Thanksgiving Prices, Iranian Pistachio Recalls, and the Future of "Story" Beef with guest Bryce Lobreau of 8 Acres

In this lively new episode of The Food Professor Podcast, Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois dive into the latest food, retail, and agriculture headlines before sitting down with a fascinating guest: Bryce Lobreau, Co-Founder of 8 Acres, one of Canada’s most innovative organic and grass-fed beef brands.

The episode begins with a timely look at Canadians’ Thanksgiving dinner costs for 2025. Sylvain shares the results of his annual food price survey, which shows some rare good news: overall holiday meal costs are essentially flat compared to last year, with turkey and fresh produce slightly cheaper. However, canned items like cranberries and pumpkin pie fillings are more expensive due to tariffs on aluminum packaging. The hosts debate changing consumer choices at Thanksgiving, including a move toward lamb and premium proteins.

From there, Michael and Sylvain analyze the broader North American food landscape. They unpack the impact of a potential U.S. government shutdown on Canadian agriculture, food inspections, and border trade. The duo also explore the ongoing pistachio recall tied to salmonella contamination, with Sylvain warning consumers to toss any pistachio products they may still have at home. Dairy access in trade negotiations between Canada and the U.S. also comes under scrutiny, with Sylvain highlighting the structural problems in Canada’s supply management system. Other hot topics include soybean market disruptions caused by Chinese buying patterns, Canada Post strikes affecting grocery flyers, wildfire impacts on crop yields, and the surprising growth of sushi sales in North American grocery stores.

The second half of the show features an in-depth conversation with Bryce Lobreau of 8 Acres. Bryce shares his journey as a third-generation Manitoba farmer who pivoted into organic cattle ranching to survive tough agricultural markets. He and his business partner, Ben Stewart, have built 8Acres into a pioneering national brand, raising over 3,000 head of cattle across certified organic and grass-fed programs. Bryce explains the challenges of scaling in today’s cattle market, from soaring calf prices to attracting new ranchers to transition into organics.

Listeners will also hear how 8Acres is embracing regenerative agriculture practices, integrating livestock into cropping systems, extending grazing periods, and even experimenting with live-stream farm cameras to build transparency with consumers. Bryce candidly discusses “farmer guilt” around pricing, the importance of branding in Canada’s protein sector, and his vision of making organic and grass-fed beef mainstream in Canadian grocery stores over the next decade.

 

Here is the link to buy Sylvain's great Poutine Nation:

https://utpdistribution.com/9781487541781/poutine-nation/

 

About Us

Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.

Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. 

He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. 

Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries.

With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues.

 Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast.  He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.