There was no shortage of excitement at this year’s Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto Ontario. However the excitement this year was focused around good health and locally grown food not the traditional agriculture. This change in focus was echoed by the president of the Royal Rob McLaughlin when he sat down with some of our agriculture communications class early on Monday morning. He stated that the focus was not to educate consumers on how commodities are produced but rather on the safety and benefits of products produced.
This is an interesting approach to agriculture education. Throughout the Royal there was a massive effort that was launched in order to educate consumers about eating healthy. The journey to your good health area encompassed a large variety of booths from McDonalds to the marketing association of the Holland Marsh. However they all had one thing in common they where focused on local food and connecting the producer to the consumer. Take for example McDonald’s was handing out apple slices that were produced from Simcoe apple growers or the Holland Marsh in Bradford handing out free carrots. All locally grown and a healthy alternative to traditional snack foods.
The local food movement was encompassed into everything that was discussed at this year’s Royal. Even working at the greenbelt booth on a Monday afternoon I realized that locally grown food is becoming a huge demand and its being driven from within Toronto. What intrigued me was a conversation I had with a Chef from Toronto. He was looking to source locally grown food for his customers who were demanding it at such a rate he could not keep up. After a long conversation with him I concluded by sending him the Holland Marsh booth where he would be able to connect with producers who could supply fresh vegetables and produce for his restaurant. Those connections are key and the Royal needs an effective way to facilitate that.
The Royal has always been a place where opportunities are created and dreams are realized. However this year was something else, the Royal opened my eyes to the future of agriculture and what it has in store for us as the next generation. Consumers want to know there food is safe and that education is in turn creating a demand that agriculture as an industry cannot ignore.
