July 31 marked Food Day across Saskatchewan — a way to show appreciation for farmers and the hard and often overlooked work they do.
People were asked to support farmers, ranchers, fishers, researchers and chefs by purchasing local goods grown and produced in Canada.
Agriculture Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) president Todd Lewis said with the challenges farmers and ranchers are facing this year because of extensive drought, this year is important to showcase the work that gets put into making some of the best high-quality foods.
“We are a world leader in food production,” said Lewis. “I think Food Day in Canada is going to show just how important farmers are to this province.”
Products such as lentils, meat, dairy fruits and vegetables along with being a world leader in mustard exports are all things farmers in Saskatchewan produce at a high-quality rate.
Mossbank, Sask. area farmer Cherilyn Jolly-Nagel says farming is a driving force in Saskatchewan’s economy.
“It certainly has put Canada on the map around the world. We are known for our high-quality food,” said Jolly-Nagel. “It contributes substantially to our GDP.”
Lanigan, Sask. area farmer Clinton Monchuk said the extreme heat for much of the province and its farmers and agriculture sector producers is a challenge farmers have to adapt and go with on the fly.
“It’s making it more difficult to go further down the line in some of those products that we use,” said Monchuk. “That’s where we really need to realize and give thanks to the bountiful land that we have here in Saskatchewan.”
Monchuk says crops come thanks to the heavens, when there is no rain there is no crop and when there is less crop it’s harder to feed the millions of people across Canada.
He adds many farmers are taking their crop out now, which is up to a month before the usual harvest takes place. They have had to take what they have in their fields which in many cases there is a lack of quantity from the drought conditions.
Lewis says it all starts in the ground, through summer and culminating with a harvest.
“It’s so important to know where the food comes from and how it gets there,” Lewis said. “Any time we can promote the agriculture sector in our urban centres, it’s important.”
Lewis said any moisture that we receive will be too late in many cases to help crops across the province.
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