This Hamilton-area farmer wants to teach you where your food is grown

Once upon a time, agriculture was king in Ontario, so much so that the school year was organized in such a way as to give kids the summer off, so they could work on the family farm. 

One hundred years ago, agriculture represented 35 per cent of Ontario’s gross domestic product. Pretty much everyone either worked on a farm or knew someone who did. 

Today, it’s a very different story. Less than 1 per cent of Ontario’s workforce makes their living on a farm. If you added associated agri-businesses, the number jumps to 11 per cent. It’s a far cry from back in the day, but it still represents more than $51 billion to Ontario’s economy. 

What it means is that most people who live in Ontario today not only don’t live on a farm, but also don’t know anyone who does. They may have never visited a farm either, which also means they’re unlikely to know how the food they eat winds up on store shelves and eventually on their kitchen tables. 

That conundrum has plagued Drew Spoelstra for years. Spoelstra has a farm in Binbrook, a rural part of southeastern Hamilton. Every year, he hosts […] This is an excerpt. Read the full article now at TVO.org.