The Real Dirt on Farming

Transcription

1 The Real Dirt on Farming

2 Food & Farming What do you know? 94% of Canadians said they know little or nothing about farming... 2/3 want to know more. Ipsos-Reid, 2009 Safe food, animal care, economic viability and the environment are important to Canadians. Did you know... farmers are one of the most trusted professions in Canada?

3 Farming The REALLY Big Picture How to feed the world? Expected to grow from 7 billion to 9 billion by Hunger kills more people annually than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. How to feed our country with only 2% of our population farming?

4 Farming in Canada The Big Picture Farming is unique a way of life and a business. Canadian agriculture is big business with $41.8 billion in sales in 2008.

5 The Economics of Food & Farming In 2009, for every dollar in gross sales, Canadian farmers paid out 92 cents in expenses. Canadians have among the lowest food prices in the world 10.6 cents of every dollar earned is spent on food.

6 What s going Up? Productivity growing more food on less land using less resources In 1900 one farmer fed 10 people. Today one farmer feeds well over 120 people. Age the average Canadian farmer is 52 Did you know...38 % of men and 48% of women who farm have post-secondary degrees

7 What s going Down? Number of farmers in 1931, one in three Canadians lived on a farm. Today it s 1 in 46. Numbers of farms 229,373 farms in Canada in compared to 728,623 in Did you know... there are 57,211 farms in Ontario.

8 What about Factory Farms? Farms are larger today than in the past. No such thing as a typical farm in Canada. Did you know... about 98% of Canadian farms are family owned and operated.

9 Family or Factory? There are farms of many different sizes and structures in Canada, says Brent. The really important thing is how the crops and animals are cared for. Brent and Christa Royce raise turkeys in southern Ontario. His farm is a corporation, one owned by his family. This year they will market 17,000 turkeys and 450 sheep.

10 The Real Dirt on...crops Canada s principal crops are corn, wheat, soybeans and canola. Of 10,000 items in a typical grocery store, at least 2500 of them use corn in some form during production or processing. Did you know... In 2010, Canadian farmers grew 1.5 million acres of canola that was made into stable trans fat free oil for McDonald s restaurants.

11 The Real Dirt on... Fruits & Veggies Over 120 different fruits and vegetables are grown from coast to coast in Canada. Apples, blueberries and grapes make up 80% of Canada s fruit acreage. There are over 5600 greenhouses in Canada more than half in Ontario. Ontario has over 1800 acres of greenhouse vegetables the most in North America. Did you know...more than half of Canada s vegetable crop is grown for processing the top 5 are sweet corn, green peas, carrots, beans and tomatoes.

12 The Real Dirt on... Potatoes In 1845, potato blight (a fungus) destroyed over half of Ireland s potatoes. At the time, all farming was organic and there was nothing that could be done to save the essential food crop. Today, potato blight can be prevented by improved seed, management and fungicides increasing the reliability of our food supply.

13 The Real Dirt on...organic Canadian organic standards governing organic products came into effect in To be sold as certified organic, food must be produced by farmers who are certified every year. Requirements can include grown without man-made fertilizers, pesticides, genetically modified organisms, growth hormones or medications. Did you know... all food, regardless of how its grown, must meet the same inspection and food safety standards.

14 Farm Animal Care The Big Picture Caring for animals has been the core of what farmers do for generations. 24/ days a year. It s hard work. Farmers and ranchers choose to work with animals because they enjoy it. Caring for animals is a matter of doing the right thing.

15 The Real Dirt on... Why animals are kept indoors We built barns for animals in Canada for a reason protection from weather, predators and disease. Feeding and health care and individual animal attention is easier to monitor inside. Did you know...some Ontario counties have bounties on coyotes because predator kills of lambs and calves are at record highs?

16 Sweat like a pig? Not likely! Pigs don t sweat. Contrary to storybook images pigs prefer to keep clean. Barns provide them with a clean environment with fans so they don t have to wallow. Did you know...some barns even have sprinklers to keep them cool in the summer.

17 And the Emmy goes to... Dr. Temple Grandin is a world-renowned farm animal handling specialist "I think using animals for food is an ethical thing to do, but we've got to do it right. We've got to give those animals a decent life and we've got to give them a painless death. We owe the animal respect." A Hero in 2010 Time Magazine list of world s 100 most influential people The HBO movie based on her life won five Emmy awards. Dr. Temple Grandin

18 The Real Dirt on Traceability Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork! Did you know ALL dairy and beef cattle, and sheep have mandatory tagging programs!

19 The Real Dirt on...food Inspection Did you know... Safe food starts at the farm - farmers document their farming practices for safe food protocols. Milk is identified and sampled at every farm before it s put in the milk truck. Every single animal at a meat processing plant is examined by a trained government inspector.

20 The Real Dirt on antibiotics Good housing, hygiene, nutrition and vaccines are priority Antibiotics ( antimicrobials ) are used to: Treat diseases such as pneumonia Prevent disease in stressful times Enhance production by preventing disease They are expensive, and require veterinary supervision. Closely monitored to address the potential for resistance development

21 The Real Dirt on...hormones Hormones occur naturally in animals, plants and people. Growth hormones are NOT used in pork, poultry or dairy in Canada. Hormone implants are approved for beef cattle to improve how efficiently animals digest feed (leading to environmental benefits)

22 Report Card on...the Environment Farmers complete Environmental Farm Plans to evaluate their operations and set goals for ongoing improvements Soil and manure testing know exactly what you need and where Did you know...ontario farmers have invested over $600 million in on-farm environmental improvements over the last 20 years.

23 The Real Dirt on... Farming from Farmers We live and play where we work. We want to leave our land in better shape for the next generation. We take pride in growing safe, high quality food. Our families eat the same food you do!

24 Now you know the Real Dirt... What can you do? Find out more. Ask questions of credible sources close to home. Tour a farm or local event you can do it without leaving your own home!

25 Would the real hero please stand up? Athletes or farmers? You are the backbone of our country. Without farmers, we are only days away from food riots. You are more than heroes. Mike Pinball Clemons

26 Interested in investing in the conversation about food and farming in Canada? 26

27 There is no love more sincere than the love of food. George Bernard Shaw We think the love of farming and the land is a close second. Questions? Phone: