Meet Laurent
Agricultural producer, Van Arkel Farms, Dresden, Ontario – See how Laurent produces food sustainably, to safeguard the farm and soil so his children can carry on the family farm tradition.
[A colourful montage of a tractor harvesting a crop field, an aerial view of a farm with three barns surrounded by fields, a tractor driving down a field, a red farm house with a barn behind it, and an overhead view of a large solar panel next to a barn.]
Text on screen: Meet The People – Behind Your Food
Laurent Van Arkel: What’s the question again?
[Laughs]
[Laurent Van Arkel talking to the camera while standing outside.]
Text on screen: Laurent Van Arkel – Agricultural Producer, Dresden, Ontario
So, I am Laurent Van Arkel and I farm just outside of Dresden in southern Ontario.
[An aerial view of Laurent’s farm, with a view of a large red barn, farmhouse and corn field.]
I grow corn, soybeans, wheat, sugar beets, sunflowers, sesame, and also work on sustainability, reduced tillage and soil itself.
[Montage of some crops, including lettuce, sunflowers and corn, an overhead view of a large solar panel situated on the farm, and Laurent kneeling down next to some crops and inspecting soil.]
Text on screen: What is sustainable agriculture?
[Laurent talking to the camera while standing outside.]
Sustainable agriculture, to me, is being able to produce food at a profit in a manner that maintains my farm, my soils, so that they're still there for my children to use.
[Montage of an overhead view of a wide crop field, Laurent holding a large uprooted sugar beat to the camera, an aerial view of the farm, and a tractor driving down another field.]
Text on screen: A challenge for sustainable agriculture?
There's an upfront cost to more sustainability. I kind of equate it to changing the oil in your engine.
[Laurent reaching into a toolbox organizer.]
There's no immediate economic return, but five years down the road when that engine is still running, that's when you get your payback.
[Montage of Laurent welding and drilling a piece of equipment to fix his tilling rig, climbing into his tractor, and driving it down a crop field.]
Text on screen: How do you care for your soil?
I, over a number of years, have developed three goals and that's to keep the soil covered with a crop residue or a cover crop, to do as little tillage as possible, and to try to keep a living root system in my soil 365 days a year.
[Montage of an aerial view of multiple fields, various rows of crops, and a tractor doing some tillage. A timelapse of a seed growing roots and popping out above the soil.]
A really good soil should look like a really nice crumbly chocolate cake.
[Shot of a hand picking up dark, rich soil from the ground and letting it fall through their fingers.]
Text on screen: Canadian farmers and agricultural businesses work to feed you and future generations. Discover how they are growing a better future. Canada.ca/Taste-the-Commitment
[Laurent smiling with his arms crossed against his chest while leaning against a post in front of a brick house.]
[Music ends.]
Text on screen: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Agriculture et Agroalimentaire Canada
[Government of Canada wordmark.]
[End.]