Page 59 - RealDirtENG2020

Changing consumer trends
Research shows that a growing segment of the Canadian market is becoming aware and conscious of how their consumption is related to ethical questions around animal welfare and climate change. Younger consumers in particular are concerned about climate change as an issue that will affect them in their lifetime, and how they can make a difference139.
For example, green eating is a movement by which food choices are based on sustainability principles, and a desire to reduce the environmental impact of eating and food production.
The products which consumers want, and the values that are important to them, are constantly evolving, and farmers and food producers will keep up with those changes. Different farmers will
meet different trends in different ways, and to do so, they’ll continue to turn to innovation and technology to make things better, healthier, and more sustainable for people, animals, and the environment.
Many farmers and food producers are active on social media, so it’s easier than ever to have your questions answered by someone who raises farm animals, grows crops or works in the agri-food sector. Try searching popular hashtags like #CdnAg or follow:
@RealDirtonFarming @FacesBehindFood @CdnFoodFocus
@FarmFoodCareON @FarmFoodCareSK @FarmFoodCarePEI
Facing the future
While much has changed and will continue to change when it comes to food and farming in Canada, one thing has not: farming begins with the commitment of farm families to the land, to animals, and to growing food.
All Canadians want affordable, safe, nutritious, and sustainably-produced food, and we’re lucky to live in a country where how and what to eat are choices that Canadians can make for themselves.
Thank you for supporting Canadian food, and for being interested in how and what Canadian farmers do to produce it. Your trust is not something farmers take lightly— and by working together, we can continue to focus on a sustainable future for our planet and its people.
That’s the real dirt.
Career Pro le
Future Farmer
Ben McFarlane
Ben McFarlane, six, is a third generation beef and crop farmer-in-training. His family owns Windyvue Farms Ltd. outside of Guelph, ON. Farm life is fun and busy says McFarlane. He loves to spend time in the barn with his dad and ride in the combine during corn harvest. Staying safe around farm equipment and taking good care of the cows and land are among his important life lessons. He hopes to grow up and be a farmer like his father
and grandfather before him. He is excited and looking forward to using new technology in the future including “bigger tractors and combines!”
Photo courtesy of Holly McFarlane
Ashton Irwin
With Thanks
Original text (2006) by: Alison Lane.
2010, 2014, 2017 and 2020 edition updates by: Lilian Schaer, Agri-Food Project Services Ltd.
Design by: Lynn Schouppe, Studio8699. Project Manager: Madeline Rodrigue Editors: Dr. Paul Ling and Kelly Daynard Published by Farm & Food Care, 2020. www.FarmFoodCare.org
This booklet was made possible with the generous support of farmers, farm organizations, and agribusinesses across Canada. For a complete list, visit www.RealDirtonFarming.ca.
Permission to reproduce this document is given, provided credit is made to “Farm & Food Care”. Sources, where not cited, are available upon request.
Photos in this book were all taken on Canadian farms, or of Canadian farmers. Many were winning entries in the Farm & Food Care 2020 Farm Photo Contest. Photo credits are listed, where available.
Sources, where noted, are available in the online version of this publication at: www.RealDirtOnFarming.ca.
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