Subscribe:
RSS feed
Separating the Grain from the Chaff in Agriculture & Food
“Big Organic”: Threat or Opportunity?
I’m proud of the growth in the organic sector. According to the Organic Trade Association, organic sales in the United States have increased from $3.6 billion in 1997 to over $39 billion in 2014. This double-digit rate of growth holds true for Canada, too, which is now the fourth-largest organic market in the world. This […]
Trading Places: Two farmers step out of their comfort zones
December 18, 2015
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to step across the “conventional/organic divide”? During the first week of December, we (Jen Christie and Rob Wallbridge) did just that. Rob (an organic vegetable grower) had been invited to speak on a social media panel at Agri-trend’s Farm Forum Event in Saskatoon, SK; an annual […]
Posted in: Agriculture, Organic
Infographic: Weed Control Strategies
May 27, 2015
I get asked a lot about how organic farmers control weeds without the use of herbicides. (And with the rise and spread of herbicide-resistant weeds, the issue is on the mind of many conventional farmers, too.) Some naturally assume that in the absence of herbicides, hand-weeding or deep tillage, along with all the drawbacks of […]
Posted in: Agriculture, Organic
Wordless Wednesday: Kids & trees both grow up fast!
May 13, 2015
Same people (me and my daughter), same trees (cedars), same location (roadside on the farm). What a difference nine years make!
Posted in: Songberry Organic Farm
Is Organic Farming Anti-Science?
April 16, 2015
Originally posted on In Udder News...:
This question has been weighing on my mind recently. For the past several weeks, I’ve read several different opinions and assumptions that farming organically means that scientific knowledge and research is thrown out the window. I’ve also heard opinions that organic farming is not as innovative as conventional farming.…
Posted in: Agriculture
New MacDonald, Old Divisions?
March 2, 2015
Here's the real irony: campaigns like "New MacDonald" threaten to alienate the very people the organic sector needs most right now: farmers. In my opinion, it's time to start building bridges, not digging trenches.
Posted in: Agriculture
“Fighting for Understanding”: An Advocate’s Checklist
February 18, 2015
If you’re a farmer on Twitter, chances are you’ve come across #farm365, the agricultural advocacy concept that was hijacked by radical vegans, with sadly predictable results. After the first week, I was inspired to share a short list of “tips” that I hoped would guide conversations in positive directions. It generated a lot of supportive […]
Posted in: Agriculture
Wordless Wednesday: February Sun
February 11, 2015
The February sun seems to carry some warmth with it, hinting at the promise of Spring to come.
Posted in: Songberry Organic Farm
End the Food Wars: Let’s Fight for Understanding Instead
February 10, 2015
What would our conversations about food and agriculture look like if we strove for mutual understanding rather than a conversion to our way of thinking? What if the loser of an argument was the one who had failed to gain any understanding or appreciation for the viewpoints of their opponent?
The Blog of Rob Wallbridge
Occasional posts on food, farming, and related topics from an organic farm in Western Quebec, Canada.
The Fanning Mill 
February 10, 2016
2