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  • Communicating during COVID-19
  • June Breakfast on the Farm postponed
  • Farm to Facebook to be held May 5 and 19
  • The Real Dirt on Farming Photo Contest
  • Farm Animal Care & Farm Environment Spring 2020 Newsletter
  • Farm Creativity Contest available digitally
  • Real Dirt Road Trip - Dairy Goat tour now available
  • Meet a Member

Communicating during COVID-19

Communicating about food and farming to the non-farming public is often complicated but the current COVID-19 pandemic has made explaining the system even more confusing and here's just a few examples why:

  • There’s news articles about milk being disposed of on farm – yet milk sales are limited in many grocery stores;
  • Egg supply is constant across Canada – but eggs are also in short supply in grocery stores;
  • There isn't enough capacity at meat processing plants across Canada and farmers' worries about their inabilities to get animals to market have been the focus of many news stories.
  • Growers are citing the need for the essential skills brought by seasonal workers – while thousands of Canadians are out of work.
  • Mountains of vegetables are without markets with the restaurant sector in business.
  • And the list goes on and on.
June Breakfast on the Farm postponed

Due to the ongoing circumstances surrounding COVID-19, Farm & Food Care Ontario's (FFCO) June Breakfast on the Farm event is postponed.

The safety of host farm families, volunteers and visitors is of the utmost importance. FFCO will continue following guidelines set out by public health officials and the Ontario government. We look forward to hosting the next Breakfast on the Farm when it is safe to do so.
Farm to Facebook

Starting May 5, FFCO, in partnership with AgScape, will host a series of Facebook Live farm tours on a bi-weekly basis. Visit FFCO's Facebook page ( @FarmFoodCare ) on May 5 at 11:15 a.m. to meet Manitoulin Island beef farmer, Jordan Miller. Tune in again at 1:15 p.m. to visit Dusty Zamecnik at his strawberry greenhouse in Norfolk. Farm to Facebook will continue every Tuesday on a bi-weekly basis. Join us May 19 for a tour of a trout farm.


Teachers, parents and students can enjoy these live videos on Facebook @FarmFoodCare and ask their questions in real time.
Enter The Real Dirt on Farming Photo Contest

The Real Dirt on Farming  photo contest is open for entries until July 1, 2020.

This nation-wide farm photo contest has $4,000 in cash prizes in six categories. Winning photos will be used in the updated fifth edition of  The Real Dirt on Farming,  a publication that addresses common questions and misconceptions about food and farming in Canada.

To view categories, contest rules and entry details, click here .
Farm Animal Care & Farm Environment Newsletter
Farm & Food Care Ontario (FFCO) released its spring edition of the Farm Animal Care and Farm Environment Advisory Council newsletter last month.

The newsletter provides updates on current issues such as COVID-19 and the status of the Security from Trespass and Protecting
Food Safety Act (Bill -156). The newsletter also highlights the soil health and manure awareness project currently underway.

To read more, click  here.
Farm Creativity Contest now available digitally

Farm & Food Care Ontario's annual Farm Creativity Contest was recently made available online. Perfect for teachers, parents and students checking out online resources like FarmFood360 or AgScape's Virtual Camp Experience . Children in three age categories can draw what they have learned about food & farming and enter for a chance to win one of nine prizes.

The contest rules and downloadable template are posted here. Entries can be submitted to contests@farmfoodcare.org .
New Real Dirt Road Trip featuring dairy goats

The latest Real Dirt Road Trip featuring dairy goat farmer Jason Lyons is now available. Watch the short video and interview to learn more about this family farm, and how goats are milked and cared for.

The Real Dirt Road Trip features farmers answering common questions and takes a closer look at the day-to-day activities on some of Ontario's farms.

Watch the video below:
Meet a Gold Member: New-Life Mills
"New-Life Mills appreciates the work that Farm & Food Care Ontario does in building public trust with the consumers about food, farming and agriculture.

As Canadians get ever more removed from the farm, and agriculture in general, it is becoming increasingly important that we speak up as a sector, tell our stories, and ensure that consumers understand the care, passion, attention and hard work of the agricultural community.

Supporting organizations like Farm & Food Care through membership, sponsorship and participation are simple ways for us (as a company) to help deliver this critical message. Engaging Canadians with accurate and credible information is vitally important work. Farm & Food Care is leading the effort to meet that need." 

- Nadine Schwandt, New-Life Mills