Farming

          As already mentioned my Granny and Gredad were small time farmers, as were their parents before them. When I say small time farmers, I mean that they did not own a dairy farm, or were commercial farmers. They literally only grew and kept what they need to survive the winter, and possibly traded some with their neighbours. On their farm they kept chickens, pigs, geese, cows and work horses. They also grew vegetables in a small garden, and according to my Mother, my Granny was the queen of preserves. My mother can remember as a child picking the ingredients for a salad fresh from Granny and Gredad’s garden. We partially credit these memories for our love of cooking. My mother loves to cook, as do I, and it was my Granny and Gredad who helped to expose my Mother to that. Unfortunately, today there is less opportunity for children to experience these types of gardens, as monoculture crops are the primary food source of the average Canadian (Altieri, 2007). We just go to the super market now. This has made crops more vulnerable to disease and pests, as well, as making farmers dependent on other farmers instead of being self-sustaining (Altieri, 2007). Also, lack of exposure to farm animals has been credited in the development of allergies in city children (Louv, 2008). As well, Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods, has explained in his book how important exposure to nature and the outdoors is for child development (Louv, 2008). Fortunately, I and my family members have all enjoyed an upbringing rich with outdoor experiences.

                We sometimes wonder if our family’s farming ambitions could have further excelled if there had have been more government support during these early years. Politics really did play a role in the advancement of farmers. As far back as the 1800’s men who were in power in colony towns were town dwellers, and chief citizens of the colony, not farmers (Wood, 2000). This was despite the importance of agriculture. As such, they didn’t have invested interest in the prosperity of small farmers (Wood, 2000). It wasn’t until 1914 when the United Farmers of Ontario formed that farmers began to have a united voice to address the advancement of farming as an industry (The Canadian Encyclopedia , 2014). In the 20’s commercial farmers experienced some prosperity, until 1931 when farm receipts in Ontario decreased by over 50% (The Canadian Encyclopedia , 2014). My family however was unaffected, including during the great depression.  This is because they were not commercial farmers. Their food was not a commodity, it was a means of subsidence. They just had a large vegetable garden located in an overgrown field my family still owns today. They didn’t sell their food, so when the stock market crashed and money was tight, they wouldn’t have noticed a huge decrease in income.  They didn’t even use banks, they buried their money in the yard. When money was tight however, they were forced to log.

This was their garden. We still own this land, but its over grown.