Stories From a Farmer's Daughter

I'm confused...

2011-06-17T11:29:00.000-07:00

I was disheartened today when I read another supply management bashing story written by the Globe and Mail. Seriously, who over at the Globe and Mail has it in for the dairy industry.

What I'm most confused about, besides the entire article, are the comments after from consumers. They, like the Globe and Mail, bash the supply management system. What I'm most confused about is that one minute, consumers want safe, local food. In the last few years, the local food movement has totally taken off and is reflected in how we now see food marketed to us as consumers. But then, the next minute, people who are making comments on the article, say that consumers should buy dairy products from the States and other countries so they can buy it cheaply?

I'm confused consumers.

Supply management essentially helps to keep safe milk here in Canada, and allows for "local food" or in this case, "local milk" from only Canadian farms to be served only to Canadians. And hint: Health Canada bans hormones like BST or BGH (Bovine Growth Hormones) so Canadian milk is hormone-free and second to none in terms of quality and safeness.

Why are consumers so quick to jump over supply management in the dairy industry?While free trade is great, supply management seems to work for our dairy producers and provide our Canadian dairy farmer's with a steady income and reliable milk cheque each month. Is that too much for them to ask? As a 9-5'er myself, I certainly love the feeling of knowing what my income will be each month. Who doesn't like that feeling? Can we blame our dairy farmer's for appreciating the security and stability that supply management provides, in addition to many other benefits?

While I realize there are flaws and downsides to supply management, we have to remember that no system is perfect. So while there are many SM bashers out there who continue to curse the SM system, it seems to work for our dairy farmers in Canada. What's the saying- "To each his own?" Does every agricultural industry in Canada have to operate the same way? No. So leave SM alone.

Consumers, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this! Do you want safe, local food but have to pay a little more for it? Or do you want products from other countries that don't have the same standards as Canada, just to save a few extra bucks?

Speak up and share your thoughts!!!

Are you following me on Twitter yet?

2011-06-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

Follow me at @Country__Girl

Happy Monday!

Finding humour in agriculture...

2011-06-09T18:30:00.000-07:00

I always enjoy when people can use humour and associate it with agriculture. Let's be honest, there is so much "serious" content out there that when a funny blog post or article comes along, I love getting a good chuckle.

This video below is especially funny and cute because I had the same aspirations as a girl growing up. I always wanted a horse so bad, but never thought of going to these great lengths to fulfill my dream when my dad didn't get me a pony. Good for this girl for training this animal to a) be comfortable with her on its back but b) for learning how to clear the jumps!

I can't say this ~~horse~~ cow will be making her way to the Olympics anytime soon though- she looks like she's having trouble barely clearing those small jumps left alone jumps that are four or five feet high!

Hope you get a chuckle like I did :)

*Video credit is due to Allison over at Cultivating Words, where I first saw this video.

Just another reason to eat local...

2011-06-08T07:40:00.000-07:00

With the recent news of a mutant e-coli bug that has killed 18 people in Europe and recently, 3 people in the U.S., to me, this is just another reason for consumers to eat locally.

While the source of this e-coli strain has yet to be determined (they thought it was beansprouts from Germany but this was been ruled out as of late), it was first believed to have been perhaps from cucumbers in Spain. This rumour was quickly squashed, but its scary to think they still don't know where the strain evolved from, or from what, and where.
For me, this raises alarm bells with eating anything from other countries. While we all eat food or food by-products from other countries (whether we know it or not) or choose too by eating things like bananas, oranges and other fruits/veggies that can't be produced in Canada, this is a just another reason, on top of the 6,732,258,203 reasons why we as consumers, should continue to eat local!

By eating local, you know exactly where your food is coming from, and if something like a sickess like this were to occur, you would know the exact cause of it and what farm to speak too. Canadian food is of the highest quality and safety standards, so you can be assured that when you eat Canadian food, it is the best food.

I think we take for granted as Canadians that we have one of the best food supply systems IN THE WORLD! While a strain like this foreign e-coli strain is devastating and heartbreaking to the people who have lost loved ones to his unknown bug, there is something positive to come out of this. Be thankful for the food that you eat as a Canadian.

[Photo Credit]

Putting your neck on the line...

2011-06-07T18:30:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard the saying "I'm putting my neck on the line" or variations such as "my head is on the chopping block?"

[Photo Credit]

Just a few days ago, I did just this, by submitting a Letter to the Editor to a provincially-read agricultural newspaper and as luck would have it, it got published.

