A Thread from a Farmer to the Canadian Consumer:

There is not one person in Canada today who isn't feeling a sense of upheaval and fear, we are in an unprecedented time and anyone who claims to know what will happen next is doing nothing more than educated guessing

You may have noticed bare shelves or limits on how many essentials you can buy. I understand that this is scary given we are used to full grocery stores. You may have also noticed that there are 'experts' who haven't gotten dirt under their fingernails espousing opinions on why

The real reason why has nothing to do with how a farmer sells their product or to whom it is sold. Our food system is like an Ocean Freighter, efficient and powerful yet not nimble. #COVID19 is like a sea full of icebergs, some danger we can see with more under the surface

Farmers and their partners are doing their absolute best to try and navigate this tumultuous time but it is not easy to tear apart a freighter and make a fleet of speed boats to navigate perilous waters. I want you to know every step of the food chain is working to do just that

So if you see a news story that points a finger at one sector or an expert that pretends to know what is going on, please brush it aside and think of the folks that are working to keep the shelves full. This is not a time for vendettas and long held grudges

It is time for unprecedented levels of both cooperation and grace. Cooperation because as my old boss @JeffLealPtbo loved to say to us, 'if you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together." Grace because this is hard, hard for every single Canadian

We will not let you go hungry, it isn't in our DNA. Canada boasts one of the safest and affordable food supplies in the world and a global pandemic will not stop us from keeping you fed. All we can ask for is your patience as we figure out how to get around these icebergs

Thank you to every Canadian who has reached out to support folks in the food chain, from the fertilizer truck driver to the cashier at the grocery store and every step in between. We know you have our back and we will have yours, (and your stomach)

Sincerely
A Canadian Farmer