By Patricia Grotenhuis, Lifelong farmer and agricultural advocate
Christmas morning. The kids wake up early, rush downstairs, see the presents and stockings that appeared through the night and promptly…walk right past, bundle up and head for the barn. Okay, we may have stopped for a quick peek in our stocking and to read Santa’s note, but that was it. To farm kids, waiting to open presents is a way of life.
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Posted by FFC on December 20th, 2011 :: Filed under
Animal care,
Farm life,
Weather,
winterTags ::
animal care,
Christmas,
farm,
farm family,
Farmers
Farm kids are just a little different
By Patricia Grotenhuis, Lifelong farmer and agricultural advocate
Even though a farm kid looks the same as their non-farming classmates and friends, inside is a completely different story.
I have a nephew who lives in town. He’s just a few months older than my son. My nephew does spend a fair amount of time on the farm, but not enough to completely erase the differences. When the boys were younger, my nephew had started talking while my son had just a few words in his vocabulary. If you asked them what a cow said, my nephew would dutifully say “mooo”. My son had his own way of answering that question. He would tip his head back, push his lips out, and make a “mmmmmm” sound. It was very cute to watch him try to mimic the cows.
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Posted by FFC on December 13th, 2011 :: Filed under
Animal care,
Consumers,
Dairy cattle,
Family vs factory farming,
Farm lifeTags ::
animal care,
animals,
family,
farm,
Farmers
Guest blog, by: James Bosma, Dairy Farmer and Agriculture Advocate.
Factory versus Family farming has come to the forefront of discussion as of late. But what defines a family farm?
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Posted by FFC on November 14th, 2011 :: Filed under
Education and public awareness,
Family vs factory farming,
Sustainability of the family farmTags ::
agriculture,
Canada,
farm,
Farmers
By Patricia Grotenhuis, Lifelong farmer and agricultural advocate
Fall is a great time to be on the farm. The smells, the colours and the activity of harvest and preparing the seed bed for the winter make every day different.
After months of work, it is finally time to harvest the crops. The animals born during the winter and spring months are also either ready to be sold, or are strong and hardy for winter. Everyone waits expectantly for that first frost (now past) that signals the end of the growing season and the start of harvest. It also serves as a friendly reminder from Mother Nature to begin readying barns for winter.
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Posted by FFC on November 9th, 2011 :: Filed under
Animal care,
Canada,
Farm life,
Harvest,
Sustainability of the family farm,
Weather,
winterTags ::
agriculture,
animal care,
farm,
Farmers,
harvest,
weather
By Leslie Ballentine, Farming and food commentator
It isn’t only wealthy benefactors and government agencies that help with hunger relief. Farmers help in many ways too. On September 30 at 12 noon, Ontario farmers will jump on 100 combines on a Perth County farm to set a world record soybean harvest. Five farmers from the Listowel/Monktonarea have planted a 160-acre field of soybeans with a goal of harvesting all 10,000 bushels it in less than 10 minutes. Their hope is to raise $200,000 by auctioning the soybeans at the site right after the record-breaking attempt.
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Posted by FFC on September 20th, 2011 :: Filed under
Crops,
Faces of Farming,
Feeding the world,
FoodTags ::
agriculture,
farm,
Farmers,
Ontario
By Leslie Ballentine, Farming and food commentator
Post Traumatic Syndrome and grieving isn’t something we usually associate with farm animal tragedies. But for those who have been through a tragic loss of livestock or poultry, it is something very real. I know from personal experience- having run a farmer helpline in the early 1980’s, that emotional support is an important part of the rebuilding process.
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Posted by FFC on July 11th, 2011 :: Filed under
Activism,
Barn fires,
Farm life,
MediaTags ::
agriculture,
animal rights,
farm,
Farmers
By Leslie Ballentine, Farming and food commentator
Narrated by the late Paul Harvey, this Internet presentation is one that anyone involved with farming will likely identify with. It is an important message for the non farming audience as well as an appreciation of our farmers. Paul Harvey was “a friendly and familiar voice in the lives of millions of Americans,” according to commentators on his life. He is very familiar to me having spent my childhood summers in the U.S. Every weekday just before noon, his words of wisdom resonated over American radios. And even as a child I often stopped what I was doing to hear what he had to say. I was rarely disappointed.
It is unclear where this tribute first originated, but some believe Mr. Harvey first spoke these words at the 1978 National Future Farmers of America Convention. Thanks to Farms.com this Made-in-America tribute features Canadian farmers. Some who I know personally, and all of whom I am thankful for.
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Posted by FFC on June 27th, 2011 :: Filed under
Faces of Farming,
Farm lifeTags ::
agriculture,
Canada,
farm,
Farmers
Guest Blog by Jeanine Moyer
Jeanine was raised on a pig, beef cattle and crop farm in Ontario
Each seasonal change evokes an awakening of the senses. And nothing beats the arrival of spring and summer to make a person salivate over fresh spring greens and sweet berries. I never realized how lucky I was to grow up on a farm where we grew most of our own fruit and vegetables until I didn’t have a garden of my own to enjoy.
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Posted by FFC on June 8th, 2011 :: Filed under
Farm life,
spring,
Weather,
winterTags ::
Canada,
farm,
Farmers
by Patricia Grotenhuis, Lifelong farmer and agricultural advocate
Growing up, I always heard about the family vacations my friends were going on. Trips to Florida to escape the snow, flights to other parts of Canada or the world for a relaxing escape, and weekend getaways were talked about on a regular basis, but the conversations were always hard for me to join.
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Posted by FFC on May 31st, 2011 :: Filed under
Animal health,
Family vs factory farming,
Farm lifeTags ::
agriculture,
animal care,
animal welfare,
animals,
Canada,
farm,
Farmers
By Leslie Ballentine, Farming and food commentator
Many of us have air purifiers in our homes or workplaces. They seem to be a big seller in the city where I live. Well here’s a news flash. This technology is now moving to the barn.
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Posted by FFC on May 29th, 2011 :: Filed under
Animal care,
Animal health,
Housing,
Innovation and technologyTags ::
agriculture,
farm,
Farmers,
Housing
