by Patricia Grotenhuis, lifelong farmer and agricultural advocate

Hunger relief efforts by the Canadian Foodgrains Bank have been given a big boost by a group of farmers, who set a world record in the process.

Although there were several date changes due to the weather forecast, on October 5, 115 farmers combined a 160 acre soybean field simultaneously in Perth County, Ontario in an event called “Harvest 4 Hunger”.  The crop was harvested in 11 minutes and 43.9 seconds, according to the release sent by the organizers.  Although it was not fast enough to beat a Manitoba wheat harvest record as the fastest harvest ever, it was a great effort.

More importantly, though, it raised approximately $250,000 for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank to use towards fighting hunger around the world, exceeding the $200,000 goal set by event organizers.

Following the harvest, an auction was held to sell the soybeans.  The release also states the first bushel sold to the public brought $1000, and the first two lots of 1,600 bushels sold for $36 per bushel to the grain trade, which is well above market value.  It is estimated the yield was 8,000 bushels.

In addition to the crowd of approximately 3,000 people who watched the event, there were also two fixed wing aircraft, three helicopters and many video cameras documenting the harvest. 

Once the final weights of grain are known, organizers will have a more accurate total for the amount of money raised.  On the day of the event, lunch was available by donation to the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, and the public can “donate a bushel” for $20 on the Canadian Foodgrains Bank website. 

The link for the website is: https://secure.peaceworks.ca/cfgb/donate/donation_make_form?notes=Donate%20a%20Bushel to donate a bushel.

Canadian Foodgrains Bank is a partnership of Christian churches and Christian-based agencies.  It is active in hunger relief efforts in developing countries.

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Posted by FFC on October 12th, 2011 :: Filed under Canada,Consumers,Education and public awareness,Farm life,Feeding the world,Food,Media,Sustainability of the family farm
Tags :: education, Farmers, food, technology

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By Leslie Ballentine, Farm and food commentator

The local fair means more than just Ferris Wheels and Beaver Tails- they are also the chance for neighbour to meet neighbour and city to meet country.  They are a part of our national heritage and culture. Fairs have been organized in Canada by local Agricultural Societies for more than a century. Though fairs (and farms) do look different than they did 100 years ago, they continue to serve many of the same purposes.

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Posted by FFC on September 26th, 2011 :: Filed under Consumers,Education and public awareness,Food,Rodeos
Tags :: agriculture, Canada, Consumers, education

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by Patricia Grotenhuis, Lifelong farmer and agricultural advocate

When talking about global food production and global food requirements, calories are often used as the unit of measurement.  You may hear statements such as “there are enough calories produced to feed the entire world”.
How are those calories distributed, though?  On average, North Americans eat more calories than they require…a lot more.  In other countries, people eat a lot less than their body requires, which leads to hunger problems.  Even if they were distributed equally across all countries, simply looking at calories is not enough to gauge whether or not people will be getting what they need from food.

Malnourished used to be used strictly to refer to people who were going hungry, but now, it can also be applied to people who always have enough to eat.  Why?  It is all in the calories we consume.  If a person eats prepared foods or fast food on a regular basis, they may obtain an entire day’s worth of calories in one meal!  If just calories are considered, it looks as if they are doing quite well.  If you start looking at the rest of the Nutrition Facts labels for the food they ate, you will see a very different story.  None of the other nutrients are being consumed in the proper ratios.  Fat, sodium, carbohydrates and sugars are often high, while fibre, vitamins and minerals are low.

As consumers, we have to start educating ourselves on how to read the nutrition information on our food labels and learn how to make healthier choices.  Talk to a registered dietician or your doctor about making simple changes in your eating habits to stay healthy.

It is a hard adjustment to make.  I have been trying for years, especially since becoming a mom.  Even though I know how my family should be eating, I find myself longing for those chocolates or, the odd time, picking up prepared foods because they seem so fast.  Our society is so dependent on these prepared foods that it can seem impossible to cut them out completely.

If we are going to improve our health and combat malnutrition, we have to find ways to make the necessary dietary changes, though.  It could be as simple as not walking down the junk food aisle at the grocery store so you will not be tempted to buy any, or replacing your regular afternoon snack with some fruit and yogurt, but we have to start somewhere.

While looking for good, wholesome foods, reach out to the farmers in your area.  No one can tell you better about what is in the food you are buying than the person who raised the crops and animals.  Take advantage of local food maps, farmers’ markets, and on-farm stores to begin fighting malnutrition.  You might just find a new favourite food or learn about agricultural practices in the process!

