Are You Afraid of Your Food?

When I was a child, I was a picky eater.  Some things I just didn't like (for example, pineapple), but most things I wouldn't eat because I was afraid of them.  I was afraid of egg yokes because I thought they would taste gross.  I afraid of hot dogs for a while because I lost a tooth while eating one once.  I was afraid of lasagna because I didn't really grow up eating pasta and anything other than macaroni and spaghetti was just foreign.  However, I eventually overcame these fears.  I started eating hot dogs again and never lost any more teeth while doing so.  I tried lasagna and couldn't believe the deliciousness that I'd been missing all those years.  I tried egg yokes and discovered that I was right.  They do taste gross, but I'll eat them if I have to.  I will now eat almost anything put in front of me (except pineapple) and I am not afraid of my food.

Sometimes I think that the general population is afraid of their food.  I am getting my information on this  from the same source that consumers get their information about food.  I wish I could name that source, but I'm having a bit of difficulty pinpointing it.  It's sort of an amalgamation of restaurant and grocery store advertising campaigns, some farmer's market rhetoric, social media posts, and other odd bits.

Rather than going on a rant that is likely to offend a whole lot of people and help no one, I am going to ask you, my readers, some questions and then go into a brief discussion about each.

Are you afraid that the production of your food is harming the environment?

Farmers understand that if the land is properly cared for, it will produce more food that is healthier and will bring a higher price at market.  It is in our best interests to care for the environment.  Are you concerned about greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural operations?  We are too, and we are working to reduce and counteract these emissions.

Are you afraid that your food is full of pesticides and other chemicals?

Responsible farmers use chemicals responsibly to ensure that they do not enter the food chain.  There are ways to use chemicals that make food production more efficient, do not harm the environment, and do not put the chemicals into food.  If you are worried about chemical residues, wash your fruits and veggies, or buy organic.  If you buy organic, remember that the price will be ridiculously high (many farmers go organic for the high profits, not the environmental effects - can you blame us?) and that there are, in fact, some situations in which certain chemicals can be used in organic production.

Are you afraid that GMO crops will make you sick?

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency must approve all food products produced and sold in Canada. They will not approve anything that will make you sick.  Genetically modified organisms are not evil, creepy things grown in petri dishes.  They are crops that have been genetically modified (I know, that sounds scary) in order to make them somehow better for both producers and consumers.  Remember that humans have been playing with genetics in both plants and animals for centuries, crossing species to make new species, and making crops and livestock able to withstand different climatic conditions so they can be grown in different areas of the world.

Are you afraid that the antibiotics used in livestock contribute to antibiotic resistance in human medicine?
There are several reasons to use antibiotics in livestock.  Some antibiotics used in livestock have great significance to human medicine, while others have no significance to human medicine.  Antibiotics that do correlate to human medicine are used sparingly and only when necessary.  You must remember that all inputs (feed, medicine, etc.) in livestock production increase the cost of production.  Producers don't increase costs without a good reason.  We know the pros and cons of using antibiotics in our animals and carefully consider these before using them.  We also know how to prevent those antibiotics from entering the food chain.

Are you afraid that industrialized agriculture is destroying farming culture and distancing you from your food?

Industrialized agriculture is indeed destroying the old way of farming.  That way was inefficient and not always the best for the environment.  Agriculture is changing with the rest of the world.  In fact, throughout history, agriculture has often been at the fore of technological advancement and scientific discovery.  There are now fewer farms and larger farms than ever before.  The rest of the world is becoming more efficient.  There is no reason that agriculture should stay in the dark ages.  As for being removed from what actually goes on at the farm level, it just isn't possible any more for that to be a reality.  Can I expect to fully understand how my equipment works and is produced?  Can I expect to see how my well is drilled and how my water is cleaned?  No, I can't.  But I trust that those who do know how that stuff works are doing their jobs properly.

Are you afraid that livestock are being inhumanely treated in the production of animal products?
Unfortunately, there are people who don't know how to work with animals properly.  Every producer knows that livestock can be extremely frustrating to work with at times.  However, those who understand how to properly handle and care for these animals also understand that calm animals grow better.  In is in our best interest economically to treat our animals humanely.  Farmers are beginning to invest in handling systems that make it easier to safely and humanely handle the livestock.  We are also learning new techniques to keep our animals calm as we work with them.

