Could your household feed itself for 30 days if grocery stores suddenly became unavailable? We've become so accustomed to convenience that we've forgotten how dependent we are on the systems supplying our food. Preparedness isn't about fear or stockpiling. It's about developing practical skills, building stronger households and reconnecting with the resources and people around us. How prepared are you?
I didn't grow up farming. I became a farmer because I was a single mother living in poverty, determined to find another way to raise my children and support my family. What began with an agreement to exchange work for affordable rent eventually grew into Small Scale Farms, a food distribution network, farm education programs and a vision for a different kind of economy. This is the story of how I got here, what I've learned and why I'm only just getting started.
Every dollar we spend on groceries supports a food system. But where does that money actually go, and how much reaches the farmers producing our food? What if our everyday purchases could help small farms grow, strengthen our communities and build a more resilient food economy? It's time to think about whose economy we're supporting and the kind of food system we want to see survive.
We’re constantly being told we’re running out of farmland. But what if the real problem isn’t how much land we have left, but what we’re doing with it? Niagara has the land, knowledge and potential to grow more food. So why aren’t we creating more farmers and building a food economy that actually feeds our communities?
We’re constantly being told we’re running out of farmland. But what if the real problem isn’t how much land we have left, but what we’re doing with it? Niagara has the land, knowledge and potential to grow more food. So why aren’t we creating more farmers and building a food economy that actually feeds our communities?
We’ve been taught to believe there isn’t enough. Not enough food, not enough land, not enough resources. But what if the real problem isn’t what we’re running out of, but how we’ve organized the food system and who we’ve become dependent on to feed us?
Ontario has invested billions in agriculture, yet Niagara lost hundreds of farms over a decade. We’re producing more agricultural revenue with fewer farmers. So who’s actually benefiting from all this investment, and why is it still so difficult to make a living growing food?
Everyone talks about building a stronger, more self-reliant food system. But what does food sovereignty actually look like? And is our government investing in the people and infrastructure that could make it possible or not?
