What’s for dinner? Celebrating Canadian Agriculture Day
We all get caught up in the frenzy of everyday life—between going to work, running errands, and balancing life’s to-dos. What’s for dinner can be the last thing on anyone’s mind—let alone where it’s coming from.
That’s why February 22nd—Canadian Agriculture Day—is so important. It provides consumers with an opportunity to learn more about how much work it takes to get food from farm to table.
When you think of farming, you may think of vast fields of wheat, cows grazing, or chicken coops—and you’d be right! And it’s also much more than that. Whether it’s the hemp hearts you sprinkle on your breakfast, the leafy greens you throw into your smoothie, or the glass of milk you have with a mid-afternoon snack, Canadian producers play a larger role in what’s on your plate than you realize.
And today’s producers are at the cutting edge of applying technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning and minimizing their ecological footprint. They are committed to implementing on-farm climate solutions like water conservation, understanding soil microbiome, developing drought-resistant crops, and more. See the work that is being undertaken to support the future of agriculture.
Feeding families across the globe
We know that food is essential for survival—but most of us don’t know where that food is coming from. The agri-industry is responsible for producing the food that we consume and is a major contributor to the Canadian economy. In fact, “70% of the food we consume in Canada we produce here,” says industry expert and agri-food consultant Dr. Ted Bilyea. This abundant production gives Canada the opportunity to export to countries that can’t produce the same amount. That means Canadian agriculture doesn’t just ensure there’s food on your table—it ensures there’s food on tables across the world.
Canadian agriculture provides food security and supply chain stability, and Alberta continues to pave the way as an industry leader in many areas. As of July 1, 2020, Alberta led the nation in cattle and calf inventories and accounted for 40.4% of the national herd. Alberta’s total farm cash receipts also reached an industry high in 2020 at $15.4 billion.
Say thank you to our producers!
Whether it’s just taking a moment before your meal to appreciate where your food comes from, visiting a local farm, or snapping a quick pic of your plate, there are many ways you can say “THANK YOU” to producers.
- Post a photo, video, or story using the hashtag #CdnAgDay
- Share your Canadian agriculture story
- Share some of the great resources from Agriculture more than ever
RDAR’s role in promoting Canadian agriculture
RDAR (Results Driven Agriculture Research) enables Alberta producers to determine priorities and lead agriculture research. By collaborating with scientists and researchers, we tap into existing talent and fund ideas generated by innovators to push the boundaries of Alberta’s agriculture potential.
We fund research that supports the future of agriculture by ensuring projects are SMART and connected, responsive to climate change, innovative, diverse, and focused on food supply, affordability and safety.
Visit our news page to read about RDAR’s investments, including a recent $783K commitment to growing Alberta’s agtech sector.