Are you afraid that it is impossible to get real information about your food?

Sometimes I'm afraid that even farmers will never be able to really explain to consumers exactly how their food is produced.  It's just a lot of information.  What I do know is that marketing campaigns like to play on people's fears and reassure consumers that "we are the safe company".  I'm not blaming big business or small businesses.  I just want you to pay attention to what advertisers are really saying. Don't just repeat negative rhetoric if you don't have concrete evidence of what you are saying.  Don't post and share stuff willy-nilly on social media.  If you want to do research about agriculture, look at what members the agriculture industry (i.e. experts) are saying.

I realise that my very brief responses to these fears may be frustratingly vague.  I would like to address them more fully and will endeavor to do so in the weeks to come.  The main point in all of my responses is that farmers do everything we do for specific reasons that most consumers don't see.

In reading my blogs, please keep in mind that I am a farmer writing for non-farmers.  This means that I have a few limitations.  First and foremost, I don't know everything.  I have hands-on experience, with a diploma in agricultural management.  I'm not a scientist, I don't have expertise in every possible sector of agriculture in the country, and I don't work in all parts of the agricultural industry.  That being said, I know how to access reliable information and I know how things work at the on-farm level.  Second, I don't know what you know.  I have no clue what preconceptions you bring to this blog.  Maybe you agree with me.  Maybe I offend you on a regular basis.  I don't know, and I can't cater to everyone, so all I can do is write what I know and what my experience is.  Finally, I am a farmer speaking to non-farmers.  I have terms in my vocabulary and education in plant and animal biology that you won't understand and that I just don't have to time to explain to you.  My explanations will have to be simpler than I would like for that reason.

If you have any questions or concerns with this blog post or others, please let me know in the comment section below.

I (Finally) Graduated from Ag School

Yesterday I graduated from Olds College, one of the major agricultural schools in Western Canada.  I graduated from the Agricultural Management diploma program with a double major in production and marketing.  I'd like to share a few themes that have dominated my thoughts of my graduation experience with you.

Worldly Honour

At Olds College, as at many other educational institutions, it is possible for a student to graduate with honours if he achieves a high grade point average (GPA) or to graduate with distinction if he achieves an even higher GPA.  At Olds, those who graduate with honours or distinction are given a gold-coloured cord with tassles as they cross the stage.  Three years ago I watched as my sister graduated and got her cord as she crossed the stage at Olds College.  This year it was my turn, as I graduated with distinction.  I've never really understood the point of pointing out students with a particularly high GPA.  The way I see it, the practice only breeds pride and humiliation.  Yesterday as I stood in line waiting for my class's turn to cross the stage, the graduate behind me began making comments about how those students with honours and distinction must think they are so much better than the rest.  I didn't say anything.  I could think of nothing that would have convinced the irritated young man that I don't think I'm better than he is.  I wish I could have.

Years ago, when I was in elementary school, my parents were informed that my sister and I are considered "gifted", which means we are in a certain higher-than-average IQ range.  It means I do well in academic pursuits.  It means that God has blessed me with the ability to do well in school.  It doesn't mean that I'm better or smarter than anyone else.  There are many forms of intelligence, but only one or two are tested and nurtured in schools.  Many of my friends and classmates work hard just to get average grades, but from talking to them and getting to know them, I know that they are extremely intelligent and have gifts that allow them to be good at things that frustrate me.  Yet only those of us with particular gifts are given honour.  It's a poor honour if it degrades others.

Scrap Metal

I didn't just graduate with distinction.  I was bestowed with another honour at the graduation ceremony yesterday.  A little over a week before graduation I received a phone call from the college, informing me that I was to be the recipient of the Governor General's Collegiate Bronze Medal for Olds College.  I was told that this is a huge honour and that I was receiving it for my high grades.  When I got off the phone I went on with my work for the day, which meant washing windows - a rather humbling job for someone having just received news of a big honour.

I know I'm supposed to be honoured to receive this medal, but all I can think is that I'm the one who put the hard work in.  This wasn't just given to me; I earned it.  And besides that, I know that some of my classmates worked far harder to earn the grades they did and put much more effort into their assignments than I did.  With these thoughts, I'm struggling with a battle between feeling above the honour and feeling like I don't deserve it.

