It was time for those involved in the agriculture industry to finally put a difficult harvest season behind them as they took part Steaks and Stems Producer Appreciation Night.
This was one of a number Steaks and Stems nights held around the province, put on by the Ministry of Agriculture.
At the event at Gold Eagle Casino Wednesday night, producers from the grain and cattle industries enjoyed a roast beef meal and also heard an encouraging message about the work they do.
The guest speaker was Cherilyn Nagel, a farmer and policy advocate. Her address to the audience particularly focused at length on the issue of public trust with consumers, and why it was important.
It was a topic she herself didn’t have much enthusiasm for years earlier.
“I remember telling myself not to waste my time on this issue,” Nagel said.
“Because explaining to someone why I would grow genetically modified canola is a waste of my time. And explaining to somebody why I would use pesticides on our farm is so obvious, I don’t have time for that. And I realize now years later that was a mistake on my part. I grossly underestimated the importance of building relationships with our consumers and the effects they would have on our regulatory system.”
She pointed out that producers want “the same thing” that consumers want: healthy food that is environmentally friendly and respectful of animal rights. “But there’s something that’s happened in between,” Nagel said, pointing to the negative stories in the media about all aspects of the food system.
Nagel noted consumer interest in their food is high and growing – “they’re super interested in their food” – and she cited the impact of social media and influencers on consumers.
Nagel encouraged those producers in the room to be more proactive in telling their story. She urged her audience to share “their value system” in telling the public why they make the decisions they do make on the farm, by engaging in conversations with people and offering their perspective.
“There’s a value system attached to that and I think we’ve just got a little too detached from the reasons why we do what we do.”
