Recipe Of The Month

expertise. We will essentially be mapping out and expanding the entire technologically-inclined agriculture ecosystem.” Dr. Kreplin pauses before finishing her thought. “This has extraordinary potential, and if we are successful, the impact could be felt for generations.

“Producers are—quite rightly—hesitant to invest in new technology. There is tremendous perceived risk in changing horses mid-stream when the one you’re on is doing just fine. CAAIN’s network will work to educate and connect all the relevant players, so that the next generation of farmers and ranchers—and beekeepers!—understands and has access to the best technology resources possible. That’s how we’re going to stay ahead of the curve and make Canada the world’s top agri-food processing and exporting nation.”

She stops, before offering up a final thought. “I’ve been involved in this initiative from the very beginning in 2018. What stands out is all the support we received from our eight core partners, particularly Alberta Innovates, which has provided us a home and a full slate of services without which we could not have launched as quickly and smoothly as we did. We’re truly grateful for all the partners have done on our behalf. It’s that kind of cooperation and interdependence that will lead to success for CAAIN and the projects we’re funding.”

All this means that there are now Canadian resources dedicated to creating formal mechanisms supporting agricultural and agrifood innovation up and down the value chain. Not only is CAAIN providing funds for much needed innovation; it is also fostering the development of an environment dedicated to the continued advancement of one of our country’s key sectors. As the current pandemic has shown us, never has there been a more urgent need for such a network.

Honey Cinnamon BrioCHe

Recipe by Heidi Richter https://ediblevancouverisland.ediblecommunities.com/ recipes/honey-cinnamon-brioche

Honey adds an earthy sweetness and additional moisture to the traditional brioche loaf.

INSTRUCTIONS

Start the dough at 6pm the night before for fresh baked bread the next morning. Note that a good stand mixer is key for this recipe. Makes 2 loaves

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup warm milk • 1 package (8g) active dry yeast • 1/3 cup liquid honey • 3½ cups all-purpose flour • 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon • 1 tsp salt • 5 large eggs • ¾ cup unsalted butter at room temperature

METHOD

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the milk and yeast and let stand for 5 minutes. Add the honey and stir to dissolve.

Sift together flour, salt and cinnamon. Add 4 eggs and the dry ingredients to the yeast mixture, then mix on low speed until all the flour is incorporated. Turn the mixer to medium and continue mixing until a smooth elastic dough forms (about 5 minutes). Reduce the mixer to low and add the butter 1 Tbsp at a time, increasing the speed to medium-high between additions to fully combine. You should hear the dough ‘slap’ against the side of the bowl as you mix. Once all the butter is incorporated, continue mixing on low for another 10 minutes, or until a smooth elastic dough forms. Cover the dough and let rise for 2–2 ½ hours or until doubled. Deflate the dough by scraping and lifting around the circumference where the dough meets the bowl. Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate 4–6 hours or overnight (it will double again during this time). Line a large baking sheet with parchment. Deflate the chilled dough and scrape it onto a clean work surface. Shape the dough into a log and cut into 6 equal portions (approx. 7 oz each). Roll each portion into an even 14” strand (if the dough springs back, let it rest 10 minutes, then re-roll). Arrange 3 strands in a row, pinch the top ends together and braid down the length. Pinch together the bottom of the strands and tuck both ends under. Place the dough on the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining strands (allow an 8” space between them on the baking sheet). Loosely cover and let rise for 1½ hours. Centre a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Beat the remaining egg, then lightly brush it over the top of the dough. Bake for 30–35 minutes or until puffy and golden. Let cool 5 min on the pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Dis/Mis-Information: Difficult To Detect, But Impossible To Ignore

By Cami Ryan, Social Sciences Lead, Regulatory Scientific Affairs, Bayer Crop Science

This article was originally published in Consumer Corner by the Center for Food and Agricultural Business at Purdue University on 9-14-2020 and is available at https://agribusiness.purdue.edu/consumer_corner/. Reprinted with permission.

Picture it. You are a respected, established advocate for agriculture and food production. You might even have a well-recognized brand. You come across a post on Facebook or Twitter that contains information that is:

1. Inaccurate (not evidence- or science-based) 2. Inflammatory 3. Biased 4. Not credibly sourced 5. One, any or all of the above

What do you do?

Those of us who have been around the ‘debunking’ block a time or two have come up with ways to identify ‘sketchy’ information, finding ways to mitigate or debunk it. We leverage a vast network of credible experts in the area like Jayson Lusk (agriculture economist), or Lynn Sosnoskie (weed scientist) or the Cornell Alliance for Science. I’ve even directed family members and friends to Snopes or Hoaxslayer sites when I’ve come across things like “lemons will cure your cancer!” or “gargling with salt water will cure COVID-19!”

But here’s another scenario. What if the source of the misinformation comes from another science- or evidencebased advocate or expert just like you?

None of us are immune to misinformation, no matter who we are and where our level of expertise lies. I’ve slipped up many times over the years. My cognitive traps are things like satire (I’m very literal), I’ve misread intent and even failed to check background or context. I don’t think I’m alone in all this. We can all get tripped up by misplaced ideology and even carelessness. And let’s face it, we will get called out on it. Twitter never forgets and it rarely forgives.

But let’s step back a bit. Are you dealing with misinformation, or is it disinformation? There is a difference.

Misinformation is referred to as inaccurate or incomplete information. Misinformation can mislead (Fallis 2009) through:

• An honest mistake • Negligence • Unconscious bias

Disinformation is qualitatively different, though. Disinformation is defined in the literature as “a product of a carefully planned and technically sophisticated deceit process,” (Fallis 2009). Disinformation comes with intended or expected outcomes — anything from attracting “likes” and “shares” to outright ban of targeted products or technologies. Disinformation is a product with a market (Ryan et al 2019).

The main difference

between misinformation and disinformation

is intent. But the two are

inextricably intertwined. Purposeful distribution of disinformation can lead to the spread of misinformation. Misinformation can, in turn, inform disinformation through deliberative strategies that leverage the gaps in our understanding of products, technologies or ideas.

As humans, we are motivated or incentivized by a variety of competing factors. Branding is a big one. If someone’s primary objective in posting, sharing, tweeting or otherwise is branding or brand-building, it is easy to fall into a trap of leaning towards and sharing more inflammatory information. Inflammatory information drives attention, but it could also be purposefully sensationalized, and, it can be misleading.