If we want the best and brightest kids to look at agriculture, Parker says, we must invest in really connecting with their lives.

Better ag education

Getting more young Canadians more interested in working in agriculture can be an achievable goal, says Becky Parker, whose Nuffield scholarship is supported by Glacier FarmMedia. First, though, we need to learn some lessons for ourselves

Reading Time: 5 minutes If you need to make a big splash, says Nuffield scholar Becky Parker, throw a big rock. A lot of little stones will only create a lot of little ripples. It’s an insight that Parker has brought home from her Nuffield tour of Britain, New Zealand and Australia, and it’s among the strategies that she […] Read more

agricultural map of southern Ontario

Save Ontario farmers, save farmland in the process

10 years later, was setting up the Ontario’s Greenbelt worth the pain? More farmers are saying yes

Reading Time: 7 minutes Rapidly rising populations, sprawling cities, shrinking farmland, and the feared effects of climate change prompted the Ontario government to create its Greenbelt around Toronto 10 years ago, with the goal of protecting some of the nation’s top agricultural land from development and fragmentation. After a decade, it seems it may be working. The greenbelt approach […] Read more


woman outside wearing winter jacket

Promoting agriculture around the globe

Why are other countries better than Canada at getting their young people excited about careers in agriculture? With support from Glacier FarmMedia, Nuffield scholar Becky Parker is on her way to find out

Reading Time: 5 minutes Becky Parker’s passion for agriculture and its future shines through when she talks about her upcoming two-year research adventure as a Nuffield scholar. But Parker also knows that it’s going to take the best people doing the best work to keep our agriculture at the forefront. In particular, she is focused on one crucial question. […] Read more

farmyard

Building a better bridge between farmers and consumers

The gap between producers and consumers is still way too deep, but new programs are proving they can make a difference

Reading Time: 5 minutes Although public and private marketing campaigns aimed at bridging the gap between farmers and consumers are making real strides, two studies conducted in 2014 point out just how far apart the two groups are in their attitudes to modern agriculture and food production. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) commissioned a $100,000 qualitative research study from […] Read more


Beef producer Bob Gordanier (l) presents $40,000 cheque to the food bank's Bill Laidlaw.

When farm organizations work with charities, everyone wins

More than a trend, feeding hungry people is becoming an essential business practice

Reading Time: 6 minutes When Bill Laidlaw was general manager of the Chicken Farmers of Ontario, he had no more insight than anyone else into what food banks were, what they did, or how they operated. Now, as executive director of the Ontario Association of Food Banks (OAFB), he spends a lot of his time lobbying the government, companies and […] Read more