Educational signs bridging 'disconnect' between consumers and farmers
Jim Gowland has been farming for most of his life, but has never had a sign posted to tell his neighbours what it is he’s growing each year.
Of course as fellow farmers, they know, but the new 'Soybeans Growing Here' sign isn’t for his neighbours, it’s for the urban families driving to the cottage, or out for a tour through the Bruce County countryside.
“More and more people are removed from agriculture and really don’t know what all goes on here on the farm, and I think it’s all our responsibilities to do the promotion of our crops and what they’re used for,” says the Teeswater-area farmer.
Across Bruce and Grey counties, 75 signs will be popping up this summer displaying what crops are being grown and what they’re used for.
They’re the result of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture’s (OFA) Revive Fund. It’s money the organization saved on operating costs this year due to the pandemic, and have offered back to 51 county federations to use on projects in their communities. Bruce and Grey chose educational signs.
“Our consumer base has become so disconnected with agriculture that we’re trying to have these short, easy to read signs up to raise awareness, and say yes, these are soybeans and these are what they’re used for,” says Bruce County OFA President Chris Cossitt.
Gowland thinks the new signs will enlighten consumers on exactly where all those fields upon fields of soybeans, corn and wheat end up.
“A lot of people think that most of our crops are just for animal feed. Certainly, that is a big component of it, but we’re becoming very multi-use for consumer products. Whether it’s the plastics industry or automotive industry. It’s huge the amount of bio-crop we’re able to put into other goods, nowadays,” he says.
There are still signs with no home in Bruce and Grey County. If farmers on high-visibility roads want to take part, they can contact the Bruce or Grey County Federation of Agriculture for their free educational opportunity.
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