Farming, I hope we are all aware, is one of the most significant professions in existence in terms of what it helps to achieve. Without farmers, there wouldn’t be a whole hell of a lot of anything; they produce food and crops to feed the world, to create materials and other resources, and, they’re some of mother nature’s best caretakers because of their love and passion for the planet and everything it offers.
Anyone who is involved with the agricultural realm in any way here in Ontario is more than aware of how rough things have been for farmers pertaining to the current pandemic we’re in, but this post isn’t for those of us who are familiar with how dire the situation facing farmers is. This post is for anyone who is unaware, and I hope I have your attention.
COVID-19 has arguably made everything difficult in a general sense. It has affected our mental and physical health, our relationships, our hobbies and extracurricular activities, and our jobs. The point of this post is not to imply that farmers have it worse than any other profession out there, because I’m not sure if that is true. The point of this post is, however, to inform the public of how difficult the Canadian and Ontario governments have made it for us to bring up our essential temporary foreign workers whose presence is necessary in order to produce enough food and materials to satisfy the needs of the world.
Last year was hard enough in terms of the COVID-19 protocols and stipulations farmers were given and expected to abide by, but this year is much worse. My family’s farm is in Brant County, and while we aren’t nearly as challenged as our farmers in Norfolk County, it’s bad enough. I’m not going to go into specific detail for the sake of keeping the length of this post under control, but please, if you would like to know more, let me know in the comments and I will be happy to fill you in regarding the shit show going on in the farming realm currently.
To put it mildly, the Canadian and Ontario governments have made the process of bringing up our essential temporary foreign workers as difficult and as complicated as possible. It is maddening to acknowledge the fact that the people responsible for orchestrating these make-work projects and bullshit requirements are likely doing so from a high-rise office in Toronto who have absolutely zero comprehension of how farms operate, and likely never will. The ignorance is truly astounding.
Farmers strive to feed and provide. That’s our goal and passion, and we rely on the temporary foreign workers who come here to help us do the work no one local will. We are drowning and yelling out for help, attention and advocacy, and I’m begging you to listen.
ontheedgeofeverything 