Since 2014, Emerging ag has been supporting the Prairie Oats Growers Association’s (POGA) engagement in Mexico by proudly hosting annual recipe contests, rewarding talented Mexican cooks for their exceptional oat-based creations. Over the years, we’ve been thrilled to receive more than 550 creative recipes, many of which are showcased on the website, Avena Canadiense. Each year, the enthusiasm and culinary brilliance displayed by participants continue to inspire us.
Introducing New Categories
This year we introduced new contest categories, which were met with tremendous excitement and participation. The five categories for the contest were:
Inspired by Mexican Cuisine
Vegetarian and Gluten-Free
Oats and Diabetes (inspired by our fruitful collaboration with the Mexican Diabetes Federation)
Creative
Oat Champions (giving past winners another chance to shine)
The response was overwhelming, with a diverse array of inspired recipes that made the selection process incredibly challenging for our panel of judges. The high quality and creativity of the submissions truly stood out.
Showcasing Our Winners
The 13 winners of this year’s contest will have their recipes professionally photographed and promoted across the platforms we have setup for POGA, including the Avena Canadiense website, Instagram, YouTube, and the Facebook page, which boasts over 430,000 followers and up to 2.5 million impressions per month. This exposure is not only a reward for our winners but also a source of culinary inspiration for our entire community.
One of the most exciting aspects of this contest is witnessing how oats are being seamlessly integrated into Mexican cuisine. The winning recipes beautifully blend traditional and contemporary culinary practices, and we are excited to share these innovative dishes with all of you.
Embracing Mexican Food Culture
We’ve always admired the rich and diverse food culture of Mexico, and it’s been heartening to see the enthusiastic adoption of oats, thanks to their numerous health benefits. After a decade of organizing this contest, we are more convinced than ever of the importance of these opportunities for engagement.
We extend our heartfelt appreciation to everyone who participated in the 10th Annual Recipe Contest. Special congratulations to the 13 winners for their extraordinary work. They are the ambassadors of Mexican cuisine and oats, showcasing their talent and creativity in developing new and healthy recipes. Viva Mexico!
Here is the list of winning recipes for 2024:
Category 1: Inspired by Mexican Cuisine
Nopal Huarache with Oat Picadillo
Low-fat Oat Cochinita Pibil
Chiles Rellenos with Dried Fruits
Category 2: Vegetarian and Gluten-Free
Oat and Aloe Vera Flower Patties in Pasilla Chili Sauce
Oat and Mushroom Longaniza
Gluten-free Brioche Ring filled with Cheese
Category 3: Oats and Diabetes
Fresh Tropical Aceviche on Baked Oat, Poblano Chili, and Cilantro Tostadas
Oat Flower Soup
Oat Meatballs
Category 4: Creative
Chicken Wings Breaded with Oat Flour and Spices, Drizzled in Mango and Habanero Chili Sauce
Crunchy Thai Salad
Yellow Molotes
Category 5: Oat Champions
Mexican Artisan Triflavored Ice Cream made with Oats, Cempasuchil, Red Mole, and Corn
We thank them for joining us on this delicious journey. We look forward to many more years of effective engagement through culinary creativity and healthy eating.
Sophie has joined the Emerging ag team in the role of Operations Manager, and focuses primarily on team logistics, scheduling and event planning.
A French national from a mixed background, Sophie holds a Master of Arts in International Cultural Exchange Strategies from the Institute of Political Sciences of Lyon, a BA in Legal Studies and Political Science from the Institute of Political Sciences of Rennes and a BA in History. Sophie speaks English and Spanish after living in North America for twelve years and studying in Mexico, she became proficient in German in the last 8 years working mostly in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. She currently lives in France.
We believe strongly in the power of collective insight and leadership in achieving our shared goals, and it is rewarding to see positive outcomes from our collaborations.
Please extend my gratitude to the entire team on your end for their hard work and dedication during this important period.
Meriem EL ASRAOUI OCP Group
Thank you for supporting our Nutrien team leading up to and during COP28. Your support was greatly appreciated and valued! This detailed summary of outcomes is also fantastic!
Lindsey Verhaeghe Nutrien
It has been an honour to attend and present in ACAT, thank you for the opportunity and for such excellent program and organization. Congratulations once more for such a great event!
Abdel Ismail Africa International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)
I was absolutely blown away by your dedication, organisation, and, not least, your energy!
Craig Hardie Longevity Development
I know that whatever you put your weight on, we the farmers always yield positive results.
Rose Akaki Uganda Farmers Federation
Robynne helped us immensely in our lobbying efforts with the federal government. She is strategic, organized, very well connected and delivered the results we were hoping for. A real pleasure to work with such an outstanding professional.
Rick White Canadian Canola Growers Association
Robynne and her team have done amazing work for POGA in an awareness campaign to include oat products in the diets of Mexican consumers. Their work with a website showing the latest oat recipes, and their work with the Mexican Diabetes Federation and Mexican Ministry of Health, has helped see major increase in oat exports to Mexico. Thank you!
Art Enns Prairie Oat Growers Association (POGA)
The entire EmergingAg Inc. team is composed of extremely focused and client-oriented professionals. The team’s industry acumen, attentiveness, and network is really top-notch and it is always a pleasure working with the team, even under timely, and often, complicated undertakings.