Did this durum come from our farm? What ranch raised this beef? What cow did I get this milk from? Here in Saskatchewan, the Agriculture industry accounts for more than 50,000 jobs. We are the world’s largest exporter of lentils, peas, durum, and canola. I believe that it is our duty to understand and appreciate the true origin and story of our food.
My food story begins with my community. Imperial, Saskatchewan, has a population of only around 350 people, and nearly everyone in the community is touched by the Agriculture industry in one way or another. There are grain farms that range from 2,000 to over 20,000 acres in size. Herds of both purebred Herefords and commercial cattle surround our little town. There’s even a turkey barn ten miles down the road. However, it’s not only farmers and ranchers that make this community’s operations run. There’s the truckers that haul endless amounts of grain to terminals and spend hours on the road. There’s the workers that are employed by Rite Way that build implements that are shipped around the world. There’s our local fuel truck drivers that bring much-needed diesel out so that our combines and tractors can work the fields. There’s the miners that dig up the potash that fertilizes our crops. There’s the roughnecks that spend weeks away from home to harvest the oil that fuels the farms. In my class of ten kids, six of us have farms or have parents that are in Ag. This industry has benefited our community in innumerable ways, and without Agriculture, Imperial would be little more than a ghost town.
My food story is smaller than many people’s. Van Damme Farms was established over a century ago, in 1908. The farm was a mixed beef and grain operation, but today is a grain-only farm. My dad took over from my grandfather a couple of months after I was born in 2002. Today, we farm just over 7,000 acres of land. Having a dad for a farmer is quite different from having a dad that works a 9 to 5. During harvest and seeding, I often don’t see my dad for days at a time. He’s up before dawn and home long after the sun sets. Sometimes he swaths straight through the night. However, the pros of having a farmer dad far outweigh the cons. Dad has taught me many things, like how to scoop grain out of a flat-bottom bin in 30° heat and how to patiently follow home a tractor that tops out at 20 km/h. The most important thing my father taught me was all about food. I spent hours in combines and semi trucks asking him about where our crops go and what foods they are turned into. He told me how durum is used to make pasta, and how canola turns from tiny black seeds into bright yellow oil. He told me how the seeds we take off the fields ship all across Canada, and that our lentils, peas, and wheat could be consumed anywhere from British Columbia to Nova Scotia. Our farm’s food story continues to build and change every year, with evolving crops, ever-changing weather, and new technologies.
While said new technologies are necessary to feed our growing world, many people don’t agree. One topic that is hotly debated is the use of genetically modified organisms, or GMO’s. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, a GMO is any organism whose genomes have been altered at the molecular level. Researchers insert genes from other (often unrelated) species that have the code for specific traits. This ground-breaking work allows crops to be upgraded through a process that would normally take years to develop through selective breeding. The argument against GMOs is that there are extra toxins introduced and that they cause massive ecological damage. These statements lack concrete evidence and are untrue. GMOs are necessary to feed the world. We need crops with higher yield so that more food can be produced from the same amount of seed. This makes food more affordable and bountiful. GMOs reduce insecticide use, which saves farmers much needed money. Drought-resistant crops help to salvage summers with little-to-no rain. Added nutritional content helps our world remain healthy and well-fed without requiring extra food and supplements. According to the UN, our world will be home to 9.7 billion people by 2050. These people need to be fed somehow, and GMO’s are they way to do it.
I want to further my knowledge of my food story for the rest of my life. I’m planning to attend the University of Saskatchewan to obtain a Bachelor’s of Science in Agriculture. I want to focus on Agronomy, and possibly pursue a minor in Animal Sciences. From there, I dream of working for a large company such as Pioneer or Bayer, either in sales or doing field work. I’d also love to have my own grain farm one day, perhaps with a small purebred beef herd.
Agriculture is often viewed in an unflattering light, with one viral malpractice video or an article denouncing GMOs turning the whole world against farmers. It is time that this changed. The true story of how the world gets its food deserves to be known. This begins with the small people. This could be the small town advocates sharing images and stories to social media. This could be programs like Agriculture in the Classroom that teach young kids about farming. Most importantly, it is the farmers, large and small, that work day and night to bring the food to our tables. They deserve to have their story known. We are Saskatchewan. This is our food, and this is our story.