Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Thanks to the insistence of my wife, this past week was spent in the luxury of a Caribbean resort in Jamaica.  But credit to a day long excursion to an inland coffee plantation I returned home with more than a tan.  In our high quality of life society it is sometimes easy to overlook that we are the worlds wealthy and the vast majority of people in this world can only dream of the lifestyles Canada's lowest paid get to live.  The farmers I saw didn't get the option to own their land, or even the crop, but make a living from caring for the plants and the environment to gain income from the manual harvest of a wealthy mans plantation.  A people who keep the weeds back with a machete, and hand pick and process coffee beans.  Despite living in homes that are less substantial than a crumbling out building in Ontario, they were smiling and singing while going about there lives.  They work so that they may live to work yet another day, no mansion by the sea or Lexus in yard will ever cross these peoples lives.  By comparison, the Canadian farmer has it easy, but the difference is so significant a true comparison is just not possible.  I respectfully wish those farmers well, and though wealth is unlikely in their future, I hope the continued happiness from their labours will give them the deserved sense of accomplishment and success.  

Aside from reinforcing my belief that I live in the greatest country on earth and am truly fortunate,  it was my first trip abroad were Canadians outnumbered everyone, even the locals it seemed.  Introductions went from "So where are you from?" to "Where in Canada do you live?" - seriously.  So close to 3000km from home someone notices my Hyland seed cap and asks "are you a farmer?".  Well so where they, from London maybe 150km from my home.  A great conversation ensued with Chris and Ruth, where I gained a lot of insight into the dairy industry in Canada.  My opinion - Over regulated.  When was common sense completely lost in agricultural bureaucracy?  All one can do is shake your head.  But it was nice to chat with another fellow farmer from home, not a large operation and dependent on family and neighbours.  When I think about other industry, you would never hear about the CEO of Ford taking care of GM so the other guy could go on vacation, but on a farm, I find all the neighbours want to see each other succeed.  Sure there are always some who can't get along, but its more the exception.

It was also great to talk with fellow countrymen from Newfoundland to BC, and if those good folks from Regina do end up checking out my blog, big hello to Ross and Dianne.  

As aside note, I hope to keep this blog interesting and thank everyone who has been reading and I truly appreciate your feedback and comments, it makes it fun to take the time to right.

Views: 182

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

Comment by Roadrunner on February 11, 2012 at 5:00pm

Hi Gus,

Welcome back to Winter.

I agree that third world farmers have a tough life.

 

 

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

Upgraded AgriStability Supports

AgriStability: Helping Canadian Farmers Weather Tough Times Canada’s farmers work hard every day to put high-quality food on our tables and export it around the world. They follow strict standards, and their products go through rigorous inspections to ensure safety and quality. But lately, they’ve been facing some tough challenges, including new trade barriers with China. China recently imposed huge tariffs—100% on canola oil, canola meal, and peas, and 25% on certain pork, fish, and seafood products. This move hurts not just Canadian farmers but also businesses and consumers on both sides. It disrupts supply chains and raises prices, making it harder for people to access quality food. To help farmers through this rough patch, the federal government is strengthening AgriStability, a key support program under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP). AgriStability is there to protect farmers when their income takes a big hit—whether from crop loss, rising c

National Circle for Indigenous Agriculture and Food Partners with Tea Creek Training Inc. to Strengthen Indigenous Food Sovereignty

The National Circle for Indigenous Agriculture and Food (NCIAF) is  thrilled to announce a transformative partnership with Tea Creek Training Inc. (Tea Creek), an award-winning, Indigenous-led initiative dedicated to land-based food sovereignty and trades training. This collaboration, solidified through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), represents a significant step forward in revitalizing Indigenous food systems and empowering Indigenous communities across Canada.  Tea Creek’s culturally safe, land-based training programs are renowned for fostering Indigenous food sovereignty and economic independence—values that deeply aligned with NCIAF’s mission of advancing Indigenous agricultural practices. Together, the organizations aim to combine their strengths to make a lasting impact.  Key Objectives of the Partnership:  • Leverage Expertise: Combine NCIAF’s national reach and leadership in Indigenous agriculture with Tea Creek’s proven framework for land-based learning and skill  dev

It’s never too early or too late to start planning

A significant portion of Canada’s economy is powered by small and medium sized businesses. In fact, according to Statistics Canada, what are known as SMEs represent 98 per cent of all Canadian businesses and employ about two-thirds of the Canadian workforce.

Lynmark Farms named Master Breeder for 2025 by Canadian Milking Shorthorn Society

The Canadian Milking Shorthorn Society is excited to share that Lynmark Farms has been named as a Master Breeder herd for 2025.  Lynmark Farms, owned and operated by Tim Shearer and Irene Vietinghoff of Norwood, Ontario, is the third Milking Shorthorn herd to be recognized as Master Breeder since this honour was created in 2008.

CFA Statement on Imposition of Chinese Tariffs on Canadian Products

 The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) is deeply concerned with the decision of the Chinese Government to impose tariffs on Canadian canola oil and meal, peas, fish, seafood and pork products.

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service