Its crazy to actually see your thoughts printed in on paper. I don't regret writing the letter as I feel very strongly about what I said within the letter. Once I saw it though in print, it made me realize that by writing and putting my thoughts to paper, you are putting myself out there. Literally. I could potentially be setting myself up for possible rebuttals/negative comments from people who are complete strangers. They may judge me on my thoughts and opinions and how I view agricultural issues. Perhaps people will totally disagree with me. What if they thought my letter was horribly written?

Irregardless, I have to be proud of myself. I wrote what I believe a lot of people were thinking on the controversial issue. I wrote as a passionate and concerned agricultural advocate. You can't knock a person for that. I couldn't help but think of the page last week that stood up in the House of Commons with a "Stop Harper" sign. She put herself out there- whether it was right or wrong- whether people agree or not- you have to give her credit for taking a stance. And as it turns out, the job offers are rolling in for this newly-fired House of Commons "rebel." Good for her.

We must not forget that we elect the people who make a majority of the decisions in our provinces and country, and that, we the people, ultimately have a say in how we want things run. Some of the most successful people in the world put their "necks on the line" and it paid off. So now I don't feel as bad anymore. I shouldn't be ashamed of saying my piece, hopefully gaining a few fans along the way, and maybe even ruffling a few feathers too.

To those who are reading this- speak up and have your say. Especially in the agricultural industry where we need strong voices that will protect our farmer's rights... we need your voice! People won't always agree with you, but they can't knock you for having the confidence to speak up to try and evoke change!

[Photo Credit]

Characteristics of a farming family during summer/cropping season

2011-06-06T16:35:00.000-07:00

*For those of you from a farming family, you may be able to relate to some of these and some of these characteristics are perhaps are only applicable to my family..

There are no such things as holidays or vacations. I don't know about you, but whenever our family even attempted to take a vacation (even a mere two hours away) something always broke, leaving us to pack up as a family and head home. Early. Not fun as a kid.
The chance you have a "quiet moment" you need to slip away quickly. Because if you don't, someone will always find something else for you to do. "Quiet time" in the summer to yourself on the farm is non-existent.
Meals during cropping season on our farm always included something made from beef, BBQ'd, with a coke and a slice of watermelon. No word of a lie, I think I've eaten this meal probably every weekend for years. This seems to be our "staple" meal during summer and cropping season and something that no one really seems to get tired of. Or at least, no one has complained about it yet. They probably know that if they complain, they won't have anything else to eat.
Cellphone bills are astronomical. When everyone is out cropping, driving tractors in every which direction, and people are delivering more seed or lunches, etc... cellphones are a must. We often talk about how my family farmed in the days before cellphones. You mean, you had to plan everything in advance???????!!! That is such a foreign concept!
Time means nothing. Clocks are non-existent whenever its nice out. When we know its going to be nice out, time is of the essence so just because its 5:00, does not mean its time to shut things down.
Weather Network is our best friend. If we've cut 300 acres of hay down, and the weather man is wrong and it rains on our hay the next day, you better watch out weather man because my family is coming for ya!
Don't expect us to answer the phone but if your the machinery guy when a part has broken, YOU better answer the phone! Sorry if you have called us before during the summer months and we haven't answered our phone. During cropping there is literally no one inside to answer the phones and if we are inside, its by chance for a second before we run back out to continue doing whatever it is we were doing. BUT, in the odd chance that a part has broken on the corn planter or any other piece of machinery or tractor, the machinery man/dealer better be on the other end of the line! I know, we're hypocrites.

Happy harvest to those farmers out there working to get crops in and get first cut hay done :)

My unusal upbringing

2011-06-03T16:22:00.000-07:00

I like to think I'm different. Different because I was born and raised by a farmer. For those of you who are "farming brats" like me, you will be able to relate to the following post. For those reading this who aren't as familiar with the farm life, perhaps this blog post will offer a glimpse into what a "relaxing" summer is like for a Farmer's Daughter or a farming family.

The only reason why I thought of this post is because I called home the other night and was quickly given the run-down of the "hectic" week that my family had trying to get first cut hay done. I can't help but feel guilty now that I am working off the farm, to call home at night and hear about the farm adventures that have taken place the past week- adventures both good and bad. Cows calve, some machinery breaks, farm tours happen (on whim) and some days are spent in the fields or barn from five in the morning till' midnight.

