Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Anyone listen to the swinecast podcasts? One the other day featured a guy talking about all the stuff ready to hit the meat industry.

1. now meat takes too much water
2. meat takes too much energy
3. food in the US is too cheap
4. the US uses up too much of the worlds resources (this one's old)
5. we eat too much and we should be vegetarians
6. hsus is getting church's on board with their message
7. we are running out of water, energy and they'll probably find a way to say we're running out of sunlight.

Of course the solution is for us to grow more vegetables and have people give up in town jobs to work in the fields - I can see that happening - not. Maybe it's just a symtom of the type of leadership now and they'll be a significant backlash that stops it in it's tracks, but it feels like 'they' have more traction than ever.

It seems like everything we worked hard to achieve like food previously only available at a king's table know available to everyone cheaply is now a bad thing. Oh yeah, everyone is losing money producing pork and beef right now for these ungrateful consumers...


Does anyone else see it like this?

Views: 63

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

I hear yah loud and clear!
This past weekend a non-farmer who was touring our farm commented about how bad meat was due to the antibiotics and mistreatment. They want to buy organic produce and meat because their perception is that it is safer. A couple comments was "you do not let your children run in the field when you spray but you let them eat the produce that has been sprayed." Uhm - yeah! Then they carry on stating that there is so much chemical in the soil and within the produce... "You have no quams with feeding you children non-organic food?" Nope. I encourage it. "As long as it is Canadian." Then the lightbulbs started up again.
Yeah - there are some issues about meat and non-organic foods but with all the regulations we have in this country I do not see why we would be concerned about perceptions from activist groups in other countries. It is similar to the "food scare" last year that had some consumers fired up. Did anyone see empty store shelves in Canada? Did anyone go hungry because the food was not there in Canada?
We are not running out of water or energy - other countries are. Hence the reason they are buying our water.
Not saying we should stand in the hot shower for 30 minutes....
Hi Wayne: Consumers think that way because mass media is giving them some info like in Food Inc....

I have not had the chance to see the following movie but here is the trailer and a review from one of our western Canadian farmers from our Agri-ville.com website....


DaretoDiffer Said
"The movie/documentary had some points, especially about Monsanto but all of its puffed up pious outrage didn't go anywhere and I was wanting to respond often with "And your point is .....? The guy from the American Corn Growers who popped up a lot in the film, seemed to be in the employ of the anti-farm business theme of the piece. With friends like this, who needs the urban commentators. And Eric Schlosser the main commentator and author of Fast Food Nation, is not a journalist but an author/commentator with an axe to grind. A real poster boy for PETA. "


The issue is that it is easy to sensationalize our food because consumers do think it is important to them...

Agriculture needs to realize that it has to tell it's side of the story. Groups like AgCare and OFAC are doing the best they can to get the message out but really don't have the budgets of Hollywood or Time.

Big challenges,

Joe
You are correct Joe. When we have a choice between organic, local, imported (whether it is labelled is another story), natural, sugar free, fat free, cholesterol free... instead of the choice between food or no food, we obviously do not have a food shortage. It is easy to "sensationalize" because of this. It was mentioned on Thursday (Aug 27) about Babe the movie and Bambi - makes a person not eat meat.

Reply to Discussion

RSS

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

New Crisis Line Launches to Support Mental Health for Canadian Farmers

The Canadian Centre for Agricultural Wellbeing (CCAW) has launched the National Farmer Wellness Network (NFWN) Crisis Line, providing tailored mental health support for Canada’s farmers, farm families, and agricultural workers. Backed by a $1.5 million investment over three years from Farm Credit Canada (FCC), this initiative aims to provide accessible, culturally informed, and confidential crisis services to farmers across the country, according to a press release. The crisis line can be reached at 1-866-FARMS01 (1-866-327-6701). “The National Farmer Wellness Network ensures farmers have access to vital, farm-tailored mental health support,” says Dr. Briana Hagen, Chief Executive Officer and Lead Scientist at CCAW. “With FCC’s backing, it tackles industry-specific stressors and strengthens resilience in Canada’s agricultural communities.” Farming is arguably one of the most demanding professions, where the pressures of maintaining productivity and profitability can weigh heavily o

U.S. Tariffs on Canadian Grain Will Cost American Families, Says GGC

The U.S. administration’s decision to impose a 25% tariff on Canadian grain and grain products, set to take effect tomorrow, will drive up the cost of essential food staples for American families, warns Grain Growers of Canada (GGC). “This isn’t just a tariff on Canadian farmers—it’s a tax on every American family purchasing loaf of bread, oatmeal, canola oil, and other food staples at the grocery store,” said Kyle Larkin, Executive Director of GGC. “A 25% tariff is, in effect, a 25% tax on American consumers,” he added. The United States imports over $17 billion worth of Canadian grain and grain products every year to meet domestic demand. These imports include wheat for bread, durum for pasta, oats for food products, canola for oil and biofuels, barley for feed and brewing, and other grain and grain products for widespread usage. As of 2023, Canadian wheat exports to the U.S. totaled over $1 billion, oats reached $580 million, barley accounted for over $200 million, and canola exp

U.S. Tariffs on Canadian Cereals Will Hurt North American Consumers

The United States (U.S.) administration’s decision to impose a 25 percent tariff on Canadian cereals imports, will sever cross-border supply chains and damage the long-standing relationship between the U.S. and Canada, warns Cereals Canada. The national value chain organization is raising alarms about the severe economic impact that the tariffs will have on the Canadian agriculture sector and the national economy. The U.S. is Canada’s sixth largest market for non-durum wheat, fourth largest market for durum wheat, second largest market for barley, and largest market for oats. “The implementation of significant tariffs on Canadian cereal grains and ingredients will drastically impact their availability in North America, leading to increased costs for food processors, lower returns for farmers, and higher grocery bills for American families,” said Dean Dias, chief executive officer of Cereals Canada. “Our team is working with governments and stakeholders on both sides of the border to

Fertilizer Canada is deeply concerned by the announcement of tariffs from the U.S. and Canadian governments impacting North American fertilizer trade.

Fertilizer Canada is deeply concerned by the announcement of tariffs from the U.S. and Canadian governments impacting North American fertilizer trade.

China’s Population Decline Hits Agricultural Markets

The ongoing decline in China’s population is emerging as a significant yet underreported factor impacting the global agricultural market, according to Ben Buckner, chief grains analyst for AgResource Co.  

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service