Join us at the first ever North American Forum on Sustainable Animal Agriculture.

What is it?
  
A unique opportunity for influential food system leaders from across the continent, all actively involved in providing safe, affordable and sustainable food to consumers.  The Forum will feature a dynamic line up of speakers, viewpoints from across the food supply chain from the farm through to the consumer, and lots of opportunity for dialogue and networking.  The forum is being co-hosted by Farm & Food Care and the Center for Food Integrity.

Who should attend?
  
 Food industry leaders, farmers, government, academia, media, agri-food industry stakeholders

Program highlights:

• What does the public think about food and farming? Recent data from Canada and the U.S.
• What role does science play in sustainable food?
• Managing issues and shifting to meet market demands - from the farm through to the grocery store

When and Where: 

• September 17-18, 2012
• Commencing at 1:00 p.m. on September 17th, adjourning at 1:00 p.m. on September 18th. 
• Delta Meadowvale Hotel, Mississauga, Ontario (minutes to the Toronto Airport)  www.deltameadowvale.com  To book accommodations call 1-888-890-3222 and quote group code: Food Strategy Summit.

Registration:

$150 (US dollars) Register online by visiting: www.regonline.com/naanimalagforum.

For more information on this event and an updated agenda visit: www.farmcarefoundation.ca or contact the Farm & Food Care office at (519) 837-1326.

Thanks to our generous sponsors to date:

Platinum Sponsor: United Soybean Board
 

Gold Sponsor:  Farm & Food Care Foundation
 

Silver Sponsors: Burnbrae Farms, Canadian Animal Health Institute, Elanco, L.H. Gray & Son Limited, Loblaws, Ontario Pork, Riverdale Poultry Express, Tim Hortons
 

Bronze Sponsors: Conestoga Meats, Hendrix Genetics, Syngenta Canada Inc.

Since 2009, Michigan's program has had nearly 23,000 children and adults attend Breakfast on the Farm events throughout the state to learn where food comes from. Rain or shine, at each event attendees have a chance to eat local food, learn how livestock is cared for, take wagon rides, learn about field crops and see tractors and other equipment.  

Farm & Food Care staff attended two of the eight breakfast events held in Michigan this past summer to meet with organizers and get a sense of how the programs are organized. The one-day programs attracted up to 2,500 visitors and each required the help of about 200 volunteers who were tasked with responsibilities related to parking, sanitation, manning farm exhibits, biosecurity and serving food.

Staff at Michican State University, which coordinates the events, suggests that farms willing to host the event have:

• Facilities that will accommodate 1,500 to 2,500 visitors in a four to five hour period;
• A building or access to a tent that will accommodate 250 to 300 people at a time;
• Parking for approximately 300 cars at a time.

Farm & Food Care is now interested in hearing from county farm organizations and farmers who might be interested in a possible partnership. Potential farm locations would need to be close to one of Ontario's large urban centres (possibilities could include Hamilton, Ottawa, London, Kitchener-Waterloo, Windsor or others). Sponsors would also be needed to make any future event a success.

Send an email to info@farmfoodcare.org if you're interested in being part of the discussion. For more details on the Michigan program, visit www.breakfastonthefarm.com  

Buses arrive at a Michigan Breakfast on the Farm event

The inaugural meetings of Farm & Food Care's two new Environment and Farm Animal Care Advisory Councils were held on September 4. About 20 representatives of silver, gold and platinum level member organizations and agri businesses attended each of the meetings.

As part of the work done to amalgamate the Ontario Farm Animal Council and AGCare, the decision was made to create two new Councils. The councils will create a new forum for proactive dialogue, input and important information updates on issues related to the environment and farm animal care. 

The councils will be unique, with attendees including a combination of crop, horticulture, livestock farmers and agri-food industry professionals interested in these topics.  
 

The councils will meet quarterly. Any Farm & Food Care members (at any level) who are interested in receiving minutes from these meetings should email their request to info@farmfoodcare.org .

There are still a few spaces available in the two day-long media training sessions being planned for this fall at the Ontario AgriCentre in Guelph.

The sessions will be interactive and give the participants the understanding of the media, the tools needed to prepare to face the media and an interview process that will give each person real life interview experience. The program would be useful for board members and staff at commodity associations who speak regularly about issues related to their sectors or any primary producer who is asked to give farm tours or speak on behalf of agriculture at municipal council meetings or other events.

 Each session will include a focus on: 

• Talking to Canadians about food and farming
• The relationship between you and the media
• Media tips and techniques
• Writing letters to the editor and opinion pieces
• Key messages - what are you saying, who are you saying it to and why?
• Interview/public speaking techniques
• Dealing with difficult questions 
• Two to three on-camera practice sessions with review and feedback. 

 The sessions are planned for either Tuesday, November 6 or Wednesday, November 21. The cost is $400 per attendee and space is limited to the first 10 participants who register. Book a spot by emailing info@farmfoodcare.org .

100 Stone Road West, Suite 106

Guelph, ON

N1G 5L3

519-837-1326

www.farmfoodcare.org

Twitter: @farmfoodcare

Email: info@farmfoodcare.org