Furthermore, I am reminded of Isaiah 64:6, which says, "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away."  This medal can ultimately do nothing for me, just like my hard work can do nothing for me.  One day I will die and no worldly honour will keep that from happening.  I cannot take my stuff with me when I join my Lord in heaven.  I won't want it then anyways.  On that day, if my righteous acts, the good things I do, will be like filthy rags - useless, gross things my dad burns - then this medal is, at best, a fancy piece of scrap metal.  I'm sure my attitude will surprise and offend some readers, but I really can't see the honour.  It's a nice chunk of bronze, and the artwork done to engrave it is impressive, but in the end, it is nothing.

Friends and Family

Now that I've likely killed the joy in reading this post, let us move on to happier topics.  The best part of graduation was spending time with friends I haven't seen in over a month.  These are friends I saw on a weekly, or sometimes daily, basis.  I've also gotten to know some of their families and I got to see them again at graduation, too.  There were many friends who did not make it to graduation and I missed them, but it was absolutely wonderful to spend time with those who did make it, even if it was just a few brief moments of visiting with some of them.  I was blessed to be able to spend more time with a few of my friends, reminiscing and teasing each other like we always do.

My parents were able to come see the graduation ceremony and spend time with me, my friends, and their families afterwards.  It's nice to have supportive parents who haven't grown exasperated by my many years in post-secondary school and my many program changes.  My sister, who lives on the other side of the country, was not able to come, but she was able to watch most of the ceremony from the live feed on the college website.  I am honoured that she would take time from her busy day to watch speeches and wait to see me cross the stage for a brief moment.  A good friend in Ontario also watched the live feed, and two of my Alberta friends took time out of their weekends to come watch in person.

My favourite times of the weekend were spent hanging out with friends.  I was able to spend time visiting with some people at Tim Horton's the night before graduation, which was amazing!  I was used to visiting with my friends after Bible study in Olds at Tim Hortons, so this was sort of like old times, with a bunch of people crowded around a table late at night (except the crowd was smaller this time).  I also had fun after the ceremony spending time with my friends and visiting over cake, fruit, and lemonade.  Had my friends not been there and had my family not cared, there would have been no point in going to my graduation ceremony.  I would have just had the diploma mailed to me.

Hugs

Those who know me know that I generally am not comfortable with hugs.  Somehow they often end up being awkward, probably because I don't give hugs very often.  Other times the hugs themselves are okay, but I just don't see the point.  You see, I'm used to giving hugs only on special occasions, for example, if I see someone I haven't seen in a long time or am saying goodbye to someone I won't see for a long time.  Weddings are also good for free hugs.  For some reason I just don't like hugs under any other circumstances.  Because of this, I just try to avoid hugs in most circumstances or try to get it over with quickly.  Of course, I know that isn't the best way to go, but it's how I cope in uncomfortable situations.

However, there are the rare few hugs that are really great.  They aren't awkward at all, they are meaningful because they show how much a friend cares, and I'm usually not trying to avoid them.  I got one of those hugs from a good friend as I was leaving yesterday.  I also got some okay hugs - ones that were expected and not awkward, but nothing super special.  The hugs helped make the day special.

Learning

I've been learning plenty in the last few years.  There is so much I didn't know that I didn't know about farming.  One of my favourite teachers is retiring now.  It's too bad, because he challenged me to learn for the sake of expanding my knowledge, instead of just learning enough to get decent grades.  I'm sure more students would benefit from his wealth of knowledge.

Now that I'm done college, I won't have the chance to learn through lectures and assignments, or just walk up to an instructor and ask my questions.  However, my instructors and friends from the college have given me countless tips and resources that will help me to continue expanding my knowledge.  I look forward to learning more as I enter my career in agriculture.

Overall my day (and my whole time at Olds) was pretty great, but not because of all the formal honours of crossing the stage with my classmates.  My day was great because I got to spend it with friends and family.  Graduation means I have ended school, but it also means I get to keep learning, but in different ways.

My parents and I after the ceremony.

The Misadventures of the Puppy, Max

Hi there!  My name is Max.  I'm about two months old (but I'm younger in this picture).

