The Whole Pig … And Nothing but the Pig

As Ontario pork producers, Martin and Teresa Van Raay have pledged an oath – to sell the pig, the whole pig, and nothing but the pig – by taking their already-successful pig farm and adding a new business approach by delivering whole, half, and quarter pigs to end customers. It is a unique concept that is gaining them recognition in the industry as recipients of two awards in 2011: the Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence, and the Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the South Huron County Chamber of Commerce. Read more

Revival on Rye

David Sax is a Toronto-born, Montreal-educated author who currently resides alongside the most successful delicatessens in New York. The number of delis in New York has been dwindling – numbering close to two thousand at its zenith in the 1930’s, decreasing to 150 in 1960, and currently home to only a few dozen – and Sax cannot believe that with outstanding food and rich history that they are experiencing such a downfall. Toronto also has seen a decline from several dozen delis twenty years ago to only six now. Unfortunately, like many family-run businesses in the shadow of corporate entities, delis are on the brink of extinction, shutting down at a rapid pace because of increasing rental prices and other operating costs. If the love of Jewish food could keep a business open, there would be no problems, but monetary constraints and slowing economy interfere. Sax set out to draw attention to his beloved restaurants with his book, Save the Deli: In Search of Perfect Pastrami, Crusty Rye, and the Heart of Jewish Delicatessen. Read more