Toronto Teacher Mom: Good in Every Grain

'Prince Farming' Chris Soules Visits Ontario Grain Farm

Photo Credit: Tim Hutchison Photography

Last month, as part of its Good in Every Grain campaign, Grain Farmers of Ontario partnered with Chris Soules. You may remember him as the charming former star of The Bachelor. He also happens to be a grain farmer. Together, they want to help Canadians be more food-aware and educate them about the origin of their food. During his first ever trip to Canada, Chris Soules visited a family-run farm in Smithville near my hometown of Hamilton, Ontario. There he met with local grain farmer Daryl Haanstra to talk about the benefits of innovative technologies, the value of agriculture and the importance of generational farming.

Photo Credit: Tim Hutchison Photography

Later that day, Chris Soules accompanied members of Grain Farmers of Ontario to Toronto where they sat down to share their expert insights at a special event at Woodlot Restaurant. It was there that I was able to sit down with 'Prince Farming' in a one-on-one interview and learn about his hands-on experience at the Ontario farm.

Photo Credit: Tim Hutchison Photography

The more I spoke with Chris, the more apparent it became that he harbours a genuine interest in building awareness surrounding agriculture and dispelling misconceptions about grain farming. He credits this ability to share his passion for farming and sustainability to his newfound celebrity status. Because he takes great pride, as most farmers do, in "taking a farm and leaving it better than it was."

Enjoyed a delicious Grilled Hen o' the Woods Mushroom Salad and cocktails with #grainfarmer @souleschris @lucialulula and @goodineverygrain. Learned about his first trip to Canada where he visited with an #Ontario #farmer near my hometown of #HamOnt. I could talk #ONgrains with him all. Night. Long. #grains #grainfarmers #farmersfeedcities #flirtwithfarmers

A photo posted by Diana (@torontomom) on Oct 21, 2015 at 4:00pm PDT

Grain Farmers of Ontario released a video this week called, "'Prince Farming' Chris Soules visits an Ontario grain farm" which documents his journey and offers a behind-the-scenes look at the real world of modern agriculture. Check out the video to learn all the great ways farmers contribute to the day-to-day lives of Canadians and visit GoodinEveryGrain.ca for more behind-the-scenes with Chris Soules. And in case you are itching to ask a question about how grains are produced, you can also submit questions and get a response from a real Ontario farmer!