CAMA Meeting at Canada's Outdoor Farm Show 

Guest Speaker:  Kelly Daynard, Farm & Food Care Ontario
Topic: “Communicating with Consumers"

Topic Overview

In recent years, issues related to agriculture have made headlines on a regular basis. Negative marketing campaigns and fear mongering tactics being used to sell products have only made the issue worse. At a time when food has never been safer, consumers have never been more concerned – or more confused – about what they should be buying to feed their families.

Farm & Food Care Ontario (FFCO) is a whole-sector coalition made up of farm families, agribusinesses, food processors, restaurants, retailers, food companies and more. With a 30-year history of award-winning projects and outreach initiatives, FFCO works to tell the stories of the farmers and food processors who work hard to grow and produce the fresh Ontario food that we enjoy so much. FFCO provides a coordinated effort, a unified voice and a one stop shopping approach for credible information about how our food is grown.

Kelly Daynard will talk about the common questions and concerns that consumers have about food and farming. She’ll also focus on some of the techniques that FFCO and its sister groups in SK and PEI use to answer those questions and will provide tips on how the audience can start proactive conversations themselves.

About Kelly

Raised on a cash crop farm near Guelph, Ontario, Kelly Daynard is the Executive Director of Farm & Food Care Ontario. She is a graduate of both Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario and the Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program.

A former reporter/photographer and agricultural communications specialist, Kelly has been with Farm & Food Care Ontario (and its predecessor organizations) since 2004.

Kelly is one of the co-founders of the Speak Up team training program, an initiative that gives farmers the skills and confidence they need to be able to tell their stories about their farms and farm families to the public. The workshops have now been delivered to farmers and agribusiness staff across Canada.

Farm & Food Care Ontario cultivates appreciation for food and farming by connecting farm gates to our dinner plates. Farm & Food Care Ontario is a coalition of farmers, farm organizations and associated businesses proactively working together to earn public trust in food and farming.