(NC) When we sit down for dinner, we often take for granted the food security we enjoy. We enjoy a vast variety of nourishing foods, thanks to the good work of farmers like Sandra Vos.
Vos has dedicated her life to caring for others, first as a nurse and now as a beef farmer. Her background in nursing has shaped how she manages the resources in her care.
Owner of a grass-fed beef operation near Paris, Ontario, Vos applies the keen observation skills she developed from nursing and the interpretation of scientific research into farming practices that improve her management of the cattle, land and water in her care.
“I learned in nursing how to access and translate new scientific studies and I transplant that knowledge into what I do on the farm and within my agricultural community,” she explains. “More and more, I find myself in awe of the power of nature and its ability to heal itself. If you’re going to farm in harmony with nature, you must be patient. I feel that if you take care of the land, it takes care of you. That means treating it with respect and working with it as much as you can.”
Vos is a mindful steward and advocate for consumers, ensuring we have access to high-quality beef from a sustainable farm. As a result of her hard work she’s been awarded The Environmental Stewardship Award for Ontario.
This award has helped raise the bar for all farmers. It is a form of mentoring, continued education and peer-to-peer knowledge sharing. It also helps to encourage others to enhance their own farming practices and demonstrates by example how to do so.