We’re often faced with contradicting, confusing information about where our food comes from, and sometimes it’s difficult to get the answers we’re looking for when it comes to food and farming in Canada – especially in a time where many of us are removed from farming life.
In an effort to make this information more readily accessible, Farm & Food Care is back with their latest edition of Real Dirt on Farming to answer Canadian’s top food and farming questions.
Ever wonder exactly where your food comes from, how it got to your plate, and what it went through to get there? Or maybe what the difference is between conventional and organic farming? What’s the deal with GMOs, hormones and pesticides in Canada? And what are livestock farms like in Canada? Now you can get the Real (reliable) Dirt on Canadian farming.
Farm & Food Care represents farmers and agribusinesses across Canada, and has previously released the Real Dirt resource in 2006, 2010 and most recently 2014. For each edition they polled 1,200 non-farming Canadians coast to coast to ask them their top questions and concerns about food and farming in Canada; it’s a conscientious effort to gather what the average non-farmer is thinking about. After all, 98% of our population falls into this category.
Kelly Daynard, Communications Manager for Farm & Food Care, tells us that the top of mind issues and questions noticeably change over the years, and polling Canadians allows them to understand the relevant concerns and questions of today. Whereas mad cow was on people’s mind in 2006, with many questions surrounding beef, this past year they saw more interest in, for instance, GMOs, or the several different types of eggs on the shelf (free range, omega). Kelly tells us that they aren’t afraid of the ‘tough issues’, and these are the sort of questions they want to clarify and answer.
One thing that does remain consistently clear is that Canadians, understandably, want to ensure their food supply is safe (i.e. what testing is done to bring a new crop to market?), and Kelly explains that they create this booklet so Canadians have a reliable resource to go to for these answers, clarifying there is nothing to hide.
A plethora of topics are covered in the 52-page document, and so it is quite concise and easy to read, but with several sources and references to back it up. With months of research and about 30 “expert advisors” that helped to review and revise (including farmers, researchers, vets, scientists and commodity experts across Canada), Farm & Food Care feels confident in standing behind every fact in the booklet. And if you have a question about food or farming, who better to ask than a farmer? The Real Dirt booklet provides Canadians with this connection when they may not know a farmer themselves.
The response they’ve received certainly demonstrates a sincere interest. After an Ontario-wide twitter party last spring for Local Food Week, where Farm & Food Care saw 180 participants, they decided to host a #RealDirt twitter party instead of a physical launch for the booklet. With a goal of 250 participants across Canada for #RealDirt, it was a fantastic success to see 470 participants generate 1,500 tweets in just one hour (which resulted in 1.7 million media impressions in the one hour) – proudly sharing to the twitterverse that 97% of Canadian farms are still family owned, and of course working in other facts from the booklet (plus some fun, engaging dialogue: did you know a cow can’t be tipped?), the online launch party was undoubtedly a huge success, seeing farmers, foodies and everyone in between participating from coast to coast, connecting Canadians across the country through food and farming.
#RealDirt trending #1 in Canada that evening is certainly indicative of the growing interest in food and farming, and it’s exciting to see these connections being made across our vast country.
These online platforms are becoming ineffably valuable in building a better understanding between diverse minds, workers and farmers from coast to coast, allowing people to share interest, insight, questions and answers. There’s an evident glowing curiosity in farm life across Canada that is hopeful to see.
Farm & Food Care has almost sold out of their first 100,000 booklets that were released the first week of Nov. 2014; they will soon be printing another 100,000 copies. A 12-page mini digest version will also soon be made available, with 300,000 copies to go out nationally in the Globe and Mail in the middle of March. They are currently working to get the booklet into schools, and hope to get a mobile app in the future.
Naturally, we’re eager about ag education, as the public’s understanding is surely part of the path to strengthening our food and farming sector.
Be sure to check out and share the Real Dirt on Farming!