Andrew Campbell, Fresh Air Farmer

Farmer Andrew Campbell’s Canadian Food Story

Andrew Campbell has become a familiar voice for farmers and agriculture issues, sharing the positive stories that farmers across Canada have to share with their non-farming neighbours. You can find him on social media with the handle FreshAirFarmer, or with his podcast titled “Food Bubble“.

We are excited to have Andrew Campbell  @freshairfarmer as a contributor.

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Andrew Campbell is a farmer, award winning communicator and passionate farm advocate. He and his family milk cows as well as grow corn, soybeans, wheat and hay in Southern Ontario’s Middlesex County. For the past decade, Andrew has been a familiar and trusted voice when it comes to speaking about Canadian farming and agriculture issues. Whether it’s within mainstream media, at conferences or on social media, Andrew thrives while sharing positive stories from farmers across Canada and by connecting consumers with where their food comes from. Andrew is the recipient of several organizational and provincial awards for his tireless dedication to spreading the good word of agriculture through his writing, photography, videos and podcasts. You can find him on social media @freshairfarmer or by tuning in to the Food Bubble podcast on your favourite podcast app.⁣ ⁣ #EverythingGrows #CdnFoodFocus #CdnFarmStory #CdnFoodStory

A post shared by CanadianFoodFocus #LoveCDNFood (@cdnfoodfocus) on Oct 16, 2019 at 9:55am PDT

 

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“Thinking about my involvement in agriculture and how I’ve come to be where I am, I was actually the last person who thought I’d come home to take over the family farm. After highschool, I attended Fanshawe College in London and achieved a Journalism diploma, then went off to work at Blackburn Radio in Wingham, Ontario as their weekend news reporter. I had always loved the news and had dreams of becoming a journalist at the national level. Eventually, because of my farming background, I moved into a position reporting agriculture and farm news for that region of Ontario. That position ignited my love for the farm once again and, after moving back to London and working for an agricultural website, I decided my heart would always be on the farm. In 2012, my wife, Jess, and I became the third generation of our operation and officially began farming with my parents.” 📷: #cdnfoodfocus contributor @freshairfarmer Follow his profile for more #cdnfoodstories #cdnfarmstories #EverythingGrows #CdnFoodFocus #CdnFarmStory #CdnFoodStory

A post shared by CanadianFoodFocus #LoveCDNFood (@cdnfoodfocus) on Oct 16, 2019 at 1:45pm PDT

 

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“My family and I milk about 65 Holstein & Jersey cows in a renovated tie-stall barn in Middlesex County. We also grow soybeans, corn, wheat and hay, in which some goes back into the farm as feed for the cows and some is sold to local elevators. I really love working with the cows, with my parents and in nature; being outside everyday is a great privilege that I don’t take for granted. I also travel around North America, attending conferences and meetings as a keynote speaker, conducting workshops or consulting on agricultural issues. I really love this line of work because it allows me to travel to different parts of the continent and experience agriculture outside of my community. My love of learning is fulfilled by this work, both from a teaching perspective (speaker, consultant) and from a learning perspective (visiting different cities, farms; hearing stories of farmers across the country).” 📷: #cdnfoodfocus contributor @freshairfarmer Follow his profile for more #cdnfoodstories #cdnfarmstories #EverythingGrows #CdnFoodFocus #CdnFarmStory #CdnFoodStory

A post shared by CanadianFoodFocus #LoveCDNFood (@cdnfoodfocus) on Oct 17, 2019 at 9:11am PDT

 

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“Today’s consumer has a lot of questions about their food and I thoroughly enjoy being one of the people who can answer them – or at least, find someone who can answer them if I can’t! I’ve been speaking a lot on consumer perception and how consumers think and feel about their food, not only in Canada but also in other parts of the world. Farming is not the go-to profession it once was; the average consumer is now several generations removed from the farm, which has a huge impact on how much they know about their food. This means the agriculture industry must continue to be open to consumer questions in order to build and maintain the level of trust that’s crucial to the stability and quality of our food system in Canada. I encourage anyone with questions about farming or their food to simply ask a farmer. Most farmers are more than happy to have a conversation with someone about what they do and how they do it. Our job as farmers is not to tell people what to eat, but to be open about what we do so that consumers can make an informed decision about the food they choose to eat.” 📷: #cdnfoodfocus contributor @freshairfarmer Follow his profile for more #cdnfoodstories #cdnfarmstories #EverythingGrows #CdnFoodFocus #CdnFarmStory #CdnFoodStory

A post shared by CanadianFoodFocus #LoveCDNFood (@cdnfoodfocus) on Oct 17, 2019 at 1:37pm PDT

 

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“We are very lucky to have an abundant, thriving food supply and food system in Canada. But the world market is getting wider with each passing year which means consumers have more choice with crafting their own diet. For Canadian farmers, that means an opportunity to not only continue growing the food we currently grow but also to branch out into other markets with our high-quality product and fulfill consumer demand while representing Canadian agriculture. I’m excited about the future of farming in Canada. It will absolutely come with its own set of challenges. But I’m confident that if consumers choose to continue asking questions and to learn, and farmers continue to be open to answering those questions, the trust that’s created will keep Canadian food products at the forefront of consumer choice for decades to come.” 📷: #cdnfoodfocus contributor @freshairfarmer Follow his profile for more #cdnfoodstories #cdnfarmstories #EverythingGrows #CdnFoodFocus #CdnFarmStory #CdnFoodStory

A post shared by CanadianFoodFocus #LoveCDNFood (@cdnfoodfocus) on Oct 18, 2019 at 9:52am PDT