As I write this least, I feel even more guilty for not being able to be there on the farm while everyone is running around like a chicken with their heads cut-off as they run in every direction. But then I think of what I sacrificed as a kid growing up on the farm, and I don't feel as bad. There were nights where I couldn't go to the movies with my friends because I had to help with chores; coming home early from my friend's overnight slumber parties because I had to help with chores when the cropping was on; not having a single free weekend the entire summer because of either cropping or cattle shows. I can certainly say growing up, I never was "twiddling my thumbs" looking for something to do. It was more or less, where could I go and hide that no one could find me to ask them to help them with something else :)

But as bad as I make it sound, it really wasn't that bad at all. Being busy taught me an amazing way of life-- it kept my out of trouble and taught me that when the sun is shining, nothing else is more important than cropping! I've come to terms with what I use to think was my "wasted childhood." I realize that those important times on the farm, on weekends, late at night, during the summer with no holidays, during cropping season was a true blessing in disguise.

Make sure to check back next Monday to read the list I've compiled of "characteristics of a farming family during summer/cropping season...".

Speak up and be heard!

2011-06-01T20:57:00.000-07:00

Being an agvocate can be timely and somewhat challenging. Sometimes when your sharing your opinions on why farmers matter and why consumers should care, you get backlash that you weren’t expecting making for some challenging responses that you have to craft. And in order to stay on top of what is happening in the “ag news world,” you must always be constantly searching, finding, reading, and replying to stories on agriculture that need your attention which can be timely and consuming.

But after all the time you put in and challenges you overcome to get your opinion and point across, it all makes it worthwhile once the good word has spread and has hopefully resonated with at least one person.
Take for example, a recent Letter to the Editor that my family and I found in the April 2011 Better Farming magazine. Better Farming is an Ontario agricultural-focused magazine published every month.

Inside the first few pages of the April issue, was a letter which got my family pretty wound up. We had to remember though, that the writer of this letter, was a Grade 10 student from a school deep within the city limits ofTorontoand the surrounding area- Mississauga. The student was quick to point out “that farming has become too much of a business… is all about getting the job done the quickest and cheapest way rather than doing it the right way.” He also thought that animals are being treated “horrendously through unspeakably barbaric practices.” He talked about antibotics, pesticides and hormones and said farmers “are not nurtering and feeding the animals in the healthy way they are supposed to be.”

Now as a farm family who cares for their cows in the utmost conditions 24-7, my family and I were disappointed (but not surprised) that a child in the city thinks this about all farmers. Perhaps this student had one bad experience or more than likely, saw a television show or read an article from an American source that put farmers all under the same spotlight.

So, I got my laptop out, and started typing furiously away. And what was the end result? A well-written Letter to the Editor which I sent in that I was told, is going to be published in one of their upcoming issues. My only hopes, if no one else reads my Letter to the Editor, is that the student who wrote the inital Letter to the Editor, now reads my letter. In my letter, I offered for the student, and his class, to come visit my family’s dairy farm to see the TLC we provide for our cows each and every day, in the most humane way possible.
Here is an exert from my Letter to the Editor response:

If Jeff visited one of the many farms across Canada, he would quickly come to realize that farming is not all about “getting the job done the quickest and cheapest way,” rather, farmers put their blood, sweat, and tears into their everyday, 24/7 job. 98% of all farms in Canada are family owned and operated so as much as Jeff believes that our farming industry has become “big business,” I hope he realizes that behind each high-quality, safely grown product that he eats, there is the face of a family standing behind that product 100%.

I would certainly be willing to visit Jeff and his classmates to properly educate them on the TRUTHS of agriculture inCanadaif they would have me visit. In fact, if Jeff and his classmates wanted to make the trek toHastings, my family and I would certainly love to host his class for the day to show them how much hard work, time and passion we put into caring for our animals on our family dairy farm.

For all you agvocates out there, keep up the awesome work of spreading the good word! Even if your letters, blog posts, comments, Facebook updates or Tweets reaches only one person, that is one more person who knows about the good word of Agriculture!!!!!

Agriculture: A hot topic lately

2011-05-29T11:56:00.000-07:00

I am a strong supporter of discussing agriculture whether it be good or bad, positive or negative, or just to spark a debate. I think it’s really important discussing things like where food comes from, how animals are raised, and why consumers pay what they do which helps educate people on the Canadian agricultural industry. Farmers have always been criticized for not educating the public enough on their products, and large strides have been made in recent years to try to educate the consumer to ensure they understand where their food is coming from and appreciate the efforts of our Canadian farmers.

