A farmer from Bonavista Bay believes the way to increase food security is to support small operations.

John Barron and his wife Valerie Spencer-Barron are the owners and operators of Crooked Branch, an apple orchard in Jamestown.

The pair attended Food First NL’s Annual Community Update to promote small town farming. Barron says local foods are key to addressing food insecurity.

He says small farmers are the ones who are able to support organizations like Food First, go to farmer’s markets, and offer foods at reduced rates. He says there are lots of opportunities for community minded food security solutions with local farming.

David Porter recently took on a second job as a soil and vegetable farmer as a way to tackle food security needs.

He agrees that local agriculture is an important industry, but says more support is needed from government to sustain for years to come.

Porter would like to see a more hands-on approach in assisting farmers, especially industry newcomers. While government has a number of assistance programs, he says they can be difficult to access. Instead, he would rather see young farmers be assisted in accessing land, equipment and tools.