Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan believes in the power of working together. That’s why, in 2024, we re-evaluated our programs and decided to take a fresh approach to industry engagement. Instead of a traditional conference in 2025, we chose a more collaborative path: a dynamic workshop in partnership with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture.
The Ministry’s biannual agriculture communicator meetings provide the perfect platform to connect individuals passionate about building trust in our food system. On January 29, we joined forces to create an event that combined valuable information with hands-on collaboration. The event started with updates on outreach activities from the Ministry and from partner groups 4-H Saskatchewan, Agriculture in the Classroom Saskatchewan and Canadian Food Focus. The second part of the workshop featured two compelling keynote presentations.
First, Jaclynn Smith and Jaclyn Chute from Dairy Farmers of Canada shared their inspiring journey of adapting student engagement strategies to align with the 2019 Canada Food Guide. They explained how their updated food-neutral approach encompasses many different ingredients including dairy and this embraces diverse nutritional needs and cultural differences. By partnering with Agriculture in the Classroom, they ensured their resources met curriculum requirements, maximizing their impact. The subsequent workshop encouraged participants to share about their respective communications initiatives across agriculture and identify opportunities for collaboration.
The second keynote presentation explored the revolutionary potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in agricultural communications. Andreas Duess from 6 Seeds Inc. illuminated how AI is transforming marketing and communication. He showcased how AI can provide data-driven insights based on real consumer behavior, eliminating personal bias and subjectivity. The engaging workshop discussion that followed shared ideas about how individual ag communicators are using AI in their work now and how this technology could shape the future of agriculture communication.
With over 60 attendees and a palpable sense of optimism, the event was a resounding success. In addition to the learnings offered, a significant benefit of the event was to provide an opportunity to those who work in agriculture to discover ways to collaborate and support each other. Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan is thrilled to partner with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture again and we’ll keep you updated on the next collaborative event. Stay tuned!