BETWEEN YOU, ME AND THE FENCE POST By Jennifer Kyle, BFO Senior Communications Specialist info@ontariobeef.com • www.ontariobeef.com
Zoom…Zoom…Zoom W
hen the world shut down in March due to COVID-19, I don’t think anyone anticipated we would still be living in a quasilocked down reality in August. Most of us have adjusted the best we can to the new ‘normal’, some are ready to see 2020 in the rear-view mirror, and others may feel like the cow in this photo eying up a No Exit sign as if to say, will we ever escape 2020? While “stage 3” has included easing some of the restrictions, we still find ourselves unable to gather in person in any significant or “normal” way. And when we do gather, the numbers are limited and the physical distance and masking rules apply, so in many ways, it’s still logistically easier and less stressful to gather virtually when we can. With this in mind, I want to take a moment to say thank you to all of you for bearing with us as we navigate technology to find ways to bring everyone together when we can’t actually be together. Many of you have participated in countless Zoom calls and meetings over the past many months, and we appreciate your patience and efforts to familiarize yourselves with the technology. Whether you have figured things out on your own, or used your household’s resident “techie”, you
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O N T A R I O B E E F • AUGUS T 2 0 2 0
Photo credit: Molly Taylor
have all managed to connect and engage. Admittedly, it makes me a little proud to see all the farmer faces “Zooming” like pros when prior to March, most had never heard of Zoom let alone used it! We are continually trying to find ways to bring people together when we can. We ran the annual Summer Advisory Council Meeting virtually in July. In addition to the business portion of the meeting, that event would typically include meals together, socializing and farm tours. Sadly, this was not possible this year. Rather than completely scrapping the social part of the meeting, we decided it would be nice to still provide a keynote speaker and open that up to anyone who wanted to join. We invited Lesley Kelly, creator of the popular blog High Heels and Canola Fields and co-founder of the Do More Agriculture Foundation, to talk about breaking the barriers surrounding mental health in the agricultural community and how having one conversation can save a life. Lesley is a passionate advocate for mental wellness in agriculture, and gave a dynamic and inspiring presentation that was very well-received. The intention of the event was to expand our existing Wellness on the Farm initiatives and to really further the conversation around mental health. The presentation was recorded, and while we aren’t able to post the video publicly, we are able to make it available privately for members who would like to watch it. Please let me know if you are interested. As we have watched event after event pull the plug, it feels like 2020 has effectively been canceled. However, many of these event organizers have pivoted quickly and are making strides towards having virtual offerings in place of their in-person events. BFO has been approached by a number of these groups and is working on providing new and existing materials, videos and resources to support these efforts where we can. There are some great plans evolving, particularly in the area of ag education, and we are pleased to be a part. The rest of 2020 may look different, but it’s certainly not canceled, so stay tuned for information about these virtual events and programs. I would love to wave a magic wand and have everything go back to normal, but sadly, magic powers are not part of my skillset. The reality is, we aren’t quite out of the Zoom and virtual woods just yet. There may still be a few Zoom meetings in your future. We appreciate your continued patience and virtual engagement, and we look forward to being able to connect in-person when it is safe for us all to do so! OB
