Blogs
Website Overhaul
Over the next two months we will be working to update our websites to better reflect our goals as a company and make for an easier user interface. Please check back at the end of January for a new and improved look! We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Please e-mail jdraves@katan.ca with any questions or concerns.
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Breaking Down Quinoa Part IV – Getting Your Protein
After a successful season of growing quinoa, we are confident that our learnings from planting, maintenance and harvest this year will put us further in the right direction for commercialization in the near future. We are currently in the final stages of securing land and capital to build the processing facility so we can offer local Ontario Quinta quinoa and other high quality crops to consumers! We would like to take this time to sincerely thank all of our industry supporters, collaborators, and our producers across Ontario – we wouldn’t be where we are without your support!
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Local Ontario Value Chain Project Members Announce Successful First Year And Participation At Upcoming Royal Agricultural Winter Fair
OAKVILLE, ONTARIO, November 3, 2014 — Katan Kitchens (Katan) and Value Chain Management International (VCMI) have successfully completed the first year of their 30-month project to develop the local Ontario value chain for quinoa. There have already been many positive outcomes from the study. Working with over 20 Ontario producers, project members are using 2014 quinoa field trials to determine what agronomic factors have the greatest effect on crop yield and quality. Analyses of these results will help project members determine which agronomic factors to focus on during 2015 production when commercialization of this new agricultural crop in Ontario will begin.
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Breaking Down Quinoa Part III – What’s Up With Copper?
This summer we had the opportunity to work with over 20 producers across Ontario. We are very happy with the success our producers had this year, especially given the challenges of a very wet growing season. So far, the amounts we are getting off the quinoa fields are at or above our previous yields! Our producers have used a range of different practices for prepping their fields and planting and maintaining the crop, which will help finalize our understanding of the best agronomic practices for quinoa. If you are interested in pursuing growing quinoa with us, please e-mail service@katan.ca or call 647-932-6930.
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Determining The Profile Of An Ideal Quinoa Growing Partner
To help ensure the success of commercial quinoa production in Ontario, collaborators on the Pure Ontario Quinoa project have consulted with agronomic professionals to determine the best agronomic practices for quinoa and the ideal characteristics of a local quinoa producer. A guideline of criteria was developed to use as an initial screening procedure for producers interested in growing quinoa with Katan, considering factors like soil type and pH, necessary equipment and land availability. In particular, partnerships with Ontario producers that have the ability and passion to grow and expand to full commercial production with the company are of highest interest. Forming these relationships with producers will continue to be integral to the successful commercial production of Quinta Quinoa by 2015. For more information please contact service@katan.ca or call: 647-932-6930.
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Optimal Growth Parameters Assessed To Maximize Quinoa Production
Industry partners in a collaborative project entitled Pure Ontario Quinoa have conducted an agronomic gap assessment to survey the research to date on the best agronomic practices for quinoa. Quinoa has been grown in North America with good results; however, research and cultivation in Canada, specifically on Ontario soils, is limited. While production is sufficient for commercialization, recommendations from this assessment have also helped identify the specific need for future research projects to help further understand optimal agronomic practices for achieving the highest seed yield and seed quality. Outcomes from this production optimization assessment will assist Ontario’s agri-food and agri-food product businesses in efficiently expanding new crops while achieving high purity, and accessing markets centered on the value of nutrition and health. This assessment has included a detailed analysis of nutrient management and necessary soil conditions and requirements, for production in Ontario. This literature review completed by the project members and external consultants will be shared with agronomists, investors, and other value chain stakeholders to demonstrate the viability of Ontario-grown Quinta Quinoa and the potential for further growth and development of this crop.
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Quality Of Quinoa To Be Tracked Extensively Throughout Production
Industry collaborators in the Pure Ontario Quinoa project have conducted an assessment of traceability and purity during production; two factors that are integral to the proposed processing facility that is projected to break ground in the Winter/Spring of 2015. The state-of-the-art facility will house equipment to process a premium, differentiated, locally grown quinoa seed called Quinta Quinoa, which will require a highly-controlled, verifiable traceability and identity preservation system. This system will allow for seamless, prompt traceability from seed production through harvesting, storage, cleaning, packaging and distribution to the end customer. Procedures for control at each step of the value chain will be put into place for ongoing evaluation to ensure integrity is sustained over time. Adopting a full traceability and identity preservation system will uphold the high-standards of this facility, aiming to position locally grown Ontario Quinta Quinoa as the highest-quality locally-grown quinoa seed on the market. This system can also be applied to future superfood production in Ontario, creating a platform for expansion of potential new crops for Ontario soils.
This project is funded in part through Growing Forward 2 (GF2), a federal-provincial-territorial initiative. The Agricultural Adaptation Council assists in the delivery of GF2 in Ontario.
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Ensuring Highest Quality Quinoa Production
Industry collaborators on the Pure Ontario Quinoa project have conducted a regulatory and quality assurance assessment to maximize traceability across the entire value chain for Ontario-grown Quinta Quinoa. This assessment also acts as an opportunity for value chain development of other new crops in Ontario, helping to ensure success in the diversification of Ontario agriculture.
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Determining Equipment Required For Ontario Quinoa Processing Facility
In preparation for production, collaborators on the Pure Ontario Quinoa project have conducted an assessment of the equipment requirements for processing Ontario-grown Quinta Quinoa. Katan’s priority is to ensure purity and traceability and to maintain nutritional quality throughout the entire cleaning, processing and packaging procedure. This assessment was central in advancing optimum delivery systems and networks to reach a larger market of processing for gluten-free grains, offering the ability to process new crops in Ontario. The processing facility is projected to be energy-efficient and environmentally conscious using innovative approaches to reduce its carbon footprint, all while creating a number of jobs within the food processing industry. With the potential to yield thousands of tonnes of Quinta Quinoa annually in Ontario, the demand for a facility that can properly process and package this highly valued and in-demand Ontario-grown crop is at an all-time high.
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Quinoa Processing Facility To Uphold High Standards
Collaborators on the Pure Ontario Quinoa project have worked to determine the ideal site for a specialized quinoa processing facility using a variety of industry resources and contacts. The facility is designed to achieve the high standards that Katan strives for in processing and packaging their locally grown Ontario Quinta Quinoa. This will include maintaining a low carbon footprint, meeting Global Food Safety Initiative and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point standards, meeting certified organic standards, as well as providing the food processing industry in Ontario with an opportunity for growth and expansion by constructing a facility that can also process other gluten-free crops. In considering locations for this facility, involved consultants have concluded that distance to major transportation routes, energy supply, environmental impact, and traceability and identity preservation are of the utmost importance to the success of this leading edge facility. With the potential for the addition of quinoa to Ontario crop rotations with projected yields exceeding 5,000 metric tonnes annually, it is evident that a specialized gluten-free processing facility for quinoa is an essential next step in bringing quinoa to full commercialization in Ontario.