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Posted by FFC on August 19th, 2011 :: Filed under Feeding the world
Tags :: Consumers, education, food

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We think this Canadian student’s passion for farming and his willingness to talk openly to others is an inspiration. In the last few months, he has spoken to hundreds of students at a Woodstock-area high school about food and farming. Keep reading to hear Rudi’s story.

by Patricia Grotenhuis, Lifelong farmer and agricultural advocate.

When Rudi Spruit attended a recent conference of the Junior Farmers’ Association of Ontario and saw a presentation about the misinformation consumers have about agriculture and food, he knew he wanted to do something to help spread the right information. “There are lots of misconceptions. Even teachers have some. I try to encourage others to learn,” says Spruit, a young farmer from Ontario.

What has evolved from an idea formed in March has turned into a 50 minute presentation made to various classes at Spruit’s school. So far, Spruit estimates he has presented to 300 students from his 850 student school. Spruit says there are a total of between 20 and 25 farmers attending the school.

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Posted by FFC on June 6th, 2011 :: Filed under Canada,Dairy cattle,Education and public awareness,Misconceptions,Pigs,Speaking out,Urban Myths
Tags :: Canada, Consumers, education, Farmers, misconceptions

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By Patricia Grotenhuis, lifelong farmer and agricultural advocate

A great man in agricultural education was given a much-deserved recognition by the Ontario Farm Animal Council at its annual general meeting on April 5.

Fred Cahill, owner of the Texas Longhorn Ranch and known to countless people simply as “Cowboy Fred” has joined an elite group of agricultural enthusiasts who have received the “Friend of OFAC” award over the last 12 years. 

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Posted by FFC on April 6th, 2011 :: Filed under Beef cattle,Canada,Education and public awareness,Farm life,Horses
Tags :: agriculture, animals, cattle, Consumers, education, farm tours, Farmers

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By Leslie Ballentine, Farming and food commentator

My teenager spends countless hours on Facebook and YouTube. Apparently she isn’t alone. YouTube has announced that its users have uploaded more than 13 million hours of video content to its servers in the last 12 months, resulting in more than 700 billion YouTube video views. I am sure my daughter has been a big contributor to those stats. But apparently so have farmers and ranchers. 

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Posted by FFC on March 10th, 2011 :: Filed under Consumers,Education and public awareness,Farm life,Innovation and technology
Tags :: Consumers, education, farm tours

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By Leslie Ballentine, Farming and food commentator

Just as livestock munching predators, such as coyotes and bears, pose a serious threat to livestock, farmers are under attack by much smaller animals too:  Rats and mice. I recently read a report by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs which estimates that a colony of 100 rats will eat more than a tonne of feed in a year. That much feed costs farmers about $285, or enough to feed four pigs to market weight.  And the Ministry factsheet says one pair of rats and their offspring can produce 20 million (yes million) young in three years, mice reproduce even faster. 

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Posted by FFC on March 2nd, 2011 :: Filed under Animal health,Education and public awareness,Farm life,Food safety
Tags :: agriculture, animals, education, Farmers, food safety

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By Leslie Ballentine, Farming and food commentator

The concept of sustainability has raised a flurry of definitions, expectations and actions in recent years. The difficulty is that the definition is often determined by whoever does the defining. “Sustainable agriculture” has been a long time tenet of food producers. Retailers and foodies and special interest groups of all strips are now attaching new attributes to “sustainable food”. The result, unfortunately, is that “sustainable agriculture” doesn’t always mesh with “sustainable food”.

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Posted by FFC on February 23rd, 2011 :: Filed under Consumers,Feeding the world,Organics
Tags :: agriculture, education, misconceptions, sustainability

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BC egg farmers care for the right reasons. There is more to caring for hens than meets the eye.

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Posted by BCFACC on October 16th, 2009 :: Filed under Animal health,Education and public awareness,eggs,Poultry
Tags :: animal care, chicken, education, eggs, Farmers, free range, Poultry

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Fairview Post
Posted By Chris Zwick
November 12, 2008

Livestock haulers and handlers across the country will soon require certification to transport livestock, but luckily enough the Fairview college campus is offering a one-day Certified Livestock Transport training program on Nov. 15.

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Posted by FFC on July 21st, 2009 :: Filed under Regulations,Transportation
Tags :: animal care, education, livestock, regulation, Transportation

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