We should know where our food comes from, who is growing it and how, and at least have a basic understanding of our local food chains. After all, we need it to survive.
In a time where many Ontarians are three generations removed from farming, there is a knowledge gap that has serious indications, and is likely the root cause to a decline in understanding and appreciation of our food and farming sector. The Holland Marsh Growers’ Association, led by Executive Director Jamie Reaume (who is also the GHFFA’s Chair), teamed up with Powerline Films to tackle this onerous issue with a passionate and informative documentary, The Marsh Muckers’ Tale. Reaume tells us this was something that needed to be done.
The Marsh Muckers’ Tale (soil in the Holland Marsh is known as “muck”, and thus the farmers “marsh muckers”) tells the story of over 30 farmers and their employees who work in the Holland Marsh. The Holland Marsh, known as Ontario’s soup and salad bowl, is a tract of the most fertile, productive agricultural land in Canada.
While it is in the GTA’s backyard, how many of us are aware of this “10,000 acre pocket” that provides us with some of our most nutritious food? Shots throughout the documentary show cars from the city busily passing the rich farmland, driving by in the distance; perhaps this is not just for visual appeal, but is saying more.
We are reminded in the documentary that dense cities can exist because farming exists. While many are so removed from farming, particularly in urban centres, how do we come to know and understand what was once firsthand? With an aging farming population, one doesn’t have to think long to realize the consequences of a future generation that thinks food comes from the grocery store.
It is a hopeful sign though to see that the documentary saw some great exposure earlier this summer, premiering on CBC’s documentary channel on June 4th, making it one of the first features to highlight Ontario’s food and farming sector, directly from the perspective of a range of farmers. Showcasing one of our great local farming communities, CBC amplified our farmers’ voice to reach new national audiences; an exciting opportunity, indeed.
Chair of the Holland Marsh Growers’ Association, Alex Makarenko, summarized the film: “It talks about the uniqueness of our farmers, of what it takes to be a marsh mucker in a time when most of our fellow citizens have forgotten where their food comes, and it spotlights the importance of our role in feeding a nation.”
Viewers are taken from one farm to another, hearing several stories of how the farms came about from generations passed, the various crops now grown, as well as common issues faced. You get a personal glimpse into multiple passionate, dedicated families, while also seeing the extreme diverse skills and intelligence it takes to be a farmer. The passion and dedication is prolific. As one of the farmers, Tony Moro, tells us: “it’s not a job, it’s a way of life.”
Though the documentary certainly highlights the beauty of the Marsh, it simultaneously speaks to the universality of farming, covering diverse issues – pesticides, labour, regulations, increasing input costs, marketing – and one quickly realizes why these stories, and why this work, is relevant to us all.
CBC’s exposure surely helped amplify the message, and though they hope to get it aired on other channels, they don’t plan on stopping there. There are hopes to see the documentary in classrooms too, where its impact could arguably be even more powerful. Reaume, who deals with 23 provincial ministries in an effort toward building a better understanding of what it means to be a farmer, explains that Torontonians need to get engaged in something as basic as food – “if we don’t educate, we fail.”
And who better to learn from than the farmers themselves? Messages directly from the farmers can cut through misconceptions, representing the small percentage of voices that need to be heard. Understanding leads to appreciation, and appreciation leads to support. And where better to start the understanding process than in schools?
As Reaume shares in the documentary, only about 4% of Canada’s land mass can be used to grow crops. It is wildly apparent that we have got to value the land we do have, and the way to value that land is to protect it and support what grows on it, before it’s gone.
With food literacy currently being a hot topic surrounding the Local Food Act, it could very well be the right time to push getting these informative Tales in classrooms. This documentary team has fundamentally developed a lesson plan for Ontario teachers. Let’s press play.
In Sustain Ontario’s draft discussion paper (in which we participated, look for our comments!), “A Discussion about Food Literacy Within the Context of the Local Food Act”, it explains that “[o]nly two per cent of the Canadian population works to feed the other 98, so awareness of agriculture is important.”
Reaume explains in a previous article: “When most of our children think their food comes from the grocery store, we have a lot of work ahead of us, and this is merely a piece of the big picture.”
There is a great story here in our backyards, and it’s something we should all be aware of. A country needs a thriving agriculture system to survive; it is something we should be supporting and enabling to ensure it doesn’t disappear. The agriculture and agri-food sector is Ontario’s number one employer. And it’s arguably widely agreed that eating local is better for your health and for the environment. The reasons are as strong as they’ve always been; we just need people to remember them.
Old, grainy historic footage dispersed throughout the documentary reminds us that it’s taken hard work over the past century to get that land where it is today (and provide us with the food it has), and that it will take continued hard work and support to sustain what these farmers and families have set for us.
The documentary has received plenty of positive feedback, and for good reason. If you haven’t already, be sure to try and catch it on the CBC documentary loop and see what we’re talking about. In the mean time, the Holland Marsh Growers’ Association also has 8 additional clips on their website.
The documentary will be up online at the end of the year. If you’d like to organize a screening, contact Jamie Reaume at jreaume@rogers.com. If you’d like to see it in classrooms, tell somebody.
Choosing local food allows us to vote with our dollar every single day. After all, farmer Ron Vanhart reminds Marsh Mucker viewers that people power is what we need.