Editing Scotty MacDonald

I still remember the first time my father took me out into the wheat fields during harvest season. It was a very busy time for the family but I begged him to sit in the combine with him that day. I had always been curious about how my parents could spend all those hours outside harvesting, checking on the crops and loading all the wheat onto big trucks. But that day marked the beginning of my love for farming. Sooner or later, my parents homeschooled me so that I could help out full-time on the farm. I recently reflected on that day when the Agricultural Act was passed on May 14, 2085. I was unable to finish school because the farm became my life but it's great to know that students are learning about the importance of agriculture now.

Today, I had a few students from the local highschool come in and help me out for the start of harvest season. I enjoyed teaching them some farm skills and the history of Ontario agriculture as part of their cooperative education. Students nowadays have the ability to come to my farm and experience the everyday life of a farmer. Most of the students love being here and sharing the knowledge with their families. I even had a few students tell me that they want to become farmers after highschool! 

Although most of them are great, there is one student that has been very challenging to work with. He’s a city boy and his parents really dislike him being at the farm because they don’t believe that farming has a place in society. The tough part is, he also wants to be a farmer but he does not have the heart to tell his parents. Ever since the Agricultural Movement has really kicked off, a majority of the city folk still do not appreciate how important farming is for society. However, as long as the younger generation is learning about agriculture, I believe they can reshape how we live in the future. 

Back in the day, my father was part of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture that was trying to help preserve the farmland for future generations. I specifically recall him saying that climate change and urban growth were putting our finite amount of farmland at risk (https://ofa.on.ca/newsroom/ontario-farmland-under-intense-pressure/). The weather has become very difficult to work with these past few years, especially for the wheat. The hot temperatures during the summer make it hard to keep the wheat from being damaged. However, when we do get rain, it often leads to flooding which really tanks the quality of the soil (https://agriculture.canada.ca/en/environment/climate-change/climate-change-impacts-agriculture). One of the farmers that supplies the market has even told me that it's been difficult for the cattle to gain weight and have offspring because the weather has thrown them off (https://agriculture.canada.ca/en/environment/climate-change/climate-change-impacts-agriculture). The government thought that my father was overthinking climate change but years later, we’re really starting to see some farmers struggle with the effects.

I want to continue his legacy through educating the youth at the farm and standing up for my fellow farmers. For as long as I could remember, the government has tried to dismiss zoning laws and develop the communities close to the farm. I have clashed with the government multiple times but I have stood my ground. All they wanted to do is expand the city and develop in areas that have open flat land for building. But I was not gonna let them do that here. The government just wants to create more areas full of tall, lifeless buildings that have makeshift gardens on the rooftops. Those city people probably think farming is a piece of cake! They love to dismiss us farmers but as soon as they think it's “trendy” to have their own garden, the entire city all tries growing the same plants on their rooftops. I bet none of them even know when it's the right time to plant for the season. 

I remember when I was young, the family farm was struggling to make ends meet, shorthanded by all the companies we would supply for. Now, a few of the other farmers in the area all supply to our local farmers market. Fresh produce, baked goods and reasonable prices have been the foundation for the market for years now and we have been thriving! The other farmers and I could sell to these big corporations but our farming is more sustainable now and the community relies on us to set fair prices. These mainstream grocery stores have completely gotten out of hand! Just the other day, I had some city folk visit the market to get produce for the week and their jaws dropped when they saw how affordable the prices were. A week worth of groceries from the market would probably cost the same as one meal’s worth from those darn grocery stores!

The community around me is very supportive and many of them have begun growing their own gardens to avoid paying those outrageous prices at the grocery stores. Every weekend, I have been able to go around to local neighbourhoods and educate the community on how they can start farming on their own. I teach them the basic principles of farming, how they can optimize their yard space, and which plants to grow each season. Ever since the neighbourhood has begun farming, the community has been more unified and everyone supports each other. It’s nice knowing that they all support my farm and there are people who will stand up for me when the government comes knocking at my door. Hopefully some of the young people in the neighbourhood can take over my farm once it's all said and done.