03/25/2026
It’s funny the people you meet when selling things on Marketplace.
Over the years, I’ve had folks from every walk of life pull into the yard to buy something like vintage glass, an old shovel, spare parts,… you name it. Almost every time, the conversation eventually turns to farming.
Recently, a woman came by who lived in the city. She told me she had been vegan for years but had recently started eating meat again. What struck me wasn’t that change (I respect all food choices), it was how she said she had made most of her food decisions based on things she saw from YouTube influencers. She openly admitted she didn’t trust “science” very much, but she trusted the videos she watched online. I bit my tongue and listened - for a while at least.
Then she realized she was standing in a farmyard talking to an actual farmer.
You could see the lightbulb moment.
She got excited and started asking questions, lots of them, while we both stood in the garage freezing. How do you care for cows? What do they eat? Do farmers really use antibiotics all the time? What about hormones? What happens when animals get sick? What about pesticides?
Before long she was apologizing because she said she was “talking my ear off.”
I told her not to apologize because I loved it.
Here is the thing: farmers are some of the most transparent people you will ever meet. We feed our own families with the exact same food we sell. Our neighbours eat it. Our communities eat it. If we didn’t believe in what we were doing, we wouldn’t be doing it. Heck, I could make more money and have an easier life doing other things.
If people want honest information about food and farming, there are some great places to start.
Organizations like Farm & Food Care Ontario do a fantastic job connecting consumers with farmers and real information about how food is produced. Universities and scientists publish peer-reviewed research that goes through rigorous review before it ever sees the light of day. Veterinarians, agronomists, and nutritionists spend their entire careers studying how to produce safe, healthy food while caring for animals and the environment.
And of course you can always ask a farmer.
We’re real people. Not influencers. Not anonymous internet accounts. Just folks who wake up every morning to care for animals, grow crops, and try to do things a little better every year.
Where shouldn’t you get most of your information?
Probably from someone whose primary qualification is having a basement studio and a strong opinion.
Social media can be entertaining, and it can even start conversations, but algorithms reward outrage and simplicity, not accuracy or depth.
Food production is complicated, and farming is complicated. There are challenges, trade-offs and constant learning involved.
That’s why the best information usually comes from people who dedicate their lives to studying it and living it.
So if you ever find yourself with questions about food or farming, come talk to a farmer.
Fair warning, though.
We might talk your ear off too. 🌾🚜🐮
