5 minute read
keith currie, vice-president of the canadian federation of agriculture , knows first-hand the challenges of working the land. he runs an eighth generation dairy and cash crop farm in simcoe, ontario, and says there have always been bumps in a business responsible for feeding the world, and the latest — canada’s decision to impose tariffs on almost anything coming from russia , including fertilizer — is just one more to navigate.
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“it’s a good hobby, a nice way to learn about food,” says lenore newman, phd, director of the food and agriculture institute at b.c.’s university of the fraser valley and canada research chair, food security and environment. “is it efficient? probably not. if we look at the inputs required to grow those garden beans, it’s way cheaper to buy them at the store. community gardens are [also] nice to have, but it’s not where food comes from. those acres of blueberries, all those cows in the fields, and the buildings full of chickens? that’s where food comes from.”
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when factors like the climate crisis, the pandemic, inflation, tariffs, diseases and pests are out of their control, many farmers are overcome with despair. andria jones-bitton, d.v.m., ph.d., professor, department of population medicine, and director of well-being programming, ontario veterinary college , recently followed up on a six-year-old national survey of farmers with colleagues briana hagen, phd, and rochelle thompson, msc., and found that farmers’ mental health has further deteriorated. increased alcohol use, social withdrawal, poor diet and sleep habits were all at concerning levels, primarily due to the pandemic. seventy-six per cent reported moderate or high stress, and roughly one-quarter had considered suicide.
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“the good news is that farmers are using strategies like problem solving, talking with others, trying to embrace a positive mindset, taking time to do activities they enjoy,” says jones-bitton. “the ontario federation of agriculture and the ontario division of the canadian mental health association have a farmer wellness program where farmers can get free counselling with a mental health professional who has been trained or has a background in agriculture. there’s a similar program in manitoba and quebec. it is getting better but it is still entirely insufficient.”
“by mapping the field with a drone to understand where weeds are and applying only herbicides to those precise points, you can use fewer chemicals, which is good for the farmer’s bottom line, is more environmentally sensitive, and is more sustainable from a greenhouse gas perspective,” says professor nazim cicek, phd, p.eng., professor in the department of biosystems engineering and faculty of agricultural & food sciences at the university of manitoba .
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to learn more food facts, check out the canadian centre for food integrity .
