Ontario Agriculture Week Marks 15 Years

Oct 07, 2013

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

The week prior to Thanksgiving Day every year is proclaimed as Ontario Agriculture Week. It serves as a period of time to pay tribute to the bounties of food and farming in the province.

It was established in 1998, 15 years ago, through a Private Member’s Bill introduced by Ontario PC MPP Bert Johnson. Since that time, it has become a tradition to recognize Ontario farmers and the food that they produce.

While the commemorative week has been widely embraced by Ontarians, there has been a proposal to change the week to ‘Local Food Week.’ The idea was dreamed up by the current government, the Ontario Liberals as a way to tie-in their local food agenda.

Several MPPs have been vocal about their disapproval of such a proposal moving forward. Perhaps the biggest advocates for keeping the status quo are the Ontario PC’s, not surprising since one of their own brought forth the idea 15 years ago.

Farms.com will be speaking to Ontario PC Agriculture Critic MPP Ernie Hardeman this week to find out about the ways in which his party is looking to preserve Ontario Agriculture Week. In the meantime, don’t forget to celebrate by thanking a farmer or satisfying your taste buds with some Ontario food!

Video: A chain harrow is a game changer

Utilizing a rotational grazing method on our farmstead with our sheep helps to let the pasture/paddocks rest. We also just invested in a chain harrow to allow us to drag the paddocks our sheep just left to break up and spread their manure around, dethatch thicker grass areas, and to rough up bare dirt areas to all for a better seed to soil contact if we overseed that paddock. This was our first time really using the chain harrow besides initially testing it out. We are very impressed with the work it did and how and area that was majority dirt, could be roughed up before reseeding.

Did you know we also operate a small business on the homestead. We make homemade, handcrafted soaps, shampoo bars, hair and beard products in addition to offering our pasture raised pork, lamb, and 100% raw honey. You can find out more about our products and ingredients by visiting our website at www.mimiandpoppysplace.com. There you can shop our products and sign up for our monthly newsletter that highlights a soap or ingredient, gives monthly updates about the homestead, and also lists the markets, festivals, and events we’ll be attending that month.