We’ve just come through the busy holiday season – and as much as this time is about family, friends and the start of a new year, it is also heavily centered around food. And so much of those special holidays meals are grown or produced right here at home, from meat, dairy and eggs to fruits, vegetables, grains and more.
As a farmer in Binbrook, I take great pride in growing crops, raising beautiful horses and producing high quality milk and beef. I’m also president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and we know how important local food is to farmers and consumers alike.
There are many activities, processes and resources that go into producing food, all of which are important. However, none of it would matter if we didn’t have the rich soils and fertile farmland that are the basis of our food production system.
That’s where we are lucky in Ontario and in Canada: we are blessed with some of the world’s best farmland that lets us grow and raise almost anything – both for ourselves here at home and for people around the world.
However, it’s a precious resource that is under threat. The numbers show us that we’re losing farmland at an alarming rate and it’s a trend that we strongly believe can not continue.
We know Ontario needs land for housing, for job creation and economic growth, and for renewable energy to meet electrification and decarbonization targets.
We also know that we can not lose our ability to produce food, particularly in the face of climate change affecting all corners of the globe.
That’s why at OFA, we’ve long been champions of farmland preservation, advocating strongly with all levels of government for balanced and responsible planning.
Through our Home Grown campaign, we also work directly with Ontarians to raise awareness about how critically important farmland is to our society, our economy and our ability to feed ourselves.
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