Unveiling the “real” dirt on Canadian farming
Curious about where our food comes from?
Wondering about hormones, antibiotics, GMOs and other things linked to modern agriculture?
Worried about environmental impacts of agriculture?
Looking to connect the dots between the food we eat and our health?
A new national publication promises the answers to all these questions and more as it tackles the issues head on and unveils the “real” dirt on Canadian farming – straight from Canada’s farmers.
The Real Dirt on Farming II – The People in Canadian Agriculture Answer your Questions is published by Farm & Food Care Ontario and looks at the facts and issues in Canadian food and farming from coast to coast. For example:
- Did you know that 98 per cent of Canada’s farms are still family owned and operated?
- A Canadian farmer who could only feed 10 people a century ago can now feed over 120 today
- Farmers are producing 300 per cent more food today than in 1950, but on less land and using fewer resources
This new edition is an update of the original book first published several years ago.
Over 100,000 copies are being distributed nation-wide this fall to politicians, schools, doctors’ offices, libraries and media.
Kim Sytsma says:
Lilian is right a factory farm means something different to different people.
In Ontario we tend to have smaller farms, and our large ones are own by families supporting more then one generation. That is why they became larger, scale of economy is what make them work. Because farmers in Canada must compete with the world market, they must make every dollar count. Right now today if I sold cattle, i would receive the same price i would have 10 years ago, yet my costs have gone up, (a lot in the last ten years,) to make the farm pay the bills, we have done many things different and we are still trying to do things different. It is very sad when the people who are growing the food to feed the nation can barely make ends meet. Yet I see it a lot in the beef and pork industry. Perhaps that is why in Ontario the beef herd has shrink 20% in 7 years and it is almost impossible to find Ont. beef in a grocery store.
I commend the publishers of the Real Dirt on Farming, there are NO Lies and No punches pulled in the little book with so much info. It was written by experts in farming,(Real Farmers) not by someone outside of the farming looking in, but, by people who are getting their hands dirty, going to the barn or fields everyday. Kudos to them! the real dirt on farming should be part of every schools curriculum.
Lilian says:
Hi Lynn – thanks for commenting. In your opinion, what is a factory farm? I’ve come to learn that this term means many different things to different people so I’m always curious to learn more.
Lilian
Lynn K says:
Family farms can still be factory farms.
john schneider says:
I love the stat “did you know that 98% of farms are still family owned and operated”. Did you know that large corporations can still be family owned and operated? Did you know that there are 50% fewer farms in 1975 than in 1940. How many are left now? I love how ‘stats’ can say anything you want them to. The fact that large corporate farms of 10’s of thousands of acres produce more food now is of no importance to me. In the process they contaminate our eco-system and poison our bodies…and that isn’t even touching on potential problems with GMO. Sigh.
Lilian says:
Hi Ian – thanks for posting. One of the things I love about agriculture in Canada is that we have choice. We are lucky enough to have farmers who can – and do – produce food for many different needs, wants and budgets. We clearly share a common love of food and interest in food production; thanks for reading and taking the time to comment.
Lilian
Ian Cowley says:
I downloaded this document because it spoke directly to what I am passionate about. Wow … what an incredible disappointment.
The opinions expressed in this document are exactly what is wrong with our broken agriculture model. It promotes more of the same and it does it with truth-bending, speculation, fabrication and downright dishonesty. The examples are too numerous to write here, but it’s obvious where the impetus for this propaganda arises – just check the list of sponsors.
Fortunately there is plenty of good, honest literature out there right now that debunks your document for what it really is. Lies and practices that are doomed to failure in the long run.
Feed your food to yourselves and your kids, along with the weekly news articles of the disease and contaminations your system causes. We won’t be going anywhere near it.