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Growing Food in the Face of Challenge

The global COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us of how vitally important people are to producing the vegetables that we, as Canadians, enjoy.

Our greenhouse growers have taken tremendous pride in being a part of a food system that has provided Canadians with a consistent supply of fresh, affordable, and accessible food, even throughout the pandemic. But it hasn’t been easy.

For example, Leamington, ON-based greenhouse grower Nature Fresh Farms recently shared their first-hand experience with a COVID-19 outbreak and the impact on their employees. Their experience was documented in the film The Hardest Harvest, which shows the distressing and emotional times their employees faced, and the impact that a serious disruption can mean for our food system and ultimately for ourselves, as consumers.

At the non-profit organization Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers (OGVG), our greenhouse growers have made significant investments to purchase personal protective equipment to support the health and well-being of their employees, both on-farm and in the rural communities where they live. This is in addition to collaborating with government, local health agencies, and agri-food partners to do whatever is necessary to protect employees and mitigate against further exposure and outbreaks.

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Canada's Agriculture Day 2025

Video: Canada's Agriculture Day 2025

Let's celebrate Canadian agriculture.

Well, number one, you don't eat without farmers. Farmers put food on the table. And what could be more important than that?

Well, I think it's important that Canadians understand exactly what takes place, what happens to produce this food, no matter what sector you're talking about.

An awful lot of work goes into that. It's important to understand that meat does not come out of a showcase, and milk does not come out of a bottle. It's produced by farmers and hard work.

Canada has the best farmers in the world. And agriculture is vital to Canada.

In 2024, our agriculture and agri-food sector represented $150 billion of Canada's GDP, nearly $100 billion of our exports, and one in nine jobs.

From grains to fruits to dairy and beef, we are truly blessed with an incredible bounty. Having spent my whole life in agriculture, I see so much potential for the sector.

This time last year, I was proud to open our first-ever agriculture and trade office in the Indo-Pacific, the world’s fastest-growing economy, to cement our presence in the region and grow our exports even more. We've also been making historic investments to help our farmers to boost their yields, protect the planet, and earn a fair living.

The world wants more top-quality, sustainable food, and I know our Canadian farmers can deliver. And it's so important that you do that with pride. We need you.

Quite simply, you eat the most top quality food in the world. You do that because of the quality of farmers and ranchers you have in this country.

Just say thank you to a farmer or a rancher. They work very hard, yes, for a living, but also with a sense of pride in what they produce.

That's what Canada's Agriculture Day is all about.