Chris Krucker - Ontario 21st century Farming Challenges

Chris Krucker is a local farmer operating from Manorun Farm in Copetown. Chris informed us how the simple subject of food had become more complicated – how we have to understand food safety (because of bacteria, chemicals used, the supply chain and impacts on long term health) and food justice (can everyone get enough, have good access, while protecting the environment and paying farmer workers fairly?).

He then contrasted the global food system we have come to expect (coming thousands of miles with potential for recalls and a wide variety of pest borne diseases) with the alternative of buying locally grown food (coming just a few miles, buying directly from the farmer, eating in season and organically).

Chris showed statistics which demonstrated the high and growing debt load of farmers contrasting it with their low and declining incomes; this perhaps explained the data on the reduction of the number of farms and farmers.That was the bad news.

Chris then described the life he enjoyed on his version of “old MacDonald’s farm” growing a wide range of crops for sale at the farm gate and through his Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). In the CSA, around 150 regular customers pre-pay for weekly amounts of a season of fresh vegetables. His CSA can provide these for 25 weeks a year. Chris has a successful operation which gives an enjoyable way of life but not a lot of cash.  He encouraged us all to use Dundas Farmers Market, which he noted was the best one in Hamilton. Chris concluded with words for prospective farmers – have money in the  bank (or a good off-farm job), seek the best price for your produce, spend as much effort marketing and selling as farming and be sure to grow a very diverse range of crops to avoid any one crop failure impacting the business.