About a month ago I lived in a nice, warm little shed with my mom and a bunch of brothers and sisters.  A nice man and lady took care of us.  After a while, some of my brothers and siblings started to go away with other nice people.  I didn't mind too much.  There were still lots of playmates and plenty of food.  One day, two nice ladies came and looked at us.  The younger one climbed right into our shed to get a good look at us.  After we'd all had a good long time to climb on her and lick her and generally look cute, she picked me up and took me out of that shed.  I was the one she'd picked!  I guess she though I was the cutest and smartest of the bunch.  And why not?  It's true!

Anyways, after stopping for a moment for goodbye to my mom, we got into a pickup truck and the young lady drove us away, while the older one held me on her lap.  I didn't much like that ride, but it wasn't too long.  It was during that ride that I got my name.  The two ladies debated it for a few minutes, but they finally agreed that I would be Max.  I was pretty happy with that decision.

When the ride was over, I met a dog.  His name is Bandit and he lives at the farm where I live now.  We've been buddies the whole time!  He teaches me lots of things, like how to chase pretty much everything and dig holes (which is the best game ever!) and sometimes how to obey the master and my mistress (which is not so fun).  My mistress is the young lady, Valerie, and the master is her father.  The other lady is her mother.  She doesn't have quite as much association with us dogs, but we sure do have to obey her!  She pretends not to like us very much, but I know she loves me way deep down.

I was having a great life until a couple of weeks ago.  Valerie and Master took me to a man named Vet. He made me stand on a cold metal table with no grip.  I almost fell off!  And then he checked me all over and gave a needle.  How awful can a guy be?  And Valerie says I have to go back!

Since then, life has been pretty spectacular!  Every night Valerie puts me to bed in my very own kennel and she feeds me and I always have plenty of water.  During the day I dig holes with Bandit, run as fast as I can, and sometimes do what Valerie tells me to.  My life was great until Friday night.  I'm really not sure what happened, but while I was waiting for Valerie to come put me to bed, I got really far from home.  I couldn't find my way back.  By Saturday afternoon I was at a place that looked a bit like a house, except no one lived there.  There were some big metal boxes a ways off from the building.  It was rainy and cold out, so I just hung around those boxes.  It was pretty dry under there, so at least I wasn't wet.  I sure was hungry, though.  It was getting to be night again.  I hadn't eaten all day, I was cold, and I missed home.  Then a truck drove up and stopped.  I got out from under the boxes to check it out because it reminded me of Master's truck.  All of a sudden, there was Valerie!  I was so happy!  My whole body was wiggling all on its own and I couldn't stop licking her face.  She picked me up and Master drove us right home.  When we got out of the truck, there was Bandit to say hello and then Valerie took me to her mom.  She seemed both sad and happy (let's call it sappy), as if she'd really, really missed me and couldn't quite belive I was home.  I told you she loved me.

After that, it's all a bit of a blur.  I just know there was a lot of food around and I got a little grumpy with Bandit when he got too close to the food.  I bet he'd been stuffing his face all day!  I hadn't eaten anything in 24 hours or so!  I'll apologise to him tomorrow, though, and then we can dig holes and be buddies again.  For now, I'm going to snuggle up in my nice warm dog house full of straw and have me a good long sleep so I can get up extra early and bark the humans awake like I always do.

Paying the Price

I picked rocks today.  That's not an unusual thing for me to do at this time of the year.  In Western Canada (and other areas, I'm sure), there are a lot of rocks in our soil and we need to pick them every year so they don't break our equipment later on.  It's a hard job, but certainly not the worst job on the farm.  Sometimes we use a mechanical rock picker, but most of the time we walk through the fields and pick up the rocks by hand.  Some rocks are small, and we can carry several at a time.  Others are bigger and we can only carry two or three at time.  Some are so big that we can only roll them into the bucket of the tractor, and still others are so big that we have to use the tractor, or even a backhoe, to dig them out of the ground.

I've spent many hot, windy days getting covered in dust whilst picking rocks.  I can't remember a spring/summer when I wasn't picking rocks as a child (that was back before some people decided it was child abuse to teach children to do a good day's work).  It was always hard work, but I had fun looking for arrow heads (that fun sort of disappeared after I finally actually found one as a teenager).  There are large rock piles in every field that my dad owns and rents.  Even with all of the rocks I've picked, I can only take credit for a small portion of those rock piles.  My dad has picked tons (literally) of rocks in his lifetime.

