The Dark Side of Romance - Pollen Nation Farm | The Hands That Feed Us: On Tour - Ep16

Pollen Nation Farm - Little Rapids, NL

What happens when the passion for farming, the community built around food, and the realities of making a living from it don’t quite add up?

At Pollen Nation Farm, a Newfoundland-based apiary and farm-to-table restaurant, farmers, food producers, and local residents come together to explore what it really takes to build a business around local food — from beekeeping and growing produce to restaurants, agri-tourism, events, education, and community gathering.

The conversation looks at the enormous amount of labour that goes into creating these experiences, and the ways that passion, community, and a deep commitment to local food can keep an agricultural business going through difficult times. But there is also a darker side to that romance: when a business consistently relies on people working beyond what is sustainable, can passion and community support ultimately become a substitute for making a living?

At the heart of the discussion is the tension between the romance of farming and the financial realities of running an agricultural business. The conversation also turns to bigger questions about what we consider to be a “farm,” and whether government programs, agricultural financing, and policy are keeping pace with the increasingly diverse ways Canadians are producing and sharing food.

“If the policies are creating risk, the policy needs to be re-written. Risk trumps policy every time... and if you’re preventing somebody from being successful, you need to take a step back.”

How do we support the people who feed us — not just through appreciation and community, but through an economic system that allows them to keep going?

Listen to Episode 16 of The Hands That Feed Us On Tour, entitled “The Dark Side of Romance,” to hear more of the conversation.