Happy Agriculture Day Canada!

Think about what you did today, yesterday or even last week. Did you order a burger at lunch? Pour milk in your morning coffee? Walk past a tree? Whether you thought about it or realized it at all, agriculture touches us daily. It is all encompassing and includes everything from the raising of livestock, the growing of crops, to the maintaining of the soil.

The cultivation of land for food dates back, in our recorded history, to the 15th century when Samuel de Champlain, the “Father of New France,” came to Canada and first noted that the Huron and Iroquois nations were cultivating the land and growing foods such as corn, potatoes and squash1. As the east was developed, settlers were able to move west and soon indications of small scale farms were evident, with the first coming up near Lake Athabasca, Saskatchewan in 1778. Since then, the growth of agriculture across the country has been immense.

Today, according to statistics produced by the Canadian Agriculture and Agri-Food System, it is estimated that 2.2 million Canadians have jobs that fall under the umbrella of agriculture, that’s every 1 in 8 jobs! Now, this doesn’t mean that these individuals are out in the field everyday. It could mean anything from animal nutritionist, researcher, or land agent to seed sales. The agriculture sector of Canada contributes approximately $100 billion to our annual GDP, that’s more than some countries overall GDP2.

Farming is a multidisciplinary way of life that began as a solution to providing needs for growing communities. Today it touches every life across the country every single day, with many people not even realizing the impact it has and the work of those around them that make their meals, clothing, and environment the way they are today.

We love our Canadian grown products and the people who help make all of these developments happen and we want to share that with the world. Join us on February 16th, 2017 as we come together and celebrate Canada’s Agriculture Day! For more information visit: www.agriculturemorethanever.ca/cdn-ag-day/

Spread the Word: #CndAgDay; #AgMoreThanEver, #RealDirt

References:

1. Farming. (n.d.). Retrieved February 15, 2017, from http://www.canadiangeographic.com/atlas/themes.aspx?id=farming&lang=En
2. AgFacts: Agriculture and The Economy. (2015, August 14). Retrieved February 15, 2017, from http://www.agr.gc.ca/eng/about-us/publications/discover-agriculture/agfacts-agriculture-and-the-economy/?id=1355435809830