2. Agriculture in Canada

3. Hi! I’m Farmer Brown and this is my cow Moolina. You may remember me from such songs as BINGO and The Three Daughters of Farmer Brown. But today I am here to tell you about Agriculture in Canada.

4. Now Here’s The Deal… Now folks, any time you see words in a white box, this is the information that y’all will need to include in your notes. Now make Farmer Brown happy so I don’t have to bust a moo-ve doing the Milk Rap!

5. Some Farming Facts… The Agri-Food Industry is the second largest in Canada, and possibly the most important. Less than 1% of Canada’s population are farmers. Only 13% of the rural population is represented by farmers.

6. Now when you think of a farm, you probably think of my arch-nemesis Old MacDonald. Boy do Moolina and I get sick of hearing about him! Now when you think of a farm, you probably think of my arch-nemesis Old MacDonald. Boy do Moolina and I get sick of hearing about him! Howdy folks! I’m Old MacDonald, and on my farm you will find pigs, sheep, cows, horses, chickens, maybe a goat or two and some crops (but they never get mentioned in the song). “Back in the day”, Old MacDonald’s farm was the type you would see— a family farm. Today’s farms are all about business. Let’s take a look.

7. A Modern Farm Modern farms are run like a business, rather than to sustain a small group of people. They often specialize in one or two types of products and sell to a direct market.

8. Canada’s Second-Largest Industry The agri-food system provides Canada with about 1/3 of our GDP each year. That includes revenue from Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting; Crop Production; and Animal Production.

9. You’re right, Moolina… that Old MacDonald does need a dose of reality. Anyway, let’s show these fine young whippersnappers what Canada’s farming picture looks like today.

10. Old MacDonald Says… My farm has Canada’s most- produced livestock! Can you guess what it is?

11. What Do We Grow In Canada?

12. Farmer Brown Says… That MacDonald, thinks he’s so cool, just because he has beef cattle… we’ll show him, since our farm is on some of the best land in Canada! Moolina wonders if you know where the best land is for farming in Canada.

13. Okanagan Valley Prairies Niagara Region Holland Marsh Annapolis Valley

14. Did You Know…? And I bet that Old MacDonald didn’t know that we use agricultural products for many things besides food! Of course I know! Check out the next slide!

15. Farming is More Than Food!

16. So, Farmer Brown, if that’s your real name… why don’t you explain to these people what Agribusiness is? No problem, Old MacDonald…

17. What’s Agribusiness? Agribusiness refers to the important businesses involved in food production, including: farming seed supply chemical supply (fertilizers, pesticides) machinery wholesale and distribution processing marketing retail sales Parts of the industry

18. I was wondering the same thing Moolina. There are lots of job opportunities in our “field”… I hope that young people will consider some of the following jobs.

19. A Career In Agribusiness? 1 in 7 Canadians are employed by this industry! Plenty of job opportunities exist in: Fitness, Nutrition and Health Care Hospitality and Tourism Agriculture and Production Retail Education Sales, Delivery and Marketing Science and Research

20. You’re right Moolina, although there are lots of jobs in the Agri-Food industry, we are also facing some tough times as farmers. It goes way beyond the whole Farmer Brown vs. Old MacDonald rivalry!

21. Current Issues In Agribusiness Fewer people are interested in being farmers Financial Issues Loss of land due to urbanization Controversy over certain farming practices (fertilizers, pesticides, Mad Cow disease) “Oh dear, we are in trouble!”

22. Where Have All The Farmers Gone? Farmers As you can see, Canada’s population is increasing, and the number of farmers we have is decreasing.

23. Fewer Farmers! In Canada, we rely on less than 1% of our population to provide us with food!

24. Why So Few Farmers? There is a lack of interest in farming due to several factors: It’s hard work. The population of farmers is aging. Many farms are run by people aged 35 or older, and 35% are aged 55 or older. It costs a lot of money to start up a farm. (It can cost between $800 000 and $1.4 million) Farming can be a risky business investment. Farmers are not seen as valuable in our society.

25. Financial Issues Many farmers (64%) of small farms require a second job to make ends meet. Farmers argue that the subsidies provided by the Canadian government are not sufficient to compete with U.S. subsidies, which are larger.

26. More Financial Issues Due to varying prices of crops, it can be a real gamble as to whether a farmer will make a profit each season. Not only do farmers rely on supply and demand, but they also depend on the growing season to be favourable, and fertile land conditions. Canadian Wheat Prices Per Bushel

27. Building On Our Farmland? Often it is more profitable to sell farmland to builders and then get the money for the land than it is to farm. Toronto

28. Controversies Galore… The occurrence of Mad Cow Disease has put many farming practices into question. This has not been good news for Canadian beef and dairy farmers.

29. Other Concerns Environmentalists are worried about the effects of pesticides and fertilizers Environmentalists are worried about the effects of pesticides and fertilizers Farmers’ use of biotechnology (using technology to modify living organisms) Farmers’ use of biotechnology (using technology to modify living organisms)

30. Wow, Farmer Brown, you have actually given me a lot of “Food For Thought” today. I didn’t think you had it in you! That’s great, Old MacDonald. Moolina and I had fun too. So, do you want to call off our silly rivalry then? Of course not!

31. And Finally….