|  The case of watermelons spontaneously exploding in Chinese fields made headlines recently. This coming weekend marks the annual Rural Romp in Wellington County – a county-wide food and farming open house of sorts. These two events are worlds apart, yet to me, they’re both part of the complex network our global food system has become.
Most Canadian farmers feel that agriculture is misunderstood and that the general public doesn’t “get” what they do. And they’re often a little amazed at how much people don’t know, especially about things that those of us in the food and farming world take for granted. How could they not know that oranges don’t grow in Canada, why we spray to control weeds and pests, and that there’s a season for sweet corn and peaches? My response to that is often the opposite – how could they possibly know when there’s little chance to learn? Continue reading People could use a little reconnecting to the farm  Here’s another guest blog I wrote for Canadian Beef Blog recently:
A cow is a cow is a cow, right? Not exactly. Yes, they’re all the same type of animal but there are many different breeds. For example, even though they’re both dogs, there aren’t a lot of similarities between a small white Bichon Frise and a large German Sheppard! The same principles apply to cattle. To complicate things further, did you know that different breeds are used for different things on the farm? Continue reading Cows of many colours Water testing has long been part and parcel of buying and selling agricultural properties. But knowing exactly what’s in your soil and well water is becoming increasingly important to safeguard both human health and property values. E.coli O157:H7 is one pathogen that can have serious human health implications but that many people don’t realize may be present in their rural environments. A campaign is now underway in Alberta to raise awareness and to encourage farmers, ranchers and rural homeowners to test their soil and water for the presence of this bacterium. Continue reading Testing key to knowing what’s in your water – and protecting your farm  Here’s a piece I wrote as a guest post for the Canadian Beef Blog.
Every day is Earth Day on the farm. This slogan has long been used by folks in agriculture to highlight how farming benefits the environment. The good news stories don’t get told is a common complaint I hear from the farmers and farm groups I work with. And that’s usually true. It’s the bad actors that make the headlines and get the column space – manure spills, pesticide overuse and water contamination feed the sensationalism machine much more voraciously than a wetland preserved, an erosion control implemented or a strip of trees planted. I’m not going to pretend that the bad things don’t happen. They unfortunately do, but luckily, they are the exception rather than the norm. Continue reading What you probably didn’t know is happening on our farms  Few relationships are more personal than the one we have with our food. We trust that what we eat will sustain us, nourish us and help keep us healthy.
In Canada, public trust in our food supply is high, a fact that’s been proven repeatedly in studies carried out by Ipsos Reid for AGCare and the Ontario Farm Animal Council (OFAC). But as increasingly fewer Canadians know how food is produced and where it comes from, those numbers won’t stay high forever. This means farmers need to become involved in the discussion about the future of farming and food production that is good for people, animals and the planet. Two food industry experts will discuss the whys and hows of building trust in Canada’s food system at the upcoming AGCare and OFAC annual meeting and speakers’ program. Continue reading The whys and hows of building trust in our food  Royal wedding fever is ramping up as we inch closer to the long-awaited nuptials of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
I remember watching the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer back in 1981…the sheer pomp and circumstance of it all was like a magical fairy tale to my six year old eyes! In Canada, of course, we have a special attachment to all things royal, given that the Queen is our head of state and her image graces our coins, bank notes and stamps. One local farm in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is getting in on the excitement too. Continue reading A royal jam  The winter blahs have well and truly set in, especially for those of us who can’t escape by heading south. Last week’s few short days of warmth and sunshine seemed to transform our drab winter world as people reawakened and remerged. Everyone was talking about the weather those few days — because that’s what we do as Canadians, we talk about the weather.
Continue reading Waxing about weather defines us
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