By Franchesca Weeks August 7, 2015
The Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario has organized three free pig roasts celebrating Farmers Under 40. We are encouraging young farmers to become strong "Ag-vocates" and to share positive stories about their passion for farming.
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Agriculture will always remain close to my heart, but not because I grew up on a farm, or had parents to show me what it means to be dedicated to a job they love to do. I was your average city girl consumer who knew nothing about where my food came from and believed everything the media said about farm practices. It is only recently that I gained a lot of respect for farmers and what they do. Because of my work at the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario I am able to interact with farmers and see the dedication and commitment it takes to run a farm. Seeing how much passion and love young farmers have for farming, I felt it was important to organize an event that will empower them to be proud of what they do, and encourage them to create a sustainable future throughout the agricultural sector. Seeing the pride farmers take in what they do certainly helped me see agriculture from a brand new perspective.
With the help of our sponsors FCC, FBC, and Jaylor, the CFFO has organized 3 free pig roasts for Farmers Under 40, encouraging them to be a positive voice for agriculture. Our guest speakers Kristine Beck and Jennifer Pert from FCC spoke about our partnership on the 'Ag More Than Ever Initiative.' They expressed how young farmers can become an 'Agvocate' for farming and gave tools on how to speak up and share about their passion for farming. Our Renfrew-Lanark event took place on July 15 and our Wentworth-Brant event was on July 24. Both were a huge success. Amazing caterers cooked a delicious pig roast. Kids Entertainers Par-T-Perfect came with a 14 ft bouncy castle, face painters, a cotton candy machine and carnival games. We had amazing door prizes from our sponsors including two $100 gift cards to give away. It was a great opportunity to meet new people and celebrate our young farmers.
Our next free Farming Under 40 Pig Roast is coming up in the Oxford District on August 24. It will be held at Veldale Farms in Woodstock at 6:30 pm. The CFFO encourages everyone in that area who farms and is under the age of 40 to come, eat great food, meet fellow farmers and participate in an inspiring evening. For more information please contact Franchesca@christianfarmers.org. ______________________________________________________________________________________ Franchesca Weeks is the Communications Manager for the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario. The CFFO Commentary represents the opinions of the writer and does not necessarily represent CFFO policy. The CFFO Commentary is heard weekly on CFCO Chatham, CKNX Wingham, and UCB Canada radio stations in Chatham, Belleville, Bancroft, Brockville and Kingston. It is also archived on the CFFO website: www.christianfarmers.org. CFFO is supported by 4,000 family farmers across Ontario.
