KENSINGTON, P.E.I – Thanks to $6-million dollars of funding from the federal and provincial governments, a bio-refinery is set to be built in P.E.I.

The plant, which will create 19 new jobs and bring in around $5.4 million in farm receipts, will be operated by U.S.-based company Nature’s Crops International. It is expected that the facility will provide local farmers with new opportunities for rotating crops while also allowing them to introduce their products to the growing global markets for new food manufacturing as well as cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.

CHARLOTTETOWN — The provincial government has stepped in to support Cavendish Farms during a series of planned rolling shutdowns due to begin this week at its plants in Prince Edward Island and the States, according to P.E.I.’s Guardian newspaper.

The plan is to cut production to keep in line with the reduced demand for its frozen french fries. The paper reports that the province will dole out $630,000 to pay employees for two weeks as they are trained to work in other areas of the plant.

P.E.I – Some local coffee shop owners may have the folks at Starbucks to thank for a spike in business. According to a recent CBC News report, java joints in downtown Charlottetown have been drawing in more crowds since Starbucks took up residence in the town in September.

"It probably brought coffee consumers downtown that didn't come before, and they're just kind of in the area and they come and see us, too," Campbell Webster, owner of the local Timothy's franchise, told the CBC.

TORONTO – Last week’s Toronto Royal Winter Fair was the launching pad for a new Prince Edward Island culinary tourism promotion campaign that will see more than eight million potato bags inked (or tagged) with the slogan: “Pack Your Appetite for Prince Edward Island Potatoes.”

The P.E.I. Potato Board, together with the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Tourism, are sponsoring the drive, which will also include in-store promotions and advertising as well as the chance for two people — with the appropriate PIN number on their “Pack Your Appetite” potato sack — to win a trip for four to the Island, including airfare, accommodations, meals and culinary tourism experiences.