estimated at $2 billion, according to a 2008 Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada study, ...

Minister Ritz, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Member of Parliament for Battlefords-Lloydminster, announced today $285,000 in Government of Canada funding support under the National Anti-Drug Strategy for two projects that will help prevent Saskatchewan youth from taking illicit drugs...

The Honourable Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, and Dr. Brian Evans, Chief Food Safety Officer and Chief Veterinary Officer of Canada, will announce the launch of a new "Be Aware and Declare!" 30-second public service video and acknowledge the joint efforts among partners in government, and the airline, transport and travel industries to protect Canadians and our agricultural resource base.

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Probiotics: Friendly Residents In Your Digestive Tract EmpowHer (blog) ... for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, probiotic bacteria releases chemicals in our digestive system that basically talk to your intestinal wall. ...

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is extending the application deadline for the initial phase of the Abattoir Competitiveness Program to August 27, 2010 to allow eligible recipients more time to take advantage of the program.

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Canada market development investment The Organic Trade Association (OTA) in Canada announced a partnership with the Government of Canada on March 6 to develop a long-term international marketing strategy to expand Canada’s organic sector. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is investing over $118,000 in OTA in Canada’s international market development strategy for ...

SHANGHAI, CHINA (MARKET WIRE) Canada's top quality beef will be served at the Shanghai World Expo 2010 to celebrate Canada Day, marking the first time in almost a decade that Canadian beef has been available in China. Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz will host a beef barbecue in celebration of Canada and China's strong trade relationship. Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaelle Jean,...

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DARTMOUTH, NOVA SCOTIA (MARKET WIRE) The Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, and the Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Minister of State (Agriculture) today announced that the United States has accepted an offer from the Government of Canada to help to contain the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The Government of Canada is providing offshore...

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The Government of Canada is paving the way for future leaders in agriculture and across all sectors. Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz attended the Canadian 4-H Council's Annual General Meeting and announced an investment of over $1 million on behalf of Heritage Minister James Moore. Minister Ritz was also presented with a certificate recognizing Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada as a founding member of the Canadian 4-H Council.

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Canada's chief veterinary officer has been named to an expanded role as the country's chief food safety officer.

Brian Evans (right, not exactly as shown), who's been the country's first and only chief vet since 2004 at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and has also served as the CFIA's executive vice-president in Ottawa since 2007, was named to the additional post Tuesday by Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Evans remains chief veterinary officer in his new post, which takes effect June 28.

Evans worked in private practice in Newfoundland and Ontario before being recruited to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada as a veterinary inspector in 1982, and went on to establish Canada's regulatory standards for international trade in animal embryos.

By 1997, he was named director of AAFC's animal health division, and became executive director of CFIA's animal products directorate the following year.

As chief veterinary officer, Evans is also the government of Canada's delegate to the 167-member country World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).

I have often praised Evans’ public and professional work during Canada’s first case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in 2003, and Evans (left, exactly as shown, from the Toronto Star) was the first Canadian government official to publicly admit the screw-ups surrounding the flow of information during the listeria outbreak of 2008 which killed 23 people.

“There's been a lot of hard questions asked ... in terms of how we can get information to the public in as timely a way as possible. I accept the criticism that there is a need for us to reflect and to do a much better job of informing (Canadians)."


The move also strengthens the One Health approach to public health, recognizing that animals, food, ecology and humans are all connected in weird and wily ways that microorganisms seem to have figured out but that we humans are just starting to understand.

Best wishes for a dedicated public servant.

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA (MARKET WIRE) Canadian farmers are proud to produce safe, healthy foods for kitchen tables across Canada and around the world and to help ensure this continues, the Government of Canada is investing up to $2 million to prevent and contain animal diseases, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced today. The funding for the Canadian Animal Health Coalition for the West Hawk Lake...

