Maximum Yield Modern Growing | Canadian Edition | May June 2017

max facts
Eating Healthy Cheaper Than Buying Junk Food
A new report from the Institute of Economic Affairs has found that
healthy food is, for the most part, cheaper than junk food. Unlike
previous studies, this new research measured the cost per
edible weight as opposed to the cost per calorie of 78
common food and drink products. As reported in a story in
the Telegraph, the cheapest processed foods cost “more than
CDN$3.30 per kilogram, whereas typical fruit and vegetables cost
less than that amount.” This finding counters the thought that cost
is driving poor nutrition and obesity. “The idea that poor nutrition
is caused by the high cost of healthy food is simply wrong. People
are prepared to pay a premium for taste and convenience,” says Chris
Snowdon, the report’s author. “Given the relatively high cost of junk food,
it is unlikely that taxing unhealthy food or subsidising healthy food would change people's eating habits.”
metro.co.uk
Global Boom Time for Urban Farms
Urban farming is booming worldwide, says French urban farming project
consultant Marie Dehaene. “There is a huge variety of formats and business
models,” she says. “There have also been changes in stakeholders, in
the law, in building ownership, and management that have encouraged
people to do it.” However, local factors determine the viability and
format of such schemes, particularly at larger scales. “In New York,
most fresh produce comes from California or Mexico. California is
under environmental strain and there are concerns about traceability. In
Singapore, there is a drive for greater food self-sufficiency, while in Japan
there has been concern about polluted land post-Fukushima. People lost
trust in the quality of produce and some typically Japanese vegetables
can’t be imported. So, in these places there has been a real reason to make
it viable on a large scale. There are also such projects in France, but there
is a cultural difference too.”
hortweek.com
16 tapped in
Grow Calgary Goes Hydroponic
This winter, non-profit group Grow Calgary went hydroponic in order to continue
feeding families in need. The group cultivated kale, lettuce, and tomatoes inside
a repurposed shipping container. “We were really proud. It was really cool
to get this food out of the container in the middle of winter. It was awesome
for sure and hopefully we can continue to do that," says volunteer Sandie De
Bonnault. “The other good thing about it is that we can have early germination
and start very early and have plants that are strong enough so that we can put
them in the soil in April.” During the growing season, the non-profit group also
farms a 4.5-hectare piece of land and gives the crops to Calgary’s Compassionate
Food Access Agencies.
cbc.ca