YORKTON - Last Saturday was the 21st anniversary of Food Day Canada not that many people seemed to notice.
Admittedly it is a day that without news releases popping into the cyber mailbox I would not have remembered, and I most certainly could not have told you of the day’s origins without again reliance on a press release.
The day was apparently first launched by the late University of Guelph Food Laureate and Member of the Order of Canada, Anita Stewart as an opportunity to celebrate the hardworking people who produce the food we all enjoy, according to a federal release.
In this case the release was from the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, where he noted, “I want to take this opportunity to highlight the work of everyone involved – from the farm gate to the plate. Whether it’s our dedicated farmers who care for the land, our innovative food processors, or the skilled chefs who turn local ingredients into exceptional dishes, today, we celebrate the vitally important role that our food systems play in our daily lives. . .
“Canada’s food community deserves recognition today and every day. Let’s honour their hard work and commitment to providing the food that nourishes us.”
You would of course expect no less from the federal minister, although there is no arguing with the sentiment that we should be keenly aware of the efforts of all those whose jobs are links in the chain which ultimately put food on our table.
It’s too easy these days to head to the grocery store and just think that is where our food comes from without thought to who grew it, and how it was handled from farm to store.
That’s increasingly worrisome for farmers in particular as the end user for what they grow, those consuming the food, are completely detached from the farm.
How many Canadian youth have seen a cow milked, collected an egg from a chicken, helped feed a pig?
Too few certainly.
Farm animals are becoming something cute that kids see in a fair petting zoo, and not something produced by farmers for breakfast of bacon and eggs, lunch of a meat lovers pizza, and supper of a bowl of chili.
So for those few that remembered Food Day hopefully it was the impetus to connect a bit more directly with a farmer moving forward so that we create a better general understanding of where our food is produced, and how it is produced as well.
