public. This past April, their first annual ‘The Real Dirt on Farming Speaker Training’ workshop was an opportunity to teach farmers how to talk to the media, answer questions via social media, and effective ways to teach the public about their practices. Besides hosting events and workshops, Farm & Food Care’s website is an unparalleled resource. There you’ll find Farm Food 360 — an immersive virtual reality video series that allows views a backstage pass to farms across Canada. As well as access to The Real Dirt on Farming: P.E.I. digest — a twelve page magazine profiling our island growers, answering your questions, and sharing P.E.I agriculture news. Currently, Beaton says Farm & Food Care is working diligently to ensure the public understands their mission and that they are creating a conversation between all parties. “If farmers and producers want to reach out to us we are available,” says Beaton, “We are very open to ideas and questions. If anyone has any surrounding PEI food—we encourage them to get in touch.”
On August 4, Farm & Food Care will host their first annual ‘Breakfast on the Farm’ event (8a.m.-11a.m. - check out the website or social media pages for more information). Hosted at Crasdale Farm Inc. in South Rustico, the free event invites islanders to enjoy a solely Prince Edward Island-grown breakfast. So, a note to coffee drinkers: you’ll want to bring your own from home! The intention is to show the extent to which the island produces its own food and give islanders unfamiliar with farm life an opportunity to come straight to the source. Farm & Food Care’s goal is simple but vast. The new Prince Edward Island Federation of Agriculture program got its start in December of 2017. The organization is comprised of representatives from every corner of the island’s food industry. From farmers, to food processors, restaurants, and retailers, the coalition acts as a liaison between them all, creating a transparency for consumers in regards to the source of
their food, and giving them insight into the practices and standards of the farms that surround them. Coordinator Santina Beaton says, “We want to educate. We want our island food industry to be transparent, and honest, and ensure islanders know where their food comes from. This is how it’s grown and made, and this is how it gets to your plate.” Beyond acting just as a liaison between consumers and food producers, Farm & Food Care wish to establish themselves as a reliable resource for fact-based news and information in a world where myth and misinformation sometimes reign. “Recently, there’s been more conversation surrounding food production. There are more issue arising between public trust and food. We are trying to link everybody; commodity groups, farmers, producers, restaurants, and consumers,” says Beaton.
Farm & Food Care host workshops for the farming community and events for the
Farm & Food Care PEI 420 University Ave., Suite 110 Charlottetown 902.368.7289 www.farmfoodcarepei.org
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SUMMER 2018 www.pei-living.ca
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