ISSUE 2014-034  |  April, 2014
April, 2014 E-News
IN THIS ISSUE
SAVE THE DATE
Sustainable Food and Farming workshop

1 to 5 p.m., April 15, 2014 - Teatro Convention Centre, Milton
 

 Talking Tough Topics Communications Workshop
7 to 9:30 p.m., April 15, 2014 - Teatro Convention Centre, Milton
 
Farm & Food Care Annual General Meeting
9 to 4 p.m., April 16, 2014 - Teatro Convention Centre, Milton
  
Media Training Workshop
April 29 - Ontario AgriCentre, Guelph
  
Shinny Shin Dig - May 8 - University of Guelph arena
  
Ontario's Harvest Gala
October 30, 2014 - Location to be confirmed.
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www.farmcarefoundation.ca

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Ag Ambassador Tip
of the Month - Social Media
 

The world of social media can be great in the sense it makes sharing our stories about farming easier, but it can also lead to misunderstandings and conflicts.

 

There are strategies to use which will limit the risk of this, and help you get yourself out of sticky situations. These strategies can also be applied to other situations.

 

Social media has a pause button. You may see a post from someone else that you want to respond to right away, but that can lead to an escalation of emotions.

 

Instead, look at the post and try to learn more about the person who sent it. Could you have misinterpreted the post? Do they have a history of emotionally-charged posts? Are they an instigator? Does it seem to be a one-time thing?

 

Using that information, write a draft response but don't send it. Step away from the situation and do something else until you feel more composed, then read your draft response again. Look back over what you have learned about the person who made the original post. If you still feel your draft response is the one you want to send, send it. If not, reword it and try again.

 

If another inflammatory post comes your way, disengage from the conversation. Other people will realize that person is the one creating the problems, not you. If a more level response comes back, try to engage in a civilized conversation to answer questions and clear up misunderstandings.

NEW ANIMAL WELFARE WEBSITE
  

LivestockWelfare.com is a Canadian farm animal welfare resource centre. This website aims to enhance communication and advance farm animal welfare knowledge.

 

The four Farm Animal Care Councils have come together to provide information to those looking for accurate information and research on how farm animals are raised in Canada.
Farm & Food Care Conference, Communications Workshop and AGM - Early Bird registration deadline extended to April 7, 2014

Conference: Sustainable food and farming. What does it really mean in Canada? (April 15: 1 to 5 p.m.)

  

Sustainability has different meanings to different people. Come and hear insights on what it means to the Canadian public and Ontario farmers and join the discussion to share your thoughts.  

 

Following a combined session, participants will be asked to pick one of two afternoon programs related to farm animal care and the environment.

 

Highlighted afternoon speakers include:

  • Heather Mak, Sustainability Manager at Retail Council of Canada (RCC)
  • Alice Johnston, Butterball, LLC.
  • Nick Betts, Sustainable Development Coordinator, Grain Farmers of Ontario

  

Workshop: Talking Tough Topics (April 15: 7 to 9:30 p.m.)

  

Biotechnology, pesticides, antibiotics and hormones are all issues that farmers deal with on a day to day basis - but they can be difficult to explain to a non-farming public.  In a workshop setting, participants will be given tips and techniques related to answering questions and having confident conversations about topics like these.

 

Joining the workshop will be Dr. Joe Schwarcz, Director of McGill University's "Office for Science & Society" and Dr. Dominique Bureau, an animal nutritionist and aquaculture scientist with the University of Guelph's Department of Animal and Poultry Science. Participants will then have the opportunity to work on answering practice questions related to their farming practices.
 

Annual Meeting (April 16, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

 

On April 16, Farm & Food Care's annual meeting will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The morning keynote speaker will be Dr. Joe Schwarcz, Director of McGill's Office for Science & Society on the topic "Science, Sense and Nonsense".

 

The second feature speaker will be on the topic "Farmed Seafood Sustainability Movement: A case study".

 

Kim McConnell, strategic advisor and former CEO of AdFarm and director on the Farm & Food Care Foundation, will present on the topic of "What are we going to do about turning up the volume?". McConnell will give an update on the creation of a national strategy designed to help grow public trust and confidence in Canadian food and farming.  

 

The meeting will also include highlights of Farm & Food Care's 2013 activities, presentation of the Farm & Food Care Champion Award, election of the 2014-2015 Board of Directors and more.

 

To Register:

 

Registration for both the April 15 conference and workshop are free to all Ontario farmers. The cost to other participants is $60 for the conference and $100 for the communications workshop. Registration for the annual meeting is $80 in advance of April 7 and $100 after that date for all registrants. To register, visit www.farmfoodcare.org.

Be Aware: Managing Access to Information requests

  

Several farmers and processing plants across Canada have received Access to Information (ATIP) requests from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency relating to specific information on transport, animal and inspection data recently.

 

The Ag & Food Exchange (AFX) team has been assisting with responses to these requests and tracking the trends. Contact the AFX for advice on how to respond and please report if you're aware of any of these requests info@agandfoodexchange.ca. 

 

Job Posting: Animal Welfare Program Coordinator

 

Job Description:
 
The Farm Animal Welfare Program Coordinator will be an integral member of the project team to develop and deliver a new Farm Animal Welfare Program.  

 

Position Type:
 
This is a contract position for two years beginning April 2014, reporting to the Project Manager.

Scope of Responsibilities:  

 

  • Assisting with the development of resources on farm animal welfare for farmers and others who work with farm animals;
  • Coordinating meetings and planning workshops and events related to the program across the province;
  • Assisting with developing and delivering all communications and implementation of project objectives;
  • Processing accounts receivable and payables, correspondence, writing project reports and all administrative functions associated with and for the program team, Farm & Food Care members, government and industry partners .

    •  

    Desired Skills & Experience:

    • A degree or diploma in agriculture, animal or veterinary science or animal welfare related studies with a strong practical background in farming; current understanding of animal welfare issues, Codes of Practice and on-farm animal welfare programs;
    • Proficient at planning and coordinating meetings and workshops;
    • Excellent communication skills with a demonstrated ability to write detailed reports and resources, on time and on budget;
    • Attention to detail with experience running, coordinating and booking professional meetings or workshops;
    • Multi-tasker with abilities to work well independently and as part of a fast-paced team environment;
    • Valid driver's license with access to a vehicle.

    This Program Coordinator position will be based out of Guelph at the Farm & Food Care office with some travel required across Ontario.


    Please submit your resume and salary expectations to jobs@farmfoodcare.org with "Program
    Coordinator" as the subject line by April 10, 2014.

     

    We thank all applicants for their interest; however,
    only select candidates will be contacted.

     

    Shinny Shin Dig - May 8, 2014

    The Farm & Food Care Foundation will host its fourth annual "Give 'N Go Charity Shinny Shin Dig" on Thursday, May 8 at the University of Guelph arena.

      

    Last year, the event raised $2100 to support the foundation's initiatives.

     

    The event runs from 1 to 5:30 p.m. and includes a game, skills competition and pub reception. The cost is $100 for players; $250 to be both an event sponsor and player.

     

    To register, visit http://shinnyshindig.eventbrite.ca 

    If you've misplaced a copy of the newsletter or want to check an item from a past issue, they're all archived on our website under the Media Centre section.

    We encourage you to forward this newsletter to other members of your company or organization who might be interested. They can also subscribe directly 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
    © Farm Food Care Ontario
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