As many Ontario farm families wrap up harvest and get ready for winter, they are also preparing for another annual tradition – the drive to Canada’s largest city, where they participate in the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. The Royal, now in its 90th year, remains the world’s largest combined indoor agricultural fair and international equestrian competition. For Ontario farm families, the Royal has traditionally represented an opportunity to “bring the country to the city,” and engage the non-farming public in aspects of agriculture many have not had the opportunity to experience.
This year, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is participating in the Royal through our sponsorship of the Journey To Your Good Health exhibit. Visitors of all ages will be invited to connect with health and agriculture experts at exhibits, demonstrations and through active discussion. At OFA’s Future of Food and Farming booth, consumers and kids will have an opportunity to interact with the farm community through daily discussions on sustainability, food safety, production tools and new food products.
Public education about food and farming – and working with community stakeholders to develop a blueprint for agriculture in the future – is at the heart of much of what OFA strives to achieve every day. At the national level, OFA has worked with our federal counterparts and other agricultural organizations across the country to develop a national food strategy. We were also encouraged by the recent interest the provincial government has expressed around establishing a provincial food strategy.
Educational programs such as those offered at the Royal provide the ideal environment to incorporate some of the agricultural education initiatives the OFA hopes to see in any future local food legislation. Specifically, we want food and agriculture to be reintroduced to the Ontario school curriculum. Such a change would increase knowledge of healthy eating patterns among children and teenagers, and will allow for practical food-based skills such as how to properly plan and prepare nutritious meals.
The Royal provides an important educational opportunity to rural youth as well; it gives them the opportunity to take pride in the tasks they perform on the farm every day. The Royal’s various competitions, showcases and outreach initiatives help rural youth understand that what they do is important, and that the information they know innately has real value to the rest of the world. And, it helps equip them with the skills and confidence to share the important role they have with the consumers who rely on them every day.
Mark Wales is president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture
