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Proud to work in ag

Celebrating Canadian Agriculture Day

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Let’s (always) celebrate the food we love.

Top 10 reasons to celebrate Canadian agriculture

The first-ever Canada’s Agriculture Day was a huge success. In 2018, it’s getting bigger and better. And why not? There are so many reasons to celebrate our industry. Here are our top 10.

  1. The ag industry is a major employer. Agriculture employs over two million Canadians – that’s one in eight jobs.
  2. We’re a trading powerhouse. Canada is the world’s fifth largest agriculture exporter with over $50 billion in annual sales.
  3. Family matters. We love ag for the life it gives our kids now and the opportunities it will give them in the future. It’s not just our livelihood, it’s our legacy – 97% of farms are family farms.
  4. Ag plays a major role in our economy. It contributes over $100 billion to Canada’s GDP each year.
  5. We’re proud environmentalists. Ike Skelton once said, “Because of their connections to the land, farmers do more to protect and preserve our environment than almost anyone else.”
  6. We love and care for our animals. We believe in responsible animal care and follow nationally recognized codes of practice for the care and handling of our animals.
  7. Ag is innovative. Thanks to modern farming practices, the average household saves more than $4,000 on food annually – that’s about $60 billion across Canada.
  8. We believe in quality. Canada ranks number one in global food safety.
  9. We’re a trusted industry. A recent Canadian Centre for Food Integrity survey shows that consumers trust farmers more than any other group and 60% want to know more about farming practices.
  10. We love what we do. Agriculture isn’t just our business, it’s our passion and our way of life. So, let’s be proud to share our story, explain where food comes from and how it’s produced, and reach out to those not in the ag industry.

No matter how you look at it, Canadian agriculture is a success story. Let’s get out there and start having ag and food conversations. And let’s celebrate!

Source:

black bean brownies photo

Delicious brownies made from black beans – recipe

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Have you ever imagined you can make delicious brownies using dry black beans?

Here’s a recipe that will allow you do just that – and satisfy your sweet tooth at the same time.

Once you start working with dry beans, it’s a snap.

Pro Tip: You can always soak then cook your dry beans ahead of time, and then freeze them to use later or when you need them quickly.

First things first. Soak your beans.

Dry beans need to be soaked before cooking in order to replace moisture. Here are 3 methods to get this done.

  1. Quick soak: Bring 6 cups of cold water and 450 g (2 cups) of beans to a boil, cover and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 1 hour. Drain.
  2. Overnight soak: Let beans and water stand overnight. Drain.
  3. Microwave soak: Combine 6 cups (1.5 L) of hot water and 450 g (2 cups) of dry beans in a 8 qt. (8 L) microwaveable casserole dish. Cover and microwave at HIGH (100%) power for 15 minutes or until boiling. Let stand 1 hour. Drain.

Cook your beans.

To cook soaked beans, use 6 cups of fresh water for every 2 cups of soaked beans. Then follow one of these two methods:

  1. Conventional cooking: In a large saucepan, combine soaked beans and water. Cover and bring to a full boil. Reduce heat and simmer until fork tender, about 45 to 60 minutes.
  2. Microwave cooking: In a 8 qt. (8 L) microwaveable casserole dish combine 6 cups (1.5 L) of water and 2 cups (450 g) of soaked beans

Brownie  recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1080 mL (4.56 cups) of cooked black beans
  • 6 eggs
  • 1/3 cup coconut or canola oil
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tbsp. vanilla
  • 1 cup maple syrup or honey
  • 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Topping:

  • ½ cup chocolate chips

Method:

  1. Rinse, soak and cook dry beans (see above soaking and cooking instructions for details).
  2. Cook beans until they are soft (see cooking method for details).
  3. Combine everything except chocolate chips in a food processor (or blender) and process until smooth.
  4. Fold in chocolate chips.
  5. Spread into a greased 9″ x 13″ pan.
  6. Bake at 350°F for 45 to 50 minutes.
  7. As soon as you take it out of the oven, sprinkle the topping (chocolate chips) on and they will melt.

Let cool completely before cutting.

For other bean recipes, visit our bean recipe page.

Lentil Tacos

CBC Fresh Air – Pulses, the UN and You in 2016!

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Read more

Keep treated seed and contaminants out of our food chain

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With harvest upon us, we want to remind all Thompsons customers that we have a zero tolerance for treated seed or contaminants in ANY load of beans, grains, corn and edible beans coming into our facilities.

WARNING:

Zero tolerance for TREATED SEED occurring in grains, soybeans, corn and edible beans.

Make sure all equipment is thoroughly cleaned and inspected before using it for grain.

Under the Canada Grain Act:

A licensed grain handling facility, such as a licensed primary elevator, cannot:

TreatedSeedStickersReceive grain that is contaminated with treated seed or suspected to be contaminated or ship grain that is contaminated with treated seed or suspected to be contaminated.

A producer (or a person acting on a producer’s behalf) cannot deliver grain to a licensed facility that is contaminated with treated seed or suspected to be contaminated.

“It is unlawful to deliver grain that has been treated or infected with any poisonous substance or compound to this Elevator. Persons so charged will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and held liable for any expense or loss incurred in the removal and disposition of grains so contaminated.”

Get the “Real Dirt on Farming”

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If you missed the Globe and Mail insert in Saturday’s paper, you can view a copy online.

The Real Dirt on Farming booklet is designed to connect you with the food you eat, and introduce you to some of Canada’s farm families. This booklet provides basic facts on topics such as the difference between growing crops conventionally and organically, pesticide use, animal housing and animal welfare, environmental sustainability, technology used in farming as well as many other subjects that you have indicated are important to you. The goal of this book is to help you make informed decisions about the food you’re serving your family.

How is your food grown? Get The Real Dirt on Farming and learn from the farmers themselves how and why they want to feed us–locally and the world.

Speaking of dirt, get the dirt on field crops.

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