New Ag Partnership Unveils Value Chain Management Opportunities

Sep 11, 2012

Agricultural Businesses Gets a Boost in Atlantic Canada

Value chain management is a critical component for any business and the agriculture business is no exception. However, knowing how to add value to your business can be a daunting task but it’s a necessary in order to be successful in today’s competitive market. The Value Chain Management Centre (VCMC) based out Guelph, Ontario and Perennia Food and Agriculture Inc., based in Nova Scotia have announced a partnership to offer value chain services for the agriculture sector in Atlantic Canada.

The VCMC functions as part of the George Morris Centre, which is Canada’s leading agricultural think-thank. This new offering will be beneficial to agriculture and the agri-food industry since VCMC conducts value chain research and offers ongoing training and consultation. Some of the key aspects that the partnership will be able to offer are mapping analysis, training, mentorship and consumer research.

“Perennia is focused on innovation, from the field through to value-adding primary agricultural products in our new Innovation Centre,” stated Jo Ann Fewer, Perennia CEO. “Innovation in value chain management is key to helping our clients grow their businesses and increase profits. The synergies we share with VCMC, and the great work we will be able to do together, will definitely benefit both parties and the agri-food industry in Atlantic Canada.”

The new alliance will be able to provide a much needed service that will hopefully increase the probability of farm business and the agri-food industry operating in Atlantic Canada.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.