8 Story Idea?Email Paul.Nolan@Farms.com Better Farming | November 2023 Beyond the Barn OPP CAUTIONS ABOUT ONGOING EQUIPMENT SCAMS e Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have issued warnings about scammers posing as equipment dealers. “ e OPP has recently received reports of victims purchasing heavy machinery or farm equipment from sellers believed to be in the United States, losing hundreds of thousands of dollars,” the OPP warned. Farmers searching for machinery might come across listings for equipment listed below market-value or advertised as a good deal. Once the lines of communication are open, the fraudsters will o en provide images and information about the equipment – but the details have been taken from non-related sources. “Once a price is agreed upon and logistics are discussed, the fraudster requests payment in form of a wire transfer to a nancial institution in the U.S.,” the OPP has advised. “A er receiving payment, they cease communication with the victim, who never receives the equipment.” is scam is similar to incidents the Alberta RCMP have made public. Both the OPP and RCMP provided the following “prevention tips” for farmers making online purchases. Take your time and research your purchase, as it could save you time, money, and stress! If a deal seems to be too good to be true, it is. Fraudsters use reputable websites to post stolen images and equipment information. If you don’t know the buyer/seller, investigate them thoroughly (i.e., internet map searches for the address, reverse image searches of the equipment, and consider contacting local heavy equipment repair companies). If possible, physically inspect the equipment or consider having a professional conduct the inspection. Don’t be in uenced by an extreme sense of urgency by the other party. BF - Emily Cro & Diego Flammini Grain Farmers of Ontario have launched a new teaching module for educators aligning agricultural knowledge and experiences with the current elementary school curriculum. Funded through the public outreach campaign Good in Every Grain, the program focuses on the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning for Grade 3 classrooms. “ e Ontario Farming STEMterprise, as we’ve named the program, is a great initiative to support teachers with new resources, while connecting students with a guided perspective of grain farming in the province,” says Brianne Curtis, communications specialist, public relations with Grain Farmers of Ontario. Curtis shares that the program has been several years in the making. rough careful consultation with producers and educators, the 10week program highlights di erent modes of learning while sharing the real-life experiences of grain farmers across the province. “Teachers have been clear they need programs that are straightforward to implement. We’ve created a program that is free, available for download with guided lesson plans, and seed kits which are ready to be sent to the classrooms. “Providing the experience of growing grains, harvesting, and following the crop into food production, the program showcases our industry. “We feel it provides a unique opportunity to connect back with where your food comes from, while being more interactive and engaging for youth to learn,” she said. Lesson plans use several skill sets as they lead students through growing grain seeds in their classroom, conducting a market survey of existing granola bars, creating their own nutritious granola bars to meet consumer, or other students’, needs, marketing, designing sustainable packaging and selling their product. “Setting a granola business up from seed to store is a great way to connect young minds with everything from environmental stewardship to becoming entrepreneurs. “Really, we want them to see the expansive opportunities and challenges that farming can o er.” BF lisegagne/E+ photo EDUCATING ABOUT GRAIN FARMING
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