Winter – the season of cold wind, freezing temperatures and white snow forming a blanket of silence. Most wildlife tend to hibernate in order to protect themselves and survive the extreme temperatures. To an extent humans too try not to overwork themselves. This is the season that brings families together. However, it may not be true for all of us.
Farming, a crucial part of agriculture sector. One of the countries in the north, where winter plays a crucial role is Canada. Lets talk on How farmers are coping during extreme snow? How does crop survive during the season? and What do Canadian Farmers do during Long Winters?
In order to really understand the fundamentals of farming in northern provinces, lets begin with exploring Agriculture in Canada.
Agriculture here has generated over $143.8 billion which is around 7% of Canada’s gross domestic product. There is a network of supply chain affiliated with this that includes
- Primary Agriculture: performed within boundaries of a farm, nursery or greenhouse.
- Food and Beverages Processor: transformation of raw food materials or substances into new products
- Food retailers and wholesalers and Food service providers.
In 2022, Canada exported nearly $92.8 billion in agriculture and food products (including raw agricultural materials, fish and seafood, and processed foods), being the fifth-largest exporter of agri-food and seafood in the world, behind the EU-27 block of countries, U.S., Brazil, and China, and exported to nearly 200 countries in 2022.
There are various number of advantages this country possesses which yields in such immense numbers, such as
- abundant land and water resources.
- access to international markets.
- strong research and development capacity.
- strong global reputation as a trusted supplier of safe, top-quality food.
However, with advantages benefiting the economy of the country, agriculture Canada mentions that after Covid-19 pandemic, access to international market and the labor which is the primary factor for agriculture prosperity have had highest job vacancies; chronic labor shortages in the sector predate the pandemic.
Although, this is not the biggest issue, agriculture in Canada goes through dreadful cold long months which we called as Winter. Canadian winters last for 5 months spanning November to March, but are bitter cold. Harsh Canadian winters start from mid-December and last up to mid-March.
When this time of the year hits, it is impossible for the crops to grow, depending on the crop it may not even survive during winter. In regions with long winters, the growing season is significantly shortened, limiting the types of crops that can be cultivated and reducing overall yields. This arises the need for farmers to select cold-tolerant crop varieties or implement season-extending techniques such as greenhouses or high tunnels. For livestock farmers, ensuring an adequate supply of feed throughout the winter can be a major challenge. Pasture land may be covered in snow, necessitating the use of stored feed such as hay or silage. Ensuring a consistent and nutritious diet for livestock during winter months is crucial for maintaining their health and productivity.
So the question which arises is that what happens to agriculture sector and how does farmers cope with the these conditions.
In an article published by CBC news and upon asking the local organic farmer Pfenning, Winter is not downtime for local farmers who have lots to keep them busy. She shares that she utilizes her time packing the locally-grown root vegetables such as carrots, potatoes and onions that have been stored in customized coolers. Pfenning’s team trims the cabbages, boxes them and ships them for sale in Waterloo region, Collingwood, the GTA and across most of the southern half of the province.
Down time is often used for forward planning, but it’s also for catching up. Farmer Mark Gerber says winter is for “fixing what you broke during the summer,” while you continue daily care for your livestock.
“As an animal farmer, I have to ensure that they’re well fed and that their water is thawed. It’s creature comfort,” Gerber says of his primary focus, which comes before acting as handyman and mechanic to get, and keep, his equipment in good operating order.
One of the other things farmers do is plan for the new season, this includes budget and supply planning. Farmers use winter times to pack their produce to sell them in the season, but not all their produce is sold at the same time. Throughout the season, produce left to be packaged is kept for the new season in customized coolers, which are mainly for carrots, potatoes and onions (Coppolino, 2022).
With having its drawbacks there are couple of advantages of snow as well, fortunately, extreme cold can also bring benefits to farmers and their fields by freezing the soil deep beneath the ground. The cold also helps keep fall-applied nitrogen from volatilizing during the winter so you experience reduced loss of this key input. The freeze/thaw cycle of water also can help soften soils and reduce compaction after the soils thaw, and with frost depth increasing this year, you may see some soil benefits as well. Finally, extreme cold and frozen soils can reduce the survival rate of some insects, suppressing insect pressure on crops during the following growing season.
Concluding there are challenges faced by farmers whether is is from weather, climate or international market vise. But, what really keeps them going is the love for farming, the love for what they are doing. By focusing on things like Livestock management, Winter feeding strategies, Equipment maintenance, and financial planning they are able to sustain productive and resilient agricultural operations throughout the year.
(Source~ CBC news, Youth in food systems, Coopolino, Climate Field View)
