A-M Mawhiney, author

A-M's Blog


  • Home
  • About the Author
  • About Spindrifts
  • Store
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

8/18/2021

Why I have a farm as my setting in SpiNdrifts.

0 Comments

Read Now
 

Picture

Why i have a farm as my setting in Spindrifts

I know next to nothing about farming except for what I observed and learned by visiting extended family farms in the summers when I was a young child. My great-grampa Nide was a farmer and several of his sons and their wives, my great-uncles and great aunts, were as well. I have many happy memories of visiting them and playing with cousins, running free all over the farm land and hunting for fresh eggs.

Then one of my sisters married into a farming family and I observed and learned a bit more about farming. But mainly I developed a healthy respect for how much hard work goes into farming, and how the farming community always pulls together when someone needs help. Injured during harvest? Your neighbours will show up with their farm equipment and bring your crops in, in a matter of a day or two. Need a new roof on your barn? Things go better when farmers work together. We can all learn from farmers' neighbourly helping.

And fifty years from now, in the time of Spindrifts, we will still need to eat, and will definitely still need farmers. And the challenges of climate change currently makes food security a key issue for our planet's survival. We will need to continue to count on farmers to feed us. Yet urban spread has resulted in the loss of much of our farmland in the last 100 years while our population has has increased significantly. On their website the Canadians for a Sustainable Society report that we have lost 65% of farmland in the Maritimes, Quebec, and Ontario alone in the last 100 years. If this trend continues partnered with arid summer conditions our food supply chain will inevitable become even more challenged.

The idea of using greenhouses and hydroponic growing containers in my novel is not my idea. Close to where I live, where winters are harsh and snowfalls are meters deep, is a farm that provides year-round lettuce, kale, and other produce to communities throughout northern Ontario. I based this concept on the success of Truly Northern Farms, a family run business.

Each one of us plays a key part in supporting local farms. In summers we can buy from local farmers, we can shop in small independently owned stores and frequent stores that bring in local products. When shopping in grocery stores, do you purchase locally, provincially, and nationally produced food? Do you ask your supermarkets to support local farmers?

Supporting our local farmers is an investment in food security, and the food is also fresher and healthier for us. Just something to think about the next time you go shopping.

I know next to nothing about farming except for what I observed and learned by visiting extended family farms in the summers when I was a young child. My great-Grampa Nide was a farmer and his sons, my great-uncles and their wives, were as well. I have many happy memories of visiting them and playing with cousins, running free all over the farm and hunting for fresh eggs.
Then one of my sisters married into a farming family and I observed and learned a bit more about farming, but mainly I developed an awe and healthy respect for how much hard work goes into farming, and how the farming community always pulls together when someone needs help. Injured during harvest? Your neighbours will show up with their farm equipment and bring in your crops in a matter of a day or two.  Need a new roof on your barn? Things go better when farmers work together. We can all learn from farmers’ value of neighbourly helping. 
And fifty years in the future? We will still need to eat, and will definitely still need farmers. And the challenges of climate change currently makes food security a key issue for our planet’s survival. We will need to continue to count on farmers to feed all of us. Yet urban spread has resulted in the loss of much of our farmland in the last 100 years while our population has increased significantly. On their website the Canadians for a Sustainable Society report that we have lost 65% of farmland in the Maritimes, Quebec and Ontario in the last 100 years. If this trend continues partnered by arid summer conditions our food supply chain will inevitably become even more challenged. 
The idea of using greenhouses and hydroponic growing containers in my novel is not my idea.  Close to where I live, where winters are harsh and snowfalls are meters deep, is a farm that provides year-round lettuce, kale and other produce to communities throughout northern Ontario. I based my story on the success of Truly Northern Farms, a family run business.
Each one of us plays a key part in supporting local farms. In summers we can buy from local farmers, we can shop in small independently owned stores and frequent stores that bring in products from local farmers.  When shopping in grocery stores, do you support farmers from your community, province, and nation? Do you encourage your supermarkets and other shops to support farmers from your community, province, or nation? 
Supporting our local farmers is an investment in food security, and the food is fresher and healthier for us, too. Just something to think about. WWWhy I chose a farm for the main setting Ihy

Share

0 Comments

8/6/2021

why I wrote Spindrifts

0 Comments

Read Now
 
Picture
Writing about a world based on collaboration and equality requires more than just imagination when the story’s roots are found in our current world. This is the main reason I wrote Spindrifts as a futuristic fantasy. Originally I hoped to write about a Utopian world until I started to hear less than Utopian whispers from my characters as I wrote.

While life in the Land of Hope and beyond has, it appears, addressed discrimination and privilege, echoes of the past still shape the lives of this family. And some secrets, once uncovered, might lead the reader to question the Utopian nature of this world.

I hope that I have captured the essence of how the past, our present time in 2021, might shape the lived experiences in the future world but I recognize my vision for a better future will inevitably have flaws. But I challenge readers, in identifying faults with Land Of Hope, to be inspired to envision the world they want to see in fifty years, and to start along a path to realize their own vision and hope for the future— for that was my goal in writing Spindrifts, to inspire you, the reader, to consider ways you can contribute to a healthier future for our planet.

All evidence is showing us the climate crisis faced by our planet is upon us right now, as highlighted by the pandemic, floods, wild fires and unprecedented, record breaking temperatures. Urgent action is needed now, not in five, ten, twenty or thirty years from now.

I urge each one of us to consider how our actions, small and large, can ensure a healthy future for children, youth, and future generations. We each can take immediate action. But we also need to urge and expect political, economic, and social leaders to create winning conditions to reverse climate change.

I hope reading Spindrifts inspires you to take concrete actions for a better future.


Share

0 Comments
Details

    Author

    Welcome to the blog of A-M Mawhiney. I am the author of Spindrifts - A futuristic fantasy to inspire and give hope to all who are interested in changing the world, now available to order from most major online retailers here​.

    Follow me @ammawhiney on Twitter and Instagram!

    Archives

    November 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • About the Author
  • About Spindrifts
  • Store
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Twitter
  • Instagram