As an avid Globe and Mail reader, I can’t help but notice lately, that the Globe and Mail has been writing and featuring quite a few articles, editorials and open discussions on agriculture, which is great to see! What is hard to sometimes stomach though, are the somewhat skewed, one-sided articles which misinterpret facts or leave out important points that may lead the consumer to believe one thing, when in fact it’s completely not true. What has also been very disappointing, are the reader comments after some of these skewed articles. While some readers have defended Canadian farmers and brought forth valuable points and arguments that I would raise if I commented; it is still disheartening to view reader comments that are so not researched, so skewed and so not in touch with the current agricultural climate. What I find the most disappointing, are those consumers who say they want cheap products, at the expense of whoever while not caring where their food comes from, what conditions it is made under and who it does/does not support… all for the few savings of a buck or two.

Some can disagree with me on my observations. But as a dairy farmers daughter, I feel especially, like management systems in Canadian agriculture, like the supply management system, are being heavily scrutinized by Globe and Mail writers as of late. It’s as if they have an underlying political agenda to reap havoc on the supply management system by pointing out all the negatives about the system while forgetting to mention the positives of the supply management system and the positives to Canadian’s paying higher prices for their agricultural goods.

Did I miss the memo from the Globe and Mail this past month? Was it agricultural-awareness month? What is with all of these articles on agriculture, and more specifically, trying to discredit the Canadian agricultural industry in some way. Like I mentioned above, I am all for discussion on agriculture so hats off to the Globe and Mail for writing and featuring so many articles and open forum discussions on agriculture but please, let’s try and have a balanced approach with a few articles that highlight the positives of our agricultural industry and discuss the positive reasons why the Canadian agriculture is respected around the World!
For those of you who may not have had a chance to catch up on your Globe and Mail reading, the following are articles Globe and Mail has published in the past few weeks about agriculture:

The Hunger for more ambition in Canadian agriculture Nov. 26
For U.S. farmers, subsidies the best cash crop- Nov.25
Boardroom farmers: Some of the World’s biggest agricultural investors Nov.24
The Growing Problem: Canada slips from agricultural superpower status Nov. 23
New business model grows family farm into global player Nov.23
Canadian’s don’t know the price of milk Nov.23
What’s on your plate? Canada lags in tracing food for safety and profit Nov.22
Why Canadian agriculture is no longer a world leader Open discussion on Nov. 19
How Canadian dairy farmers milk Canada’s taxpayers Oct. 21

*Please note: For any stories above that are not linked, my blog wouldn’t allow me to link the articles. Please copy and paste the title of the article into Globe and Mail‘s search box at the top if you’d like to read the article.

Make sure to also stop back as I will be writing about one selective article listed above which I have a pretty strong opinion on and feel the Globe and Mail needs to hear from a farmers perspective. I will post a longer version of my letter to the editor that I’m sending into the Globe and Mail.

Sewing the seed...

2011-05-27T11:15:00.000-07:00

In tribute to my Stories From a Country Girl blog which I started in 2009, I have continued the legacy and branched out a bit. As much as I love my SFACG blog, and will continue to blog there, I wanted an outlet to share my thoughts and opinions on the agricultural industry alone.

Agriculture holds a special place in my heart because of the profound impact its had on my life. Growing up as a country girl and farmer's daughter, I learnt some of life's best lessons right on the farm. Hardwork and dirt don't scare me, and waking up before the rooster crows really isn't that hard to do. Thanks mom and dad for raising me on a farm!

After realizing the gap that exists between farmers and consumers, I've embarked on many different projects to help try and spread the good word of Agriculture. There is a reason why farmers are one of the most trusted occupations in Canada. To be able to turn a single seed, mixed with some dirt and water, into food that feeds the world is truly a magical talent that not everyone can say they can do.

This blog was created in hopes that by my one single voice, combined with the thousands of other agvocates out there, that we can help change the agricultural industry for the better. That by sharing simple stories of personal success or failure on the farm, sharing personal opinions and thoughts, sharing newsworthy stories, and debunking everyday myths that consumers have, that I may be able to educate or change the mind of even just one consumer.

Agriculture: Its the cornerstone of what our country was founded on. It was how our ancestors survived, and its what feeds us each and everyday.