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WINNIPEG, MANITOBA (MARKET WIRE) Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and Public Safety Minister Vic Toews will be in the Winnipeg area on Friday, May 14, and Saturday, May 15, to announce three investments for the agriculture sector.

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(Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada) Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced yesterday historic agricultural partnerships between Canada and China. Canadian pulse producers led the way with initiatives that will increase the value of Canadian pulse exports to China to an estimated total of $500 million. Minister Ritz made the announcement following an agricultural trade mission to Beijing...

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BEIJING, CHINA (MARKET WIRE) Editor's Note: A photo associated with this release is available on Marketwire's website.

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OTTAWA, ONTARIO (MARKET WIRE) On Thursday, April 15, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz will be available to speak to media by telephone from Beijing, China, about his agriculture trade mission to China.

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Canada market development investment The Organic Trade Association (OTA) in Canada announced a partnership with the Government of Canada on March 6 to develop a long-term international marketing strategy to expand Canada’s organic sector. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is investing over $118,000 in OTA in Canada’s international market development strategy for ...

Plains Industrial to build hemp fibre processing plant Fibre2fashion.com Inky Mark, Member of Parliament for Dauphin-Swan River-Marquette, on behalf of the Honourable Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and ... and more »

OTTAWA, ONTARIO (MARKET WIRE) Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz will be in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan, on Thursday, April 8, to announce an investment that will benefit Canada's pulse growers.

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OTTAWA, ONTARIO (MARKET WIRE) Canada Pork International (CPI) would like to express its appreciation for the federal government's support on the recent trade mission to Latin America. The Honourable Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, pro active efforts to develop and improve current trade relations with his counterparts in Colombia, Mexico and Guatemala will help the...

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GUATEMALA CITY, GUATEMALA (MARKET WIRE) Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz led an agricultural trade mission to Mexico, Colombia, Guatemala and the United States to create new market opportunities for Canadian farmers.

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OTTAWA, ONTARIO (MARKET WIRE) On Thursday, January 21, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz will be available to speak to media by telephone from Guatemala City about his mission to the United States, Colombia, Mexico, and Guatemala.

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During the month of October, CBC Radio’s political affairs show, The House, ran a four-part mini-series on peak oil, called “Going Local.” The third episode examined the implications of peak oil for the Canadian agri-food sector and was chosen as a CBC “Editor’s Choice” item. The episode includes interviews with two farmers near Ottawa, Ontario and a discussion with Rick Munroe, the energy security analyst for Canada’s National Farmers Union.

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This no-fee agricultural policy conference is co-hosted by the United States Department of Agriculture, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture (SAGARPA) and organized jointly with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

During this one and one-half day conference, OECD will provide a broad view of its organization and agricultural policy work focusing on its specific relevance and value to North America. The first day will focus on OECD’s role in agricultural policy analysis and design including current thematic work, such as risk management and trade policy.

I've been wring on the health benefits of berries for a very long time.  The operative word with all berries is that their flavonoids and proanthocyanidins (found in the seeds) are markedly anti-inflammatory.

Our very favorite Berry Supplement, the one we used every day - is here and we like this one too.

Blueberries may boost memory in older adults
By Stephen Daniells, 11-Jan-2010


Supplemental blueberries for only 12 weeks may boost memory in older people with early memory problems, says a new study from the US.

A daily drink of about 500 mL of blueberry juice was associated with improved learning and word list recall, as well as a suggestion of reduced depressive symptoms, according to findings published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

The study is said to be the first human trial to assess the potential benefits of blueberries on brain function in older adults with increased risk for dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia and currently affects over 13 million people worldwide. The direct and indirect cost of Alzheimer care is over $100bn (€ 81bn) in the US alone. The direct cost of Alzheimer care in the UK was estimated at £15bn (€ 22bn).

“These preliminary memory findings are encouraging and suggest that consistent supplementation with blueberries may offer an approach to forestall or mitigate neurodegeneration,” wrote the researchers, led by Robert Krikorian from the University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center.

