The ninth edition of the Faces of Farming calendar, showcasing the photos and stories of 13 Ontario farmers and farm families, was unveiled at the Ontario Harvest Gala on October 24.

With this year's calendar, the stories of 114 Ontario farm families have now been featured within the calendar's pages since it was first produced. 

All of the calendar participants in the 2014 Faces of Farming calendar join the project's creative team for a group photo at calendar launch.

Again this year, a QR code found on each calendar page allows viewers to scan the bar codes from their mobile devices to "meet" the farmers. Each of the codes provide a direct link to short YouTube interviews with each participant.

The calendar is sponsored by many Ontario agribusinesses and commodity groups. Complimentary copies of the calendar have been mailed to politicians, grocery stores, butcher shops and media. All Farm & Food Care members and donors will receive copies in November.

Copies of the calendar are available through the Farm & Food Care office in Guelph, by using the online order form at www.farmfoodcare.org or by calling 519-837-1326. A list of retailers is also available on the Farm & Food Care website. 

This year's participants include:

• Erin McLean of Lakefield (Peterborough County) and Sarah Brien of Ridgetown (Chatham Kent). Sponsored by Farmers Feed Cities
   
• Jim, Kirk, Jamie, Steve and Curtis Rankin of St. Marys (Perth County). Sponsored by the Canada Mink Breeders and Ontario Fur Breeders' Association
   
• Cheryl, Ainsley and Evelyn Garniss of Wingham(Huron County). Sponsored by DeKalb Seeds
   
•  Harry Eisses and Colton Wohlgemuth of Innisfil (Simcoe County). Sponsored by Egg Farmers of Ontario 
   
• Adam and Dana Thatcher of Rockwood (Wellington County). Sponsored by RBC Royal Bank
   
• Kevin MacLean of Napanee (Lennox and Addington). Sponsored by Gay Lea Foods Co-operative Limited
   
• Rochelle Deslippe of Amherstburg (Essex County). Sponsored by Turkey Farmers of Ontario and Maple Leaf Foods
   
• John Kapteyn of Phelpston (Simcoe County).  Sponsored by the Ontario Broiler Chicken Hatching Egg Producers Association
   
• Kim Jo Bliss of Emo (Rainy River). Sponsored by Beef Farmers of Ontario and Canada Beef Inc.
   
• Darcy Smith of Pembroke (Renfrew County). Sponsored by Grain Farmers of Ontario.
   
• Jennifer and Heather Peart of Hagersville (Haldimand County). Sponsored by AdFarm
   
• Scott Richmond of Plattsville (Oxford County). Sponsored by Elanco Animal Health and the Ontario Association of Food Banks
   
• Bill, Susan, Rita, Rudy, Florence, Will and Bridget Heeman of London (Middlesex County).  Sponsored by the Farm & Food Care Foundation

The Ontario Association of Food Banks (OAFB) presented its annual Paul Mistele Memorial Award to the Ontario Pork Program's contributing organizations at the sixth annual Ontario Harvest Gala. The recipient organizations are Ontario Pork, Zoetis, Shur-Gain, Elanco, and Mable Honor Farm - The Fraser Family.

Steve Thomas (left) of Elanco and Amy Cronin (centre) of Ontario Pork accept the annual Paul Mistele Memorial Award from Amanda King of the Ontario Association of Food Banks. The award was presented at Farm & Food Care's annual Harvest Gala on October 24.

Named for the late farm leader who founded Ontario Pork's Donate-A-Hog program in 1998, the Paul Mistele Memorial Award recognizes agricultural partners who have shown a significant and enduring commitment to ending hunger in Ontario. 
  

"The generous donation made by the Ontario Pork Program has had a tremendous impact in ensuring that children and adults living with chronic hunger have access to healthy protein, the most needed in food banks," said Bill Laidlaw, Executive Director of the OAFB. "Recipients of the product also received recipes and information on fresh ground Ontario pork." 
      

The Ontario Pork Program launched in June 2013 in Southern Ontario. Through this program more than 20,000 servings were distributed to food banks and their clients in need. Ontario Pork, with other industry partners, is currently working on expanding the program to food banks across the province by donating fresh, ground pork.  

 Past recipients of the Paul Mistele Memorial Award include the Ontario Dairy Council, Dairy Farmers of Ontario, and Ontario Milk Transport Association (2009); Nature Fresh Farms in Leamington (2010); Turkey Farmers of Ontario (2011); and Whittamore's Farm (2012).     

Agricultural ambassadors tend to try to cram too much in when they get asked questions about food and farming. 

When answering questions try to streamline your messages, information and examples into clear and concise answers.

Remember, we cannot give people a lifetime experience of the farm in a 5 minute conversation.