Every once in a while a friend or neighbour will ask us if they can have some rocks, usually to use in their garden or as lawn ornaments, depending on the size of the rock.  We have always just given the rocks away.  Today while I was picking rocks I started thinking about what my professors tried to teach us at college, especially in the business-type classes.  According to my professors, farming today requires a good deal of money (who doesn't know that?) and it is just good business to charge a fair price for products from the farm.

For years, we been giving away rocks and composted manure for people's gardens.  I understand why we do it.  Those are just waste products that other people can use.  They come pick it up and take it away.  Why would we charge money for that?  On the other hand, why wouldn't we?  In the case of the rocks, unless the people come pick them or dig them out themselves, we have spent hours working hard to pick those rocks and put them in a convenient pile.  It's hard work that has to be done anyways, but it would be nice to get paid for it, especially when other people get the benefit of that hard work.  The composted manure takes a little less work, but it takes time and effort to clean out the corrals and get it all into a pile.  Again, that's work that has to be done anyways, but when people come to get it, we have to take the time to find the best pile and get the tractor out to load their trucks up.  Then again, what's a few minutes to help a friend take some waste products off of our hands?

Do you get the idea that I'm having a bit of an inner struggle here?  I want to be a nice person and help people when I can.  Then again, I want to be a good business person and when I look at this situation from a business perspective, all I can can see is that it only makes sense to charge a fair price for the products.  I don't think it's unreasonable to charge for these things, as long as the price is fair.

My parents are great people and they've kept the farm going for several decades.  I'd really like to be able to keep the farm going the same way that they have, but I don't think that's possible.  I'm going to have to figure out the best way to run the farm as a business.  The farm has to pay for itself and make me a living if I'm going to be able to keep it.  One of the ways the farm will pay for itself is if I can make money from waste products, like rocks and manure.  I haven't completely made up my mind yet, but I think once the farm is mine, I will start asking people to pay the fair price for products that have previously been free from this farm.

Let me know what you think.  I'd like to have feedback as I consider this.

One of the rock piles on some land that we rent.

You can see the variety of rock sizes we deal with.

Beauty in Crops

I've a bit of writer's block these past few weeks.  I can't think of a thing to write, especially about farming.  Maybe it's because I'm at school and not actually farming right now.  Whatever the reason, my writer's block lifted this morning as I was inspired by the beauty of, well, studying.  Let me explain that.  I was studying for a crop identification quiz I have this afternoon.  The various crops we need to be able to identify are geown in pots in the college greenhouse.  I had some time on my hands and went down to the greenhouse to check on my project crop (that's a crop I planted for the same class) and to study a bit.  I was pleasantly surprised to find many of the crops flowering.  After enjoying the beauty for a while, I thought I'd share some of it with my friends.

This is the flower and leaves of a Desi Chickpea plant.

This is the flower and leaves of a Field Bean plant.

These are the flowers and buds of a Borage plant.  Borage is used for essential oils.

This is a picture of a Borage plant with Corn and Sunflowers in the background.

This is a picture of the flowers of Coriander.  Coriander is a spice.

This a Tame Buckwheat plant.  It is related to Wild Buckwheat, the number one annual weed in Alberta in agricultural settings.  

This is a picture of Oats.  The head is just coming out.  The head is circled and the arrow is pointing the part of the leaf where the head is coming through.

These are the leaves of an Argentine Canola plant.  They are identifiable because the leaves clasp the stem and are glabrous (no hairs), with a blueish tinge. 

This is the flowers and buds of a Brown Mustard plant.

This is Foxtail Millet.  It is related to Green Foxtail, a weed my dad and I encountered in our barley crop this summer.

The arrow is pointing the the heads of Annual Canarygrass, also called Canary Seed.  The seeds are commly used in birdseed, but research is being done to see if it would be feasible to use them in human food, as an alternative to such grains as wheat.

This is Safflower.  The oil from the seeds is used for cooking and in cosmetics.

This is the buds and leaves of one of my Quinoa plants.  It is a crop I need to know how to identify, but it is also my project crop for the class.  I affectionately refer to quinoa as "hippy food" when I'm talking about it to my dad and our older neighbours.  Quinoa is closely related to Lamb's Quarters, a weed I take great pleasure in pulling from the garden each year.

I hope you've been able to enjoy the beauty of these crops with me.  As you can see, food is not just beautiful when it is artfully displayed on a plate.  It is also beautiful as it develops.