The Farm

George Jackson is a retired professional agrologist.

The notes on the book jacket describe The Farm as “a chronicle of the development of what has been called the finest food system in the world.” It is a fitting contribution to the celebration of Ontario’s first 200 years.

This publication was undertaken by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food with the support of the agribusiness sector and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture as a bicentennial project to honour the legacy of agriculture in Ontario.

The Reuben Sallows farm scenes from the early years of this century are contrasted with contemporary color photography of John de Visser. The text sets the scene for the black-and-white and color photography of each of the five main sections: The Land, The People, The Crops, The Animals, and The Buildings.

The photos contrast the tools of agriculture from the early days to those of the present. Unchanged, however, is the constancy of the seasons and the crops, the livestock and the people who husband them.

If home is or was on a farm, this book will kindle many memories. If you are a generation away from the farm, it would be interesting to review this book with a farm relative, note some family history in the adequate margins and make the book available to your family for future reference. Our food really does come from the farm, not the supermarket.

The Farm as a coffeetable book will fill a role as a catalyst in discussions about agriculture yesterday and today, while at the same time providing an enjoyable and artistic panorama of our agricultural heritage.