Agricultural Ambassadors

This month during its annual general meeting in Guelph the group unveiled a new agricultural video that will be featured in its new initiative, FarmzOnWheels, what Daynard calls “our biggest agricultural undertaking ever.” Designed by the Ontario Science Centre, the $1-million project is an interactive trailer filled with examples of the science of farming, and is aimed at teens, a group Daynard says is an untapped market for agriculture. Cool projects on display include an experiment that processes cow manure to transform it into energy to fuel an iPod. Daynard expects the trailer to be on the road this spring.

The other side of the OFAC’s mandate, animal welfare, means that the OFAC is there to offer farmers and farm groups “the tools they need to take care of their animals in the best possible way they can,” says Daynard. “We spend a tremendous amount of time on the road going to farms, sales barns and talking to truckers about livestock handling.” The organization’s website also features information on animal welfare, the environment, biotechnology and food safety, as well as how-to instructional packages such as their Ag Awareness Toolkit, designed to help individuals and groups act as “agricultural ambassadors.”

In fact, agricultural ambassadors are something that the food industry needs more of, especially as most of us now hold only tenuous connections to farming, and considering that the farm is really the first step in the food supply chain. “Farmers are very protective about their animals, and they’re very cognizant of how they raise their animals,” says Daynard. “But unfortunately it’s always that one bad news story that affects us all.” But, she adds, “We never go head to head with groups like activists. Our goal is always to put out the accurate messages about farming.”