The Holland Marsh – Growing Food for a Diverse Population
Welcome to the fourth of seven video clips that are being brought to you by the
Holland Marsh Growers’ Association (HMGA) – and this time talking about how the
farmers in this unique area have been and continue to grow for an ever-diverse and
growing population. Providing for this growing segment of not just the local market
place but, to a greater extent, North America and beyond, has placed unique
challenges and opportunities in front of farmers – at a time when rapid change is
occurring in the food and farming sector.
What is not a well known fact is that farmers are leaving their profession at a pace
unrivalled by any other in Ontario, in Canada, or anywhere else – and while those
farmers remaining, which account for less than 1.7 per cent of the population, are
picking up the slack where they can, as attested to in the video. And it is a population
that wants familiar tastes – like home, which is what the Holland Marsh and area
farmers are providing. For years now, these farmers have been growing an everincreasing
diversity of crops; and are willing to grow specific crops when requested.
From beets (red, white, gold, striped, mini, etc.) to bok choy to celery root to collard
greens to garlic to kale to leek to zucchini – the Holland Marsh and area is a
vegetable section unparalleled anywhere.
That is why the topic of the video speaks towards both circumstances – with
additional environmental information: Adapting for the Future.
And, as in the previous week, the Holland Marsh Growers’ Association announces
another bonus video – and one that is closer to home for all of us. The Holland
Marsh Soupfest (www.hollandmarshsoupfest,.ca and taking place on Saturday,
October 5, 2013), as mentioned in the previous bonus video, is a partnership between
the HMGA and King Township and Bradford-West Gwillimbury. Now into its fifth
year, the reasoning behind this event is simple – we live in a world where today’s
consumers are far removed from farming. Education, therefore, is paramount to
ensuring future growth and consumer awareness for the local farming and food
community. Drive folks into the marsh; show them the unique soil where the crops
are being harvested as they park their vehicles; walk them through a farmers’ market
where products and crops – recognizable and unrecognizable are found for sale; and
then showing them an end product (soup) that is easily established as Canadiana as
possible (there is even pea soup every year). It is the perfect recipe to make people
understand the cycle that is farming in Ontario – show them where it grows, watch as
the food is harvested, highlight the products in a marketplace atmosphere, and let
them taste a readily recognizable end product: soup.
From the association standpoint, the Holland Marsh Soupfest is exactly what needs
to be done as a reminder to all that all food, regardless of its end use, comes from a
farm, somewhere. In this case, the HMGA was able – with its partners – to showcase
an area that is literally the backyard garden to millions of consumers in Ontario eager
to know where their food is coming from and, more importantly, what they can do
with it once they get it home.
The farmers within the Holland Marsh and area take great pride in growing for our
fellow citizens – and it shows with each and every product that comes from this, the
most unique and most productive lands not just in Ontario but within Canada. We
proudly grow for you.
Without further ado; the fourth video link is called: Adapting for the Future
second video link about the Holland Marsh Soupfest i
Again, Enjoy at your leisure – and please remember that this clip will also be put up
on the Holland Marsh Growers’ Association website (www.hollandmarshgold.com)
and its YouTube channel. Feel free to pass it on to everyone and anyone.
Until next week. . .
And for those who missed our previous clips, far be it for us to forget about it:
Feeding the Golden Horseshoe & Beyond
Safe Food Sound Practices
Moving Farming Forward
Bonus Video
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