The small-farm revival

Local program equips young people for careers in livestock, agriculture

“We’re here for two really serious concerns: the death of the family farm . . . and Ontario’s food security,” said Mike Shook, FarmStart’s program manager.

Shook argues industrial agriculture — with its reliance on chemical farming — is not sustainable.

He figures that in the long-term, small-scale farming will eventually make a comeback.


He’s also concerned about the viability of transporting food over long distances.

“If we’re trucking in 80 per cent of produce, we know when we hit peak oil that’s going to become much more expensive and even impossible,” he said.

“It puts our kids and grandkids at risk,” said Shook, who just welcomed a new granddaughter into the world earlier this month.

“I don’t want that child to ever be hungry in her life and if we continue (with industrial farming), that’s what will happen.”

Guelph Mercury (Canada)