During a time when everything in the world was uncertain at best, Niagara-on-the-Lake’s farmers and farm workers continued to ensure food crops were being grown and put on the table for families.

There’s a long list of farmers doing a long list of things, from raising livestock, to growing asparagus, grapes, tender fruits and vegetables.

While the rest of us worried about toilet paper and stacking the shelves with spaghetti sauce, our farmers were working to make sure food kept coming.

It’s only fitting that the men and women of the farming community are recognized as Pandemic Heroes.

Evidenced by the photo to the right, it’s a tough job and our the people who toil in the fields aren’t afraid to get their hands — and faces — dirty to keep the crops coming.

Farmer Dylan Wiens, pictured, told The Lake Report it’s been a tough year for the agriculture industry, but our farmers have been doing it for generations.

“When older generations learn I farm in Niagara I often get a story back from their childhood about picking cherries all day and getting paid by the basket. A lot of those same farming families are still active here in Niagara, pushing through whatever new challenge each season brings,” Wiens said.

“The last two seasons those challenges haven’t been drought or frost, but COVID-19. Despite this, whether you shop at a grocer or the local farmers’ market you’ll have access to fruits and vegetables grown in Ontario. In fact, here in Niagara they could’ve been grown right down the street from you.”

So when you’re out enjoying a socially distanced walk or drive through Niagara’s ripe agricultural sector this spring and summer, give a kind wave or a honk of the horn to show your appreciation for their hard work.

And make sure to stop by local fruit and vegetable stands to get your produce as close to home as possible. Nothing beats Niagara-grown.