The following letter was sent to the Wellington Advertiser in response to a letter to the editor which appeared in their August 25th edition. As both a livestock and cash crop farmer, I feel our consumers need some more accurate and current information on these issues. In the past 100 years, the average size of farms has increased from 50 hectares in 1901 to 246 hectares in 1996.
Canadian farmers use fewer chemicals than their counterparts in other countries.
As farmers, we must complete pesticide certification courses and pass an exam on handling pesticides before we are even permitted to purchase, let alone apply, these products. Farmers continuously look at and support research that help us develop different ways to provide our consumers with safe, wholesome food. After all, our families consume the same food products as everyone else. I like to think of farming as the original recycling program. Animals produce manure, which is spread on the land to help grow crops.