Gary Kader wrote this letter in response to the story, Robots are invading this Cochrane-area farm.
My point to this awesome article stems from the hard work and adaptation for change which some families in the north are committing themselves to.
I would like to know what the local communities (council and residents) are doing to encourage people to develop the farmlands (for food and livestock) which can be noticed from Matheson to Hearst, rather than allow these lands to show structures ("eye sores") that once were occupied.
There are now new technologies (robotics such as calf milk feeder, Maximus system for lights and heating and feeders for livestock and crops), which reduce labour-intense practices.
Having these lands developed "locally" will benefit all due to having a good product being sold and possibly a reduction in costs affecting the "supply chain" dilemma that we are facing on a daily basis.
There is no reason why a local farm or farms cannot supply a community with such items as potatoes, carrots, squash, cabbage and lettuce, just to name a few.
I find it very disturbing when I drive by these empty lands and see no farm development yet, there is potential here, it is looking at us square in the face.
Some of these lands have fallen structures from years gone by but does anyone care about doing something to these lands such as to farm them?
I do support locally grown products because these products last longer in my refrigerator than the products I receive from California or elsewhere and not having to worry about what is in those domestic products which causes it to spoil faster than a "locally" grown product.
Gary Kader,
Timmins
