Growing up, it was not apparent to me that farmers were fighting a battle — and a big one at that. The threat that has become one of the largest concerns for our farmers and it came from a place they would have never expected: us, the people they feed.
During my youth in the city, I had heard it all (or, at least, all that activists wanted us to hear). We were told our food system is in shambles, and farmers were at the mercy of large companies who controlled our food supply. I knew farmers were forced to by GMO crops and they were being dragged off to jail if seed from the neighbor’s field blew into theirs without them knowing. I was so sure of it that I decided to bank my entire career path on the information I had been given in order to “save” our farmers.
I enrolled myself in Agricultural Business at the University of Guelph, one of Canada’s leading ag schools, and went down the path to my dream of starting my own farm.
What I started to realize shook me up: Almost everything I had been told in the city growing up was not exactly true.
At first I was confused. How could all these things I “knew” to be true actually be incorrect? Then it hit me: I had never set foot on a farm or spoken to a farmer.
As a result of my journey from city to farm I decided I could deliver my unique perspective in a way my friends back home and other city dwellers could relate to. “Before the Plate” is a documentary that will take a plate of food from a restaurant in downtown Toronto and follow all the ingredients back to the farms they came from. This interview with Amanda (depicted in this video clip) was the first of many in the creation of “Before The Plate,” and it speaks to the information gap we are up against. Through truly beautiful cinematography and a fresh look at the industry featuring young farmers, “Before The Plate” is one of the best shots the ag industry has at winning the hearts of the public.
To follow “Before the Plate’s” journey, follow them on Facebook and on Instagram and stay tuned to AGDAILY.com.
