foodsources
By Scott Maier catch the bug , eat crickets !
How a Manitoba farm is harvesting the future ' s most unsuspecting crop .
Ryan Steppler never dreamed of becoming a farmer . In fact , if you told him 10 years ago , he would quit his job as a school teacher to return to the barn , he would call you crazy . However , a seed of interest in an off-beat farming practice sprouted an obsessive hobby and flipped Ryan ’ s world upside down . Seven years later , that obsession has evolved into is a full-fledged agri-business and professional career . The best part : Steppler ’ s new farm gig requires no sprawling pastures , heavy machinery or harsh chemicals . Ryan ’ s back in the farming biz – this time , with bugs .
Entomophagy , the practice of eating insects , may sound off-putting , but this age-old custom dates back thousands of years . Millions in Asia , Africa and Latin America eat bugs and even the Ancient Romans and Greeks cite slurping up beetle larvae and enjoying it . Still , eating insects is not the norm in North America , even for early adopters eager to taste test the next culinary trend . Eating bugs wasn ’ t on the radar for most until a 2013 report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations - on the viability of edible insects to help curb world hunger - fuelled interest across the globe .
The question is whether edible , slightly nutty , nutritionally dense , ultra-sustainable insects can convert the most squeamish eater ? To date , it has been enough to convert Ryan and Lesley Steppler ’ s growing fanbase of insect groupies , who are throwing back bugs for its benefits . What is the crunchy snack creating a buzz in Manitoba ? Crickets !
Prairie Cricket Farms , the privately-owned and
family operated venture in small-town Miami , started with a dose of fatherly advice . “ Back in 2015 , my dad mentioned to me that crickets were going to be the new future food ” owner Ryan Steppler explains . The simple statement from Ryan ’ s father sparked a deep dive into crickets , where Ryan discovered what his father meant : the unassuming arthropod is not only a holy grail source of nutrients , but also an incredibly sustainable food source easy on the environment .
This was enough to pique Ryan ’ s interest , who then ordered two hundred tropical house crickets to his front door . When Ryan ’ s wife , Lesley cracked open the box , business quite literally sprang into action . The couple hasn ’ t looked back since .
Two hundred crickets turned to millions , now housed in Prairie Cricket Farms ’ 40x40 foot barn . You won ’ t find stacks of hay bales inside though . This modern shed is filled with crates of crickets at different life cycle stages . Temperature and humidity of the space must be monitored , but overall , insects don ’ t need much to thrive - a mere fraction of the feed , water and land required to raise animals . The best part ? This protein source releases virtually no greenhouse gasses and ammonia . “ Because crickets are cold-blooded , they don ’ t need to convert energy to heat their bodies , 100 % of their energy is used to build protein ,” Ryan explains .
Crickets are 63 % protein , a concentrated dose that makes Prairie Cricket Farms ’ cricket powder a best-seller . A remarkable 12 grams of protein is delivered in every 2.5 tablespoons . Zinc , manganese , and a high levels of vitamin B12 , the nutrient which
18 ciao ! / summer / two thousand twenty-three