Local farming is essential to our food future and encouraging young farmers to learn and practice sustainable farming is key. Slow Food Vancouver is excited to announce Devan Toop, from Toop Dairy Farm, as a local nominee for Terra Madre 2010!

Terra Madre is an international conference held every two years in Torino, Italy. In 2008, over 7,000 farmers from 153 countries came together to discuss sustainable farming, biodiversity, and food production.

Terra Madre has inspired a new framework for discourse on food and sustainability, one where ideas, strategies, partnerships and alliances prosper. Over five days, there are opportunities to hear from notable speakers and participate in Earth-related workshops on themes such as climate change, native breeds, and Participative Development Models. The Salone del Gusto – the world’s largest artisanal food marketplace – is held concurrently, in part for delegates to gain a deeper sense of how small-scale sustainable producers can market their products effectively.

Debra Amrein-Boyes, from Farmhouse Natural Cheeses (one of the featured farms on the Agassiz Cycle Tour – August 22), was able to attend Terra Madre in 2008 and had this to say about the conference:

“Because of the industrialized food system, smaller farmers are getting pushed to the periphery. Terra Madre encouraged all small farmers not to give up and stressed the importance of our efforts. The experience was truly inspirational!” Devan Toop is a 26 year-old, 6th generation dairy farmer. Devan studied agriculture at the University of Manitoba and came back to the farm to co-run it with his dad and grandfather. He says:

“People always ask me why I farm and I say because I take great pride in my work; because there is nothing like the satisfaction you get from investing yourself in a truly living, breathing business and seeing the results of your labour first-hand.

I farm because every day brings new challenges to overcome, new oppurtunities to learn. I am blessed to be able to work alongside my family in one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and like the five generations before me, I know that the greatest rewards in life come through dedication and hard work.”

You can meet Devan on the Chilliwack Cycle Tour – August 23. He will be giving tours of his dairy farm at 9:30am, 10:30am and 11:30am (…and by the way, one of his cows just gave birth to a calf over the weekend!)

Devan Toop, 26 year-old farmer nominee

We need to encourage more youth to adopt farming as a career. You can help by donating online to the Slow Food Vancouver Adopt-a-Farmer campaign, nominating a youth farmer, and participating in the Slow Food Cycle Tours and in other upcoming Slow Food events.

Please email infosfv@slowfoodvancouver.com with your nominees or to get involved.

Thank you from Slow Food Vancouver!