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Public trust comes from farmers telling their stories
by The Grower
AMBER ANDERSON
Both storytelling and public trust will be major themes at Farm & Food Care Ontario’s annual conference on April 13th. The theme of the conference is ‘Table Talk: Shifting Perspectives’, and it will feature three speakers who will speak to how the farm sector in Ontario relates to consumers and can increase public trust.
Dr. Mike von Massow, OAC chair in Food System Leadership at University of Guelph, is a faculty member in the Department of Food, Agricultural, and Resource Economics at the University of Guelph. His talk is titled ‘Food focus: The facts behind the headlines’. His research focuses on consumer perception of and demand for food in both retail and food service contexts. He also studies value/supply chains that bring food to the market.
Another speaker will be Stephani Roy McCallum, a facilitator, coach, trainer and leader of the most difficult conversations of our lives, who is giving a talk titled ‘How brave, honest conversations can transform our lives, organizations and communities’. With her heart on her sleeve and a deep breath for courage, Steph wades into the messy, important, beautiful conversations that can bring us together - or tear us apart. She believes that brave, honest conversations are how we solve the challenges in our world, together.
Lastly, Hayden Fox will deliver a talk called ‘Going viral with ag awareness: Connecting with consumers through TikTok’. Hayden is a Canadian TikTok star, famous for posting comedic videos often telling a story as he works on his fourthgeneration cash crop farm in southern Ontario. His haydenjfox account has gained 1.8 million followers and 20 million likes since he began posting on the platform in April, 2020.
This event, which will feature a Taste of Ontario lunch and the presentation of the 2023 Farm & Food Champion Award, will take place in Elora at the GrandWay Events Centre, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will be available for streaming online. Tickets can be purchased at farmfoodcareon.org/conference2023/.
Amber Anderson is communications manager, Farm & Food Care Ontario.
