A Moment with the Mayor: Agriculture

Agriculture means many different things to everyone. We recently celebrated National Agriculture Day across Canada. Everyone has a different level of exposure to agriculture and the meaning of what agriculture is, and our experiences will differ between us.

Agriculture often brings farming the land to mind. The land forms the basis of a lot of today’s modern farming practices and procedures. For many years, buffalo and wildfire managed the grasslands of the prairies. Grazing buffalo and wild game moved, searching for and following the available grass and staying out of the way of wildfires. The plow changed the grassland into rows upon rows of wheat and other grains. Cattle and other livestock accompanied the new farmers as they broke the grasslands and revealed the fertile soil. As farmers and ranchers dotted the west, many farms had cows for milk, horses for transportation and to till the soil, poultry for eggs and meat, and large gardens to provide the vegetables to sustain the family on every farm.

Transitions occurred on numerous fronts as farmers and the world transitioned to steam engines, gas- and diesel-powered tractors and other equipment. On other fronts, milk and dairy production shifted from single cows on each farm to large dairy or poultry operations specifically aimed at large volumes of often only one product. Agriculture has witnessed large transitions over the past 100 years or so with huge advancements in equipment, seed, fertilizer, weed, and pesticide management technologies. Livestock producers have also undergone large changes, pivoting to purebred cattle and continued breeding efforts. There are also many different types of livestock that have been raised commercially. 

We are blessed to live in a great agricultural area of Canada with fertile land for grains, oil seeds, and commercial and purebred livestock. Strong agricultural processing facilities and markets exist for our products. Our area is renowned for its breeding stock. This, of course, is only a small portion of what is produced around the world. Every country contributes to making agriculture the diverse entity it is. From spices and seasonings to vegetables and ingredients for our side dishes, food from across the world makes its way onto our plates. 

At the end of the day, we give thanks to those who work day in and day out to provide the food our world needs and sustain ourselves. We know that agricultural producers want to provide the needs of our growing world.

And so, we thank those who contribute to agriculture here and around the world!

 Mayor Gerald S. Aalbers
City of Lloydminster