“Interpretation of our findings should be tempered because of the relatively small sample size and the absence of a blueberry-specific control, although comparison with the analogous placebo beverage data provides some assurance that the observed changes in memory performance were not attributable to practice effects,” they added.
Berries are booming

Blueberry consumption has previously been linked to reduced risk of Alzheimer’s, with reports in 2003 leading to a boom in sales in the UK, going from £10.3m (€14.9m) in 2003 to almost £40m (€58m) in 2005, according to UK supplier BerryWorld.

The beneficial effects of the blueberries are thought to be linked to their flavonoid content - in particular anthocyanins and flavanols. The exact way in which flavonoids affect the brain are unknown, but they have previously been shown to cross the blood brain barrier after dietary intake.

It is believed that they may exert their effects on learning and memory by enhancing existing neuronal connections, improving cellular communications and stimulating neuronal regeneration.

Study details

Krikorian and his co-workers recruited nine older people with an average age of 76.2 and an average educational level of 15.6 years. Subjects were assigned to receive a daily dose of blueberry juice equivalent to between 6 and 9 mL per kilogram of body weight per day. The juice used in the study was provided by the Wild Blueberry Association of North America.

Results showed significant improvements in improved learning and word list recall. There was also a trend towards reduced depressive symptoms and lower glucose levels. Krikorian and his co-workers added that it would be interesting in future studies to examine if changes in cognitive function are associated with metabolic improvements.

“Replication of the findings in a larger, controlled trial will be important to corroborate and amplify these data,” wrote the researchers. “On balance, this initial study establishes a basis for further human research of blueberry supplementation as a preventive intervention with respect to cognitive aging,” they concluded.

The other researchers were affiliated with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging and Tufts University.

Source: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry,
Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1021/jf9029332
“Blueberry Supplementation Improves Memory in Older Adults” Authors: R. Krikorian, M.D. Shidler, T.A. Nash, W. Kalt, M.R. Vinqvist-Tymchuk, B. Shukitt-Hale, J.A. Joseph

OTTAWA, ONTARIO (MARKET WIRE) The Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of National Revenue and Minister of State (Agriculture and Agri-Food), invites you to participate in a teleconference at 10: a.m on Friday, January 8th, 2010, to provide an update on his meetings with his counterparts in the UK, France and Germany-some of the countries that, along with Canada, are members of the Seven...

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OTTAWA, ONTARIO (MARKET WIRE) Rona Ambrose, Minister of Labour, and Christian Paradis, Minister of Public Works and Government Services today encouraged Canadians to take advantage of the Home Renovation Tax Credit (HRTC). Minister Ambrose and Minister Paradis spoke today at separate events on behalf of the Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of National Revenue and Minister of State...

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OTTAWA, ONTARIO (MARKET WIRE) The Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of National Revenue and Minister of State (Agriculture and Agri-Food), invites you to participate in a teleconference at 9:30 a.m on Thursday, January 7th, 2010, to provide an update on his discussions with Mr. Jeffrey Owens, the Director of the Centre for Tax Policy and Administration from the Organization for Economic...

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OTTAWA, ONTARIO (MARKET WIRE) The Honorable Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of National Revenue and Minister of State (Agriculture and Agri-Food), invites you to participate in a teleconference at 9:30 a.m on Tuesday, January 5th, 2010, to mark the launch of a series of international high level discussions with the heads of tax administration in the UK, France and Germany-some of the countries...

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OTTAWA, ONTARIO (MARKET WIRE) The Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of National Revenue and Minister of State (Agriculture and Agri-Food), today announced proposed changes to electronic filing requirements for goods and services tax/harmonized sales tax (GST/HST) registrants beginning July 1, 2010.

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OTTAWA, ONTARIO (MARKET WIRE) The Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of National Revenue and Minister of State (Agriculture and Agri-Food) and the Taxpayers' Ombudsman, Mr. J. Paul Dube.

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