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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
China's latest EV is a 'connected' car from smart phone and electronics maker Xiaomi
Xiaomi, a well-known maker of smart consumer electronics in China, is joining the country's booming but crowded market for electric cars.