Consider This (https://consider-this.ca/tag/agriculture/)
Farming and related issues
The show:
The full interview with bonus material:
If you have ever spoken with a farmer, some don’t waste words. But what they do say is often on point. This is the case with former Northumberland Federation of Agriculture Sid Atkinson. Here is his response to agricultural mapping in the county after attending a public meeting in Campbellford earlier this week. Originally broadcast: July 1, 2022 Continue Reading →
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Ontario is losing 319 acres of farmland per day to urban sprawl. In 2021, the total amount saw a five per cent plunge. Northumberland County is trying to do something about this. County planner Dwayne Campbell will talk about efforts to preserve prime agricultural land. Plus, he will describe what can be done with some of the other lands that are not so great for farming. Continue Reading →
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Most people will pay nearly $1,000 more for their groceries in 2022. That is according to a recent study from Guelph University. That means an extra $20 per week. While it may not sound like much for some, many people feel it. It can be huge for those on a fixed income or low wages. Continue Reading →
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For those who may not realize, farmers face a great deal of uncertainty every day. The changing weather, commodity prices, pests, and diseases are only a few of the pressures. They also rarely get a day off: livestock must be tended, crops planted or harvested or monitored, equipment to fix. The list is long. It can be a very stressful life. Continue Reading →
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Take a drive out into rural Northumberland. You will see all kinds of farms. It is easy to assume most of those are family farms. Yet, the family farm is on the decline in Canada. Well over 90 percent of farms are family-owned and operated. Barely half the farms are sole proprietorships. The rest are either partnerships or corporations, according to Statistics Canada in 2016. Continue Reading →
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Farmers are busy preparing to put crops into the grounds. This time around, they have a year of the pandemic under their belts. A lot has changed. Then again, not a lot has changed. The supply chain issues have settled. Continue Reading →
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Full interview with bonus material below:
Six months ago, I spoke with this same group of farmers from the Northumberland Federation of Agriculture. The lockdown had just started. Some grocery store shelves were empty. Everyone was buying toilet paper. You could not find yeast to save your soul because people started bake bread at home. Continue Reading →
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It is one thing to slow down to go around a tractor on a backroad. But it is certainly another when you get 70 tractors, trucks, sprayers and other vehicles lined up. That is what happened recently. It was a tractor parade to pay tribute to frontline workers at Northumberland Hills Hospital and the Golden Plough Lodge. It was organized by the Northumberland Federation of Agriculture. Continue Reading →
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Close to 100,000 migrant workers from the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America come to Canada each year to work in the agri-food industry. Hundreds come to Northumberland to help, especially on the fruit and vegetable farms. Many apple growers will tell you, it is an essential part of their business. But with travel bans and concerns over the spread of COVID-19, there were big questions marks about what was going to happen this spring. Farmers lobbied hard and got exemptions, along with a financial aid package. So, these workers were given a choice to stay home with their families or come and earn money working on farms. For some, it is not really a choice since this money is more than they would ever make at home. Continue Reading →
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You can’t say it is an everyday sight to see a group of field tractors surrounding Northumberland Hills Hospital, along with a line of pick-up trucks following close behind. But that was the scene recently during a tractor parade organized by the Northumberland Federation of Agriculture to thank all the frontline staff at the hospital. It is a rare sight to see farmers being so public. Usually, they toil away quietly making sure we all have food in front of us. And, while you may see the odd billboard reminding you that Farmers feed Cities, these are not the type of people who take a bow. Continue Reading →
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