More learning opportunities might be coming to the Chatham Farm Show, but not necessarily ones strictly focused on farmers.
Courtney Brochu, a mother of two from Stoney Point took ownership of the Chatham Farm Show on Jan. 10. While she plans on spending this year’s event connecting with and learning from attending farmers and exhibitors, one of her long-term goals includes introducing educational opportunities for the non-farming public.
Why it matters: In addition to industry-focused learning, the Chatham Farm Show could be another venue that promotes food-focused education for the non-farming public.
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“Children and the public don’t know enough about how our food is produced. The knowledge is missing, and I want to get that back in,” Brochu says.
“I want to have something where kids come in and spend an hour or more learning about what farmers actually do.”
Brochu and her husband and business partner Jean-Paul also see the Chatham Farm Show as an opportunity to support family farms and the wider agriculture community through outreach, networking and other means.
Brochu believes this is critical because the number of farmers continues to decline while the amount of land lost to housing and more commercial development is rising.
“I’ve been a farm girl for my entire life. We’re a third generation and just purchased my father’s 100-acre grain farm before purchasing the show. Our goal is to keep the farm in the family for generations,” says Brochu.
