25 ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER NOVEMBER 2024 Free Mental Health Training for the Agricultural Community InTheKnowOntario.ca In the Know is a training tailored to the agricultural community that increases understanding of mental health and wellness, normalizes conversations about mental health, and reduces stigma. REGISTER FOR A SESSION OR BOOK A PRIVATE SESSION FOR YOUR GROUP in late 2023, and someone suggested that we include a Mennonite farm,” says Wybou. “One of the planners was going out to meet a farmer near Douglas with a large farmgate store and invited me along. I asked the farmer about being included in the tour, and he agreed.” Wybou adds that on that day, a busload of Germans stopped by. “These tourists love to stop at the Mennonite farms because they can speak their language,” he says. “And those tour buses stop in other places in the County to spend money as well. This is great, from an economic development perspective, as are the Mennonite businesses and the products available for sale. Yes, their purchase of farms here is driving up the selling prices, but that’s a very positive thing for sellers.” Mark Reusser, a Mennonite farmer and Zone 9 OFA director for Waterloo/Wellington, notes that Mennonites strive to almost always run a business on the farm, usually related to farming. “This is to bring in income, but also, work is considered good,” he explains. “It is important to this way of life. Everyone contributes. Some Mennonites get jobs off the farm as there just isn’t enough work on the farm for everyone.” No matter where they are, Mennonite farms remain traditional mixed farms. They raise poultry, pigs, and cattle and grow hay, oats, and barley, with additional large market garden operations. Those outside the southern Ontario region, says Neufeld, grow shorter-season grain crops with varieties that “have come a long way.” Some Mennonites also sell fruit, fruit trees, plants, shrubs, decorative pumpkins and gourds, baked goods, and more at markets or the farm gate. It’s clear there are many benefits of Mennonite expansion in Ontario. For his part, Reusser is of the view that “it invigorates the countryside to have farms look like farms again. It’s nice to have the countryside look like it did 50 or 100 years ago.”
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