My late father Jack Cooper told me many times I should learn something new each day. I have tried to do that in my lifetime and have encouraged my children and grandchildren to always be on a learning curve.
Farming and food have been part of my life for over 40 years. You would think I would know a lot about agriculture after all these years. But the more I learn about this fascinating sector, the more I realize how little I really know.
Farming and food has always been with us and will always be with us. But this sector, in order to survive and grow, has gone through many changes over the decades. One thing does stay the same. Farming and food is all about our farm families.
In the 16 years I have been writing these articles, we have learned so much together. So here is a short quiz about agriculture.
1. Almost ___ Canadian farm operators are under the age of 35.
2. The world will need ___% more food by the year 2050.
3. Chatham-Kent is the Number ___ producer of seed corn in all of Canada.
4. One in ____ Canadian jobs are in agriculture and agri-food.
5. ___% of Canadian farms are family-owned and operated.
6. Chatham-Kent is the Number ___ producer of tomatoes in all of Canada.
7. It takes _____ fewer gallons of water to grow an acre of corn today than in 1990.
8. The Canadian beef sector contributes almost $____ billion to the Canadian economy every year.
9. Canada is the Number ___ producer of canola in the world.
10. Chatham-Kent’s leading economic driver is ____.
Our farmers are continually taking courses and attending workshops to make sure they’re up to date with the latest technologies and farming practices. In fact, the 24th Annual Southwest Agricultural Conference recently took place at the Ridgetown Campus of the University of Guelph. Eighty speakers during these two days gave informative and innovative talks to over 1,400 producers from across Southwestern Ontario. Now that’s a progressive industry!
Here are the quiz answers.
1) 25,000 – Agriculture’s future looks bright and many young people are embracing the opportunity this exciting sector offers.
2) 60%. We’ll have to meet this increased demand on less land and with fewer resources, so agriculture will have to be more efficient, sustainable and innovative than ever.
3) Chatham-Kent is the Number ONE producer of seed corn in all of Canada.
4) One in eight – The Canadian agriculture and agri-food system employs over 2.3 million people and is one of Canada’s largest employers. If you’re looking for opportunity, you can find it in agriculture.
5) 98% – Despite the common belief that agriculture is mostly run by big corporations, the family-run farm rules the roost. Agriculture is not just a business, but a way of life for many Canadian families.
6) Chatham-Kent is the Number ONE producer of tomatoes in all of Canada.
7) It takes 50,000 fewer gallons of water to grow an acre of corn today than in 1990.
8) The Canadian beef sector contributes almost $25 billion to the Canadian economy every year.
9) Canada is the Number ONE producer of canola in the world.
10) Chatham-Kent’s leading economic driver is AGRICULTURE, over a $3-billion plus sector and still growing.
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Think about this – When we cannot see God’s hand, we can trust His heart.
Just some food for thought.
Remember that here in Chatham-Kent ‘We Grow for the World’. Check out our community’s agriculture website at: www.wegrowfortheworld.com
Kim Cooper has been involved in the agribusiness sector for over 40 years. He can be reached at: kim.e.cooper@gmail.com
You can also follow him on Twitter at ‘theAGguy’
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