#FarmToFood: Thank you for supporting farmers.

#ThankAFarmer

Have you heard the slogan, “thank a farmer”? This is a great campaign that helps raise awareness of where food comes from. It encourages consumers to look past the grocery aisle and realize that someone took time to grow that food.

Oats ready to harvest against the setting sun by Simon Ellis | www.canolaeatwell.com

When was the last time a farmer thanked you for the food you choose when shopping at the grocery store? There are many choices when dining out and buying groceries. Everything you eat had to be raised/grown/produced somewhere. The examples I am going to use pertain to our farm, but there are many more out there.

Thank you for eating my wheat

Thank you for buying pasta, bread and pizza. Wheat is a key ingredient in these products. A quarter to a third of our farm is wheat. It is a key crop in our production system. Wheat has been grown on the prairies since 1812, according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Thank you for eating my canola

Canola makes canola oil; I bet you didn’t guess that one. This oil can be found in salad dressings, margarine, and in many fast food fryers.  Thank you for having that side order of French fries (a personal favorite.) Did you know that a byproduct of pressing out the canola oil is canola meal? The canola meal is an excellent source of protein for animals, much of which is used in dairy cow rations. So if you have had your glass of milk today, thank you.

Thank you for eating my oats

Have you had a bowl of cheerios lately? They are made from oat groats (the grain inside the hull.) Maybe you have had a granola bar or a bowl of oatmeal. Oats are a good fit in our crop rotation. They require low inputs and return excellent organic matter back to the soil. Thank You for choosing oats.

On behalf of farmers, I thank you!

I challenge you while eating your next meal to identify all the crops and farm raised products used to make that meal.  On behalf of farmers and myself, thank you. Without you, there would be no need for farmers.

Eat Well…Simon Ellis

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