NDP honours farmers during Agriculture Week

QUEEN'S PARK – Official Opposition NDP critic for Agriculture and Rural Affairs John Vanthof (Timiskaming—Cochrane) released the following statement to recognize Agriculture Week and thank farmers for their hard work across Ontario:

"On behalf of the official opposition, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge Agriculture Week in Ontario.

The Agri-Food Industry is a $47 billion contribution to this province. There are over 800,000 people employed in the Agri-Food industry, but the foundation of that industry is the farm families who grow the food we eat. To them, it’s a special feeling—whether you grow soybeans in a field or cucumbers in a greenhouse...a special feeling when those seeds come up from the ground when you see the risk you are taking. You feel each time you watch them grow, and now it is harvest time, and the farmers are harvesting their crops. That is a special feeling when you harvest the crop and see what is coming off the field. But there are also times when your crop fails, or you are calving your best cow, and that cow or her calf dies.

The fact that farmers keep going with those challenges is what makes a farmer. That's why I'm so proud to be a farmer, and that's why we recognize farmers and their families today on Agriculture Week. The province of Ontario is built on their backs."