March 2020 Newsletter In this Issue: IMPORTANT UPDATES, Real Dirt on Farming Photo Contest, Breakfast at the Barn, Canadian Food Focus, Champion Award Nominations and Canada's Ag Day Review

IMPORTANT UPDATES due to COVID-19

Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan has decided to postpone our Agriculture in the City Event that was to have taken place at Lawson Heights Mall on April 4, 2020. Due to the public health concerns surrounding COVID-19 and the new restrictions on public events, this event has been postponed. We appreciate the support of our sponsors, exhibitors and volunteers and look forward to hosting the event at a later date.

The Interview Preparation Media Training workshop that was scheduled for April 2nd has been cancelled. This workshop will be rescheduled when more is known in the next few months. Thank you for your understanding.

The Real Dirt on Farming Photo Contest

Have a great farm photo you'd like to share? Farm & Food Care is launching a nation-wide farm photo contest with $4,000 in cash prizes available for winners in six categories. Winning photos will be used in the updated, fifth edition of  The Real Dirt on Farming.

CATEGORIES: 1) Canadian Farm Scenes  – Capture the beauty of Canada’s rural landscape; 2) Faces Behind Food & Farming  – From farmers to chefs and everyone in between – all the people who make food & farming possible doing what they love; 3) All about Animals  – Farm animals in the barn or field; 4) Farm Innovation  – Technology at work on Canadian farms; 5) Crazy about Crops  – Photos of crops being grown in fields, orchards or greenhouses across Canada; and 6) Farm to Plate – Showcasing the fresh, delicious and nutritious food grown and produced right here in Canada All entries must be received by end of day on July 1, 2020. Click Here for Full Contest Details.

NEW EVENT! Breakfast at the Barn

Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan is excited to present Breakfast at the Barn on June 6 th at the University of Saskatchewan’s Rayner Dairy Research Barn. This new, family-friendly event offers a free breakfast and features activities for all ages, including tours of the dairy barn. Attendees will experience a unique opportunity to encounter many elements of modern farming and have their questions answered by local farmers. For planning purposes we are asking attendees to register ahead of time. Click below to request your free tickets!

Get FREE Tickets

Canadian Food Focus continues to engage Canadians to help them make confident food choices and trust the farmers that produce their foods. Here are four of our recent articles:

Staples for a Well-Stocked Pantry What Does All Natural in a Food Label Mean?

How are Dairy Farmers Using Robots in the Barn? How is Maple Syrup Made?

Champion Award - Call for Nominations “Champion” – a person, or persons, who works to promote Saskatchewan agriculture and help farmers build public trust. The “Food & Farming Champion” Award is presented to an individual who has taken the initiative to help engage or educate consumers about agriculture in our province. Nominees have used their skills to help inform consumers or correct misinformation about production practices, and done a measurable job of promoting our industry. The nomination deadline is September 30, 2020 and the recipient will be honoured at the Farms at the Table Conference on November 26, 2020.

Click here for Nomination Form

Canada's Ag Day in Review

Canada's Ag Day was held nation-wide on February 11th. Farm & Food Care SK participated by setting up a booth at the University of Saskatchewan, we sponsored a screening of Guardians of the Grasslands documentary, shared our latest Ag Day video and reached out through social media. The student outreach event was held at Place Riel on the university campus. We handed out Real Dirt on Farming publications, along with giving students the chance to virtually tour a farm using our virtual reality goggles. We sponsored the U of S Livestock and Forage Center's screening of Guardians of the Grasslands. A good crowd was in attendance and feedback was positive. Our social media campaign was very successful, with Farm & Food Care SK and Canadian Food Focus reaching over 250,000 people. Both Farm & Food Care SK and Canadian Food Focus hosted social media contests encouraging participants to post a photo or comment in the Facebook post. The contest was popular with a national reach as the winners were from Ontario and BC.

Upcoming Events

JOIN US FOR BREAKFAST! The inaugural Breakfast at the Barn is being held on the U of S campus at the Rayner Dairy Research Facility on June 6, 2020 from 8:30 AM - 11:30 AM. The event is free but registration is required. Register Here

SAVE THE DATE! The 2020 Farms at the Table Conference will take place November 25 - 26, 2020 in Saskatoon. For More Information

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