At the 2010 organic conference and trade show, organic inspector and farmer Brian Ives discusses his experiences inspecting processing plants across Atlantic Canada.  He sees opportunities for small-scale processing operations for organic value-added foods.

Gwendolyn Simpson, of Inspired Market Gardens in Carvell, AB, discusses the most important aspects of value-adding for organic products, including the value of co-operation (joint marketing efforts, processing, etc), the value of other farming and related activities (value-added is beyond working with your products, but includes experiential interaction with customers and clients, such as farm tours, etc) and the value of "working the numbers":  know your costs!  "A burger from the rainforest should cost $200".  (5mins:60secs)

This Nova Scotia-created guide is intended to help you develop your food processing business.  Whether you’re new to the food industry and starting a new business, or are considering expanding your existing operation, you’ll find the tools you need here.

Rosalie Madden provided an overview of hop production and management practises.

Presented by Tim and Kirsten Livingstone, Strawberry Hill Farm, at the 2015 ACORN Conference PEI

Slideshow of presentation available here

Presented by Michelle Wolf (Director of Training FMNS) at the 2015 ACORN Conference PEI

Access slideshow here

Plenary Panel discussion at the 2015 ACORN Conference PEI in (MP3)

In this workshop from the 2013 ACORN Conference in Moncton, Diane Savoie used local, organic, whole foods to create delicious appetizers for the audience to enjoy. She illustrated the importance of cooking with little to no waste, by using food scraps for making stocks. Diane never uses recipes, but the following notes should give you an idea of the ingredients used, and how they are prepared.

Having both grown up in the city, Bryan Dyck and Shannon Jones of BroadFork Farm came to realize that their vision of farming included a desire to homestead. Their favorite way to preserve their harvests is through lacto-fermentation. At the 2016 Homesteading Symposium in Dieppe, they presented 3 styles of lacto-fermented vegetables: kimchi, sauerkraut and pickle.

Canada’s ecological seed growers are often looking for tools and equipment to suit a “medium” scale of production. Bigger than home-scale, but smaller than industrial-scale. This document—written and compiled by Rebecca Ivanoff in 2017 for The Bauta Family Iniative on Canadian Seed Security —provides links to seed production equipment sources, from harvesting through to storage and seed testing.