Farm & Food Care Ontario added three new tours
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
An industry organization has included new family farms to its virtual tour library.
Farm & Food Care Ontario’s FarmFood360° website added three new operations for anyone to visit virtually.
The additions mean there are now 18 Ontario farm and food processing tours available on the site.
One of the new tours takes place on an 1,100-head beef feedlot farm in Kawartha Lakes.
Allison Brown, a seventh-generation producer, and her father, Paul, act as the tour guides as they discuss cattle nutrition, caring for cattle and other aspects of the family farm.
Another virtual tour is on Kathryn and Clair Doan’s turkey farm. The husband and wife team talk about how turkeys grow and the life of a turkey farm family, which includes the couple’s four daughters.
And the third takes place on a broiler chicken farm.
Farms.com connected with Allison and Kathryn to discuss the tours and the importance of participating in these kinds of educational opportunities.
Farms.com: Why was it important for your family to be involved in these virtual tours?
Allison Brown (AB): We thought it was important because it’s always great to educate the public about what happens on farms. There’s a big disconnect between people in rural and urban areas, but I think people are generally interested in where their food comes from.
Kathryn Doan (KD): We are so thankful to be part of Canadian agriculture and it’s important to speak up and break up any misconceptions of turkey farming in Canada. We are a family farm, like most farms in Canada, so it’s important to relate to consumers and show that we are proud of what we produce on our farm.
Farms.com: What are you hoping people learn from the tour?
AB: I want people to learn how we raise our cattle, how they’re cared for, how they’re fed, and also that it’s okay to ask questions. We talked about antibiotics and growth promotants, which we use on our farm. We talked about why we use them and why they are a positive resource for us.
KD: We want to show that we care greatly about the welfare or our animals, the environment and safe quality food just like consumers do. We are people, people that are farmers providing quality turkey for the Canadian consumer. We also hope to minimize stereotypes of farmers.
Farms.com: What is the benefit of being so transparent about what you do on the farm?
AB: I just don’t think beating around the bush accomplishes anything in the long run.
KD: Transparency builds trust. Consumers are looking for a connection to their food and we are happy to help provide that link. It’s better to tell our story rather than somebody else tell it for us, especially those that have different views on animal agriculture.
Farms.com: How important is it for the ag industry to continue to educate people about what happens on a farm?
AB: As people are becoming more and more removed from the farm, it’s important for us as farmers to tell our stories to continue building public trust. Not many people know where their food comes from, and that’s alright because we can help them learn.
KD: Farmers care and many things go into producing and growing our own turkeys, and we are a strong part of the fabric of rural Ontario. There are fewer and fewer farmers every year, which further removes consumers from a connection to the land. More than ever we need to speak up, which can be a challenge in a highly urban-based province. We want people, young and old, to have the opportunity to connect to farmers who are people too; the virtual turkey farm tour is a great way to do this.
Farms.com: It seems like the ag sector is always having to defend itself about how it operates. Why do you think that is, and how do you navigate those challenges?
AB: I think it all goes back to the disconnect from the farm, and it’s not the fault of the people who don’t understand. There’s always going to be a portion of the population with loud voices who are protesting something, and that’s not exclusive to agriculture. But I think we as farmers need to do our part, like these virtual tours, to tell the truth about what happens on farms.
KD: It’s about influencing a positive message. In an age where negative news sells, we always need to be proactive on what we do well. Even in agriculture we don’t work together enough. Farmers can be rough on each other and we are often too fragmented in our messaging, which reduces our strength. As a farmer we are excited to be able to collaborate connect people to turkey farming through the virtual farm tour.