Hundreds of thousands of Canadians opened their paper or digital version of the Globe and Mail Saturday, as they went about their regular morning routines, and found an insert in it with the answers that many have asked about agriculture.
What are the rules for raising farm animals? What is biotechnology or GMO? Why do farmers use pesticides? What about hormones? And what is being done to keep our food safe? Below these questions from consumers were straight to the point, honest answers from farmers and people who work to produce food everyday across the country.
These readers got the digest edition of “The Real Dirt on Farming” telling consumers what Canada’s approximately 200,000 farm families do from sun-up to sun-down.
The digest, put together by Farm and Food Care, is a coles notes of sort of the full publication, which was released late last year. The latest edition has been 2 years in the making with the cherry on top being its insertion into the Globe and Mail.
It shines the spotlight on many issues and questions about where our food comes from, which often make headlines and are common threads across many different social media platforms. The difference with this publication is the answers to the many questions come straight from farmers and many others who work in ag industry. The publication also shows off producers from across the country, highlighting their stories of passion in what they do to produce the food we enjoy.
In an earlier interview with Rural Roots Canada, Farm and Food Care Communication’s Manager Kelly Daynard said there has been a major change in attitudes about food in this country over the last two decades and consumers are hungry more than ever for information about where their food comes from.
“I know when I started working in this career 15 or 20 years ago, I really couldn’t get anyone interested in where their food comes from. But with the advent of the local food movement and the 100 mile diet and farmers’ markets taking off in popularity people have just been so interested in where their food comes from, which is exciting for me. Because you know I’m passionate about where my food comes from and I think every Canadian should be and I know that hasn’t always been the case. So to see the interest take off and see the reception to a booklet like this is exciting for me, ” said Daynard.
To get your copy of the The Real Dirt on Farming click here.
Long time goal achieved today with the #RealDirt digest in @globeandmail. Pick up yours before they are all gone! pic.twitter.com/1xobmcZLKa
— Farm & Food Care (@FarmFoodCare) March 28, 2015
