Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

A recent London Free Press Letter to the Editor has basically backed up what I have been stating for the past few weeks during meetings regarding the state of agriculture in Ontario. The common theme at the meetings has been promotion of "Buy Local". This has been an effective program by the government with the changes of their Foodland Ontario guidelines and the Savour Ontario branding.
It appears as though both non-ag and agricultural people have the thought that promoting the consumer to buy local will save agriculture. My comment has been - so which hog (beef) producers are being asked to leave the industry? We export a lot of produce. In Huron County the majority of what we produce is exported to other counties, provinces, and countries (my soybeans go to Europe for example).
My other comment has been: Who is going to explain to the 1000 people in Huron County that have lost their jobs in the past nine months that they are going to have to pay more for food? Spread that comment across all counties in Ontario because Ontario has been hit particularly hard with the job losses in manufacturing.
So on one hand I may be viewed as Mr. Negativity but I like to look at the bigger picture from outside the box. How is our request going to impact the bottom line at the end of the day - for all producers, big and small, established and beginning?
The letter:
Local produce too costly
I am dreading the winter -- not because of the snow but because of the price and quality of produce.
I have used my gas to drive to rural areas and purchase produce from farmers. They need support. More times than not, I have found the quality lower and the price higher than my local grocer.
I went to a Garlic Festival this year, excited to buy fresh garlic. But not from China. They wanted $2 a clove! Where are we shipping the good stuff -- to China?
In the grocery store, there was a choice of yellow and red peppers from a local farmer for $4. Next to it, peppers from Mexico for much less.
I'm on a tight budget and can't buy vegetables that cost as much as the main course. The bad weather excuse can't be every year. Only the rich will be able to eat healthy soon.
Alexandria Books
London


That being said I think she brings up a more important question: "Only the rich will be able to eat healthy soon." I would add on to that - local or imported healthy food!
So how do we assist the people living in poverty to buy local healthy food?

Views: 67

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

I think this topics suffers from generalizations.

But that's O.K..; generalizations are so nice to deal in because they allow me to reply with an answer like - "by leaving the smokes and cases of pop in the store and instead spending that money on food"!
Buying local IS a good idea. For one thing, it's more nutritious when it's fresh, and has been picked at the peak of ripeness thereby retaining more nutrients. However, it is unreasonable to think we can ONLY buy local, that's not realistic. As for produce coming in from our trading partners, and being sold much less than our own Ontario product that is an easy one to answer. Canada has very high standards for food production. Many of our standards have been imposed by way of government rules and regulations to keep the people we feed healthy! For decades Farmers have absorbed the cost of keeping your food supply safe and healthy. It is very expensive to produce safe, healthy, nutritious food, and Farmers are NOT in a position to pass our costs along to the consumer. Now back to cheap food--many of our trading partners do NOT FOLLOW the same farming practices that Ontario Farmers ARE REQUIRED TO ADHERE TO. We must follow strict Human Rights rules: $9.50/hour, provide housing, heat, transportation, etc.; pesticide use in Ontario (contrary to popular belief) is very prohibitive both cost-wise and effective-wise; fertilizer continues to increase yearly; many of the Farmers I know use IPM (integrated pest management--scouts) so we reduce pesticide use considerably--this is not a free service. I could go on and on. So when you are comparing Mexican peppers to Ontario peppers, try to remember the worker who picked the Mexican peppers was only paid $4.00 for the entire day! Canadians have been grossly underpaying for their food for years. Perhaps that's why the average age of a Farmer is 57, and our children are not willing to continue this noble profession!!

Reply to Discussion

RSS

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Keith Kreps Appointed President of 21st Century Equipment

Scottsbluff, Neb. — 21st Century Equipment is proud to announce the appointment of Keith Kreps as President, effective July 1, 2025. Kreps steps into the role following five years as chief operating officer and brings more than two decades of executive leadership experience in the agriculture equipment industry.

Crop Outlook Improves Across Alberta, But Peace Region Remains Parched

Timely rains in June have brought some much-needed relief to Alberta’s crop producers, particularly in the Central, parts of the Southern, and North West regions. While conditions have improved significantly in recent weeks, it’s a mixed bag across the province — and farmers in the Peace Region are still waiting for a true turnaround. As of June 30, provincial crop conditions are sitting at 61% good to excellent. That’s a full 11-point jump from mid-June, though still trailing the 5- and 10-year averages by 8 and 6 points, respectively. Spring cereals are ahead of schedule, with most regions reporting progress that surpasses typical benchmarks. In the South, cereals are already heading out, while Central and North West areas are mostly at the boot stage. Broadleaf crops like canola, dry peas, lentils, and mustard are flowering earlier than normal across the board — a positive sign, but one that hinges on moisture availability through the critical reproductive stages. Surface moisture

Five Manitoba students awarded with scholarships from MCGA

Manitoba Canola Growers Association (MCGA) is proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 high school scholarship program, awarding five $1,000 scholarships to graduating students in Manitoba.  This year’s recipients are heading into a variety of academic paths, from nursing to engineering, but all share a strong connection to rural life and caring for the land. Whether headed to large universities or faith-based institutions, each student expressed a passion for contributing to their communities and pride in their agricultural roots.  The 2025 MCGA scholarship recipients are: Addison Bruce, Miami, MB: Bachelor of Science  Sarah Krahn, Rivers, MB: Pre-Nursing, Bachelor of Science  Addison Schmidt, Elm Creek, MB: Briercrest College and Seminary Makenna Sumner, Neepawa, MB: Bachelor of Science Trent Tomoniko, Franklin, MB: Bachelor of Science in Engineering “The talent and dedication we saw in this year’s applications were truly inspiring,” says Warren Ellis, Chair of MCGA. “These st

Crop Report for the Period July 1 to July 7, 2025

Growing conditions throughout Saskatchewan continue to vary. Rainfall and warm temperatures in some areas are allowing crops to progress nicely, while other areas continue to experience dry conditions which is stressing crops and leading to rapid development. There was less rainfall last week than the week prior, with the Hanley area receiving the most in the province with 44 millmetres (mm). The Serath area received the second highest rainfall with 33 mm, followed closely by the Lampman and Semans areas with 32 mm and 28 mm, respectively. Other areas received much needed rainfall, but producers are hoping for more in the coming weeks. Limited rainfall in many areas has caused soil moisture levels to drop since last week. Currently, provincial cropland topsoil moisture is 55 per cent adequate, 33 per cent short and 12 per cent very short. For hayland, topsoil moisture is 43 per cent adequate, 38 per cent short and 19 per cent very short. Finally, moisture levels in pasture topsoil is

Advancing monitoring and decision-making tools for wireworm in Alberta

Why is this research important for Alberta ag? Wireworm is a serious pest for many growers, particularly in the Prairies, where there are 3-4 dominant species. The damaging larvae live for several years in the soil, feed on multiple crops, and have patchy distributions. For these reasons, wireworm is difficult to monitor, and no economic thresholds are currently available. As new chemical seed treatments enter the marketplace, there is an obvious need for a decision-making framework for wireworm management to help producers with questions like if and when to invest in chemical seed treatments. Since wireworm is the primary reason that cereal seeds are treated with insecticides on the Prairies, the information gathered from this research can potentially reduce unnecessary pesticide use. This research will explore the possibility of using overhead imagery to detect wireworm damage patches, how damaged patches differ from undamaged areas, and methods and intensity of sampling needed to

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service