Taking the Pledge!

One of our newest supporters chose a symbolic location to take the Food & Water First Pledge this month. The federal Liberal candidate for Dufferin-Caledon, Ed Crewson, stood on the edge of the Pine river, a waterway once threatened by the Highland Mega Quarry. He was joined by NDACT’s Carl Cosack who welcomed him to the campaign. Reporter Marni Walsh wrote a terrific article about the signing in the Shelburne Free Press.

 

California Dry: Lessons for Ontario?

California produces most of the fruits, nuts and vegetables consumed in the U-S, but the state is parched and getting thirstier. The lack of rain has dried up fields and orchards, and forced farmers to drill deeper into the earth for precious groundwater. The National Post has published a front-page feature article about the water crisis, and its impact on residents and food production: California’s New Normal.

As California heads into another year of drought, our supply of imported fruits and vegetables will become more expensive. Yet, southern Ontario is the California of the north. We grow 200 kinds of produce thanks to the province’s soil and climate conditions. Our agri-food sector contributes $34-billion to the Ontario economy each year. We export an estimated $11-billion a year of food products. We feed ourselves and the world, and that role may become more crucial with climate change. All the more reason to protect and carefully manage our own farmland and water resources.