Canadian Food Focus, the national consumer engagement program administered by FFC SK, is currently working on a series of reels that will help non-farming consumers relate to farmers and life on the farm.
The videos feature Tiffany Martinka and her family which raises chickens and crops on their farm in northeast Saskatchewan. The project is a collaboration with Aspen Films, the Chicken Farmers of Saskatchewan and with support from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.
“We wanted to do something a bit different with these reels,” said Dorothy Long, Managing Director of Canadian Food Focus. “The videos focus on Tiffany as a person: her interest in fashion, importance of family, the challenges of managing work and three kids’ activities, getting a meal on the table, and so on. It’s important to recognize that consumers first have to be interested before they’re going to be ready to learn more about the specifics of farming.”
The videos use a “show versus tell” approach so that viewers can learn without feeling they’re being lectured. For example, one video includes a shot at the end of the solar panels on the Martinkas’ barns. By not making a big deal, it better communicates that solar panels are just a normal part of many farms.
“We don’t necessarily need to always speak to the fact that environmental sustainability is important to farmers—often it is more powerful to simply show it,” Long said.
The reels also show the importance of animal welfare, biosecurity and family farming but more through the lense of shared values. They will be shared on several platforms including Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok in early June. Help spread the word to the non-farmers in your networks! Follow us @CDNfoodfocus.