Instagram ambassadors

GRAIN FARMERS OF ONTARIO’S newest group of Good Grain Farmers will be taking over the Good In Every Grain Instagram account this year. From April 2 to December 2, one of the Good Grain Farmers will share what’s happening that week on their farm, with the goal of connecting rural and urban communities with farmers through social media.

Instagram is a photo and video sharing application that can be used on a computer or mobile device. The use of ‘hashtags’ and ‘linking’ help users find content that they are interested in. Instagram is especially popular with millennials, with about 90% of all users being under the age of 35.

This is the third year of the program and each year the following on Instagram grows thanks to the five influential farmers who share their stories. The Instagram account has over 1,800 followers with new connections being made every day. Be sure to follow along at www.instagram.com/goodineverygrain or check out GoodinEveryGrain on the Instagram mobile app.

JUSTIN BELL

Where: Raleigh Township (District 2 — Kent)
Grows: I grow corn, soybeans, and wheat
Loves agriculture because: I love farming because there is always an opportunity to learn and try new things and nothing beats working with family.
Excited to be an Instagram ambassador this year because: I am excited to share my farming experience with others who may not have the opportunity to enjoy life on a farm through pictures and videos on Instagram.
Family history: I am the fifth generation at home where I farm with my family. In the spring of 2015, I purchased a farm of my own.
Why are you involved in farming/agriculture? I’m involved in agriculture because of the opportunities to work with my family and to be working outdoors. Farmers are helping to better the environment and there’s always an opportunity to give back to the community and there’s always, always something new to learn while being involved in farming and agriculture.

PAIGE HANDSOR

Where: Wallaceburg (District 2 — Kent)
Grows: Corn, soybeans, wheat, and sugar beets.
Loves agriculture because: My love for agriculture stems from a lifestyle involving community, beautiful landscapes, hard work, and rapid advancements in technology. I’ve especially taken an interest in international agriculture and what opportunities we can gain from sharing ideas.
Excited to be an Instagram ambassador this year because: I am thrilled to be an ambassador this season to show the diversity of Ontario grains and the day-to-day operations of Ontario grain farms.
Family history: Arriving in 1846, our family has been farming in Chatham-Kent for over 171 years and my brother, Ryan, and I will be the sixth generation. Throughout the generations, we have seen many changes in our operation from the technology used, farm size, and moving from livestock and crops to solely cropping.

TANYA LEGAULT

Where: Moose Creek (District 14 — Prescott, Russell, Stormont, Dundas, Glengarry)
Grows: On my farm we grow corn, soybeans, winter and spring wheat, and edible beans some of which is used for seed production. We also like to add some cover crops into the mix.
Loves agriculture because: I love agriculture for its lifestyle — they always say it’s not work if you love what you do, and I love the farm. There’s always something new and exciting to learn whether it’s new technology in the equipment, new crop genetics, or better management practices.
Excited to be an Instagram ambassador this year because: There is so much to learn as a farmer, but also from the outside looking in. I hope to help people understand that in agriculture things have evolved so much and things are continuously changing.
Family history: I am the fifth generation on the farm, and my sister and I hope to continue in our father’s footsteps. We started off with dairy cows, and then switched to layer hens and now we have switched again to a cash crop farm with our own elevator storage system and on farm seed sales.
Why are you involved in farming/agriculture? To me, this lifestyle is the best. Watching the crops grow all around you, from planting to harvest is amazing. I wouldn’t want it any other way, it’s great to see the outcome of all the hard work, and long hours put in.

JAKE O’NEIL

Where: Lucan, District 4 (Middlesex)
Grows: On my family farm, we grow corn, soybeans, and wheat and sometimes edible beans. We also have a sow farrowing operation with about 185 sows.
Loves agriculture because: Besides working on the family farm, I also work off farm selling seed and aftermarket planter parts. I love the adventures each day brings. The ability to raise a crop or an animal is very rewarding. Challenges with Mother Nature drive me to do better every year, and to not settle on being average.
Excited to be an Instagram ambassador this year because: I grew up outside the city of London and went to an urban high school where I was one of 10 farm kids at the school. I feel I can reach a more urban demographic and help get the right information to consumers.
Family history: My family has been farming in Canada since the 1850s but my home farm was purchased by my great grandpa and grandmother in 1937. We were a mixed farming operation with a few beef cows, pigs, chickens, and grain farming — we now use GPS technology and precision agriculture and we continue to be progressive in our cropping practices.
Why are you involved in farming/agriculture? Hockey didn’t work out for me! But, in all seriousness, it’s the life style; it’s not a 9 – 5 job or in an office. There’s just something about watching your crops grow and driving tractors!

DONNA ROGERS

Where: Wellesley Township (District 7 – Waterloo, Oxford)
Grows: The farm raises beef and grows corn, soybeans, wheat, and hay.
Loves agriculture because: You can take the girl out of the country but you can’t take the country out of the girl.
Excited to be an Instagram ambassador this year because: I love to take photos of anything agricultural and sharing with the followers of Grain Farmers of Ontario. The ambassador program allows me to be able to share what is going on in my community.
Family history: Our family farm is in Wellesley Township and it is now being run by my brother. I still have my garden there though. My parents were farmers, my grandparents were farmers, my great grandparents were farmers, so farming runs in the family!
Why are you involved in farming/agriculture?As the farm brand ambassador for Heartland Farm Mutual, my position allows me to participate and promote agriculture through volunteering and community work within the farming community. My working career has always involved agriculture and being directly involved in agriculture takes me back to my roots and reminds me of where my beliefs and values came from and what I was taught growing up. l