
By Kim Cooper
Special to The Voice
How do we talk about agriculture without talking about farmers?
Many times, we forget the faces of farm families, who are responsible for where our food comes from.
It is interesting to look back on your life and observe some of the perceptions you had when you were younger. I grew up in the city, and even though my mother grew up on a farm in Tilbury East, which I visited many times, I still had no idea what farming was all about.
I knew my grandfather and uncle grew corn, soybeans, wheat, tomatoes, cucumbers and other crops. However, I never really thought about the amount of work that went into growing any of those crops, and didn’t really think about where all those crops ended up.
During my childhood, I thought the meat on our supper table came from Martin’s Butcher Shop around the corner from our house; the milk on our breakfast table came from a glass bottle delivered by our Silverwood’s Dairy milkman; the bread for our sandwiches came from the Jackson Bakery bread man with the horse.
To me, food was something that just ended up on our supper table. I had no concept how the farming world operated or anything about where my food came from. I found out later, and am still learning, that agriculture is massive, intriguing, personal, and very complex.
Many people who were raised in Chatham-Kent and have lived a good number of years grew up on farms. That was the way it was. Today, most Chatham-Kent citizens, especially younger ones, have no rural background.
With so many people born and raised in the city, including myself, this leaves little opportunity to see, explore or understand how the world of agriculture affects our daily lives.
We have an amazing and rich farm heritage in Chatham-Kent, which many of us take for granted. During my 20 years of agriculture business travel, I visited more than 30 countries and had the privilege of meeting many hard-working and dedicated farmers in those countries. I believe our local growers are the best anywhere in the world in terms of knowledge, expertise, experience, and care for the land they are stewards of, as well as the many crops they grow and the animals they raise.
We have some of the best soil in Canada, capable of growing anything from soybeans to sour cherries, corn to cucumbers, turnips to tomatoes, or raising anything from cattle to chickens, or pigs to quail.
Surrounding all the communities within Chatham-Kent is farmland. In fact, more than 90 per cent of the entire land base is for various farming purposes. Wherever you live, you just need to drive a few minutes into the countryside to see first-hand our agricultural sector in action. Unfortunately, this is as close to agriculture as many get, so most of us never fully appreciate what farmers accomplish for our economy and for the world.
There is an endless amount to learn about agriculture. I have been involved in this fascinating sector for more than 45 years and still have so much to learn. My hope is that you will take time to explore and understand how our local agriculture impacts your life. Hopefully, you will be able to come away with more of an awareness, insight and appreciation into what it takes to grow, raise and produce the food that comes from the farm to your plate.
I want to extend a huge thank you to all our farmers and their families in Chatham-Kent. We are so thankful for your dedication and your love for what you do for us every day.
Here in Chatham-Kent, our farmers really do grow for the world!
- Kim Cooper has been involved in the agribusiness sector for more than 45 years. He can be reached at [email protected].