Faith Meets Life: Know where your food comes from
Yesterday I joined a number of university and college students at a rally at the provincial legislature of Nova Scotia. Present were some of the future “Big Bad Bessies with the M-I-L-K's and a few of their porky friends—for visual impact. This was a rally in which I learned a lot that relates to the environmental crisis that none of us can ignore. The rally was organized to support agriculture producers who are having a rough time.
Here are a few of the things I learned.
The first lesson is about the environment. People in agriculture (often known as “farmers”) manage a huge portion of our natural environments, no matter what province of the country we inhabit. Therefore the government needs to support them, as well, their relationship with farmers must be open and constructive.
The second lesson is about international economics. Prices set for farm products often undermine the local producer. For example, pork prices on the Canada's East Coast are set in Chicago. Therefore, if pork can be produced at a cheaper rate by mega farms in Wisconsin, the pork producers in Canada may get shafted.
The third lesson is about culture. The family farm amounts to a kind of institution. It is the bearer of many needed values. Included here is the value of hard work. The value of families working together, parents with children and siblings working alongside each other. The value of understanding land and weather. The value of understanding animals and crops. The value of understanding where our food comes from.
The fourth lesson is about bull-shit (pun intended). Large corporations are able to put a spin on food production and distribution that can insult farmers. For example, here “local produce” is anything that can be accessed in 24 hours. In other words, strawberries grown in California can be considered local because they can be flown in and put on display within a day. We may think we are buying local produce and supporting Canadian farmers, but knowing this, it's always better to ask.
Similary, “produce of Canada” stickers can mean something far different from what we may think. Products grown in the U. S. and China can, I'm told, be labeled “product of Canada” (I don't have space to explain this right now).
Fifth, there is a link between supporting agriculture producers and Canada's faith communities. Many of the people I noticed at the rally are involved in their local churches. At least one church minister encouraged the members of his church to attend the rally. Caring for farmers, their families and the communities of which they are a part is to follow the Christian ideal of “loving your neighbour as yourself.”
You can find more information on the connection between faith and agriculture by visiting the web site of the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario. You can support local farmers by buying at farm markets instead of grocery chains. The latter have no commitment to local producers.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
Here are a few of the things I learned.
The first lesson is about the environment. People in agriculture (often known as “farmers”) manage a huge portion of our natural environments, no matter what province of the country we inhabit. Therefore the government needs to support them, as well, their relationship with farmers must be open and constructive.
The second lesson is about international economics. Prices set for farm products often undermine the local producer. For example, pork prices on the Canada's East Coast are set in Chicago. Therefore, if pork can be produced at a cheaper rate by mega farms in Wisconsin, the pork producers in Canada may get shafted.
The third lesson is about culture. The family farm amounts to a kind of institution. It is the bearer of many needed values. Included here is the value of hard work. The value of families working together, parents with children and siblings working alongside each other. The value of understanding land and weather. The value of understanding animals and crops. The value of understanding where our food comes from.
The fourth lesson is about bull-shit (pun intended). Large corporations are able to put a spin on food production and distribution that can insult farmers. For example, here “local produce” is anything that can be accessed in 24 hours. In other words, strawberries grown in California can be considered local because they can be flown in and put on display within a day. We may think we are buying local produce and supporting Canadian farmers, but knowing this, it's always better to ask.
Similary, “produce of Canada” stickers can mean something far different from what we may think. Products grown in the U. S. and China can, I'm told, be labeled “product of Canada” (I don't have space to explain this right now).
Fifth, there is a link between supporting agriculture producers and Canada's faith communities. Many of the people I noticed at the rally are involved in their local churches. At least one church minister encouraged the members of his church to attend the rally. Caring for farmers, their families and the communities of which they are a part is to follow the Christian ideal of “loving your neighbour as yourself.”
You can find more information on the connection between faith and agriculture by visiting the web site of the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario. You can support local farmers by buying at farm markets instead of grocery chains. The latter have no commitment to local producers.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
