Showing Canadians where food comes from

 

Staff Writer

Farms.com 

 

A documentary web series aims to educate Canadians about the ag industry and where their food comes from. 

 

Many Canadians are unaware of how and where their food is grown and 93 per cent of Canadians admitted they know “little-to-nothing about farming” in a survey from the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity, a CropLife Canada release said today. 

 

Real Farm Lives, a series produced by CropLife Canada, will premiere on Oct. 24 and will feature farm families from Ontario and Saskatchewan. Documenting the everyday life of industry members, the six episodes will air weekly in October and November and will challenge common misperceptions about agriculture in Canada. 

 

"There is a lot of misinformation out there about food production and farming techniques, which can cause fear and anxiety," said Pierre Petelle, president and CEO of CropLife Canada, in the release. “By connecting Canadians with real farmers who sustainably grow our safe high-quality food, we hope viewers will learn about the obstacles farmers have to tackle and the tools they need to do their jobs well."

 

The farm families depicted in the series include:

• the Renwick family of Renwick Ridgeview Acres in Wheatley, Ont. (soybeans and corn) 

• the Englot family of Costa Lotta Farms in Montmartre, Sask. (canola and wheat)

• and the Ardiel family of Apple Springs Orchards in Clarksburg, Ont. (apples)

 

"Being part of Real Farm Lives has been so much fun for me and my family,” said Madison Englot of Costa Lotta Farms in the release. “We're excited to take viewers inside the farm and show them our way of life – there's a lot to learn."

 

The documentary will address common obstacles, including weather, insects, weeds and disease, that producers face. 

 

The realistic nature of the series is important for informing the public, one farmer believes. 

 

The series “has the potential to educate,” Henry Reinders, a cash crop farmer from Grey County, said to Farms.com today. “There’s a lot of issues in farming right now that (a lot of people) don’t understand, like the challenges of running a farm day-to-day. We need to help (consumers) understand things like GMOs and why (farmers) use the sprays and chemicals they do.”

 

For more information or to view the series, visit www.realfarmlives.ca.