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2006 was a successful year at the Ontario
Farm Animal
Council (OFAC). OFAC continues to work on behalf of
animal agriculture to address consumer questions today
to ensure consumer confidence in the future. OFAC is half
way through its three-year business plan and is on track
towards the goal of directing 80% of its resources
towards proactive, positive and professional programs on
behalf of animal agriculture.
Here are some highlights from 2006:
OFAC OBJECTIVE 1:
Ensuring public confidence in animal agriculture
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Virtual Farm Tours: Thousands of people each month
are now visiting farms in Ontario on www.farmissues.com,
without leaving the comfort of their own home! This
program was launched early in 2006, and now features
beef, sheep, deer, elk, goat, dairy, veal and hog farms –
13 in total. The virtual tours were tested with the target
audience – urban teenagers – and received some great
feedback. The site also won a first prize award from the
Canadian Agri-Marketing Association, as being Canada’s
best agricultural Web site directed at consumers. Tours for
eggs, chickens and ratites (ostrich, emus and rheas) will
be added in 2007. Note: This site is designed for high-speed
internet users and may cause frustration if you have
dial-up!
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The ‘Real’ Dirt on Farming: This new booklet has
been extremely popular with over 35,000 copies being
distributed in 2006 (more than a 100% increase over
original expectations). This fun, fact-filled 28 page
booklet
addresses the common questions the public has about
farming, based on our consumer attitude research.
OFAC mailed booklets to every media outlet, high school,
public library, veterinary clinic, municipal
office and politician in Ontario.
OFAC members (including many county
cattlemen’s associations) have been outstanding,
distributing these booklets in
their local communities to businesses
and schools. Copies can be viewed and
downloaded online in either English and
French at www.ofac.org, or ordered for
$2.00 each or $1.75 each for quantities
over 50, plus postage.
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Faces of Farming Calendar: 6,000
copies of the 2007 Faces of Farming
calendar were printed this year and
mailed to politicians (federal, provincial
and municipal), media, grocery stores
and butcher shops. The calendar features
the faces and stories of 13 Ontario farmers and
their families representing 12 different commodities.
The goal of the calendar is to show the public who the
people are that work hard to put food on Ontario
tables 365 days each year. The calendar received even
more media attention than it did in 2006 and was a
great positive news story for Ontario agriculture.
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Public Events: In 2006, OFAC displays were at 37
events over 118 days reaching 2.9 million people and
45,000 students with agriculture’s message in 2006.
OFAC spokesrobots, Oprah and Owen, were very
popular, with possibilities limited only by funding.
OFAC OBJECTIVE 2:
Advancing responsible farm animal care
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Putting Farm Animal Welfare on the Agenda Project:
OFAC and its sister groups in Alberta, Manitoba, and
Saskatchewan have received significant funding for this
three-year communications initiative on animal care.
Look for copies of public educational materials, a
speakers’ bureau, an animal welfare research database,
and articles for industry publication on the collective
Web site www.livestockwelfare.com or by contacting
the OFAC office.
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Over 40,000 copies of educational resources on compromised
and non-ambulatory cattle were printed and
distributed to producers, truckers, vets, sales barns, the SPCA and government in 2006.
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OFAC hosted two sold out workshops on livestock
emergencies for first responders, including police and
firefighters, in the fall. The guide is available on www.ofac.org. Look for more resources on this
topic in 2007.
OFAC OBJECTIVE 3:
Providing expertise and leadership on the issues in
animal agriculture
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Ag Awareness Toolkit: Ideas on how to make your
next agricultural awareness event memorable are
available on the new online Toolkit on www.ofac.org.
Instructions are there on everything from practical tips
for ambassadors right through to how to make your
own trivia game! OFAC has many years of experience
at public events and would like to share it to help you
in your work at the local level!
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Getting the Message Out: OFAC staff gave 57 presentations
and conducted 46 media interviews in 2006.
About OFAC
The Ontario Farm Animal Council is a non-profit
educational coalition formed in 1988 when it was the
first of its kind in North America. Ontario’s farm leaders,
including OCA, decided that agriculture needed to
work together to fight back against activist campaigns
and allegations. It also became clear that the public
doesn’t understand farming and has a lot of questions
about how their food is produced. OFAC is positioned
to be the voice of animal agriculture, providing facts
and addressing issues such as animal care, food safety
and the environment. OFAC operates with a volunteer
Board of Directors, (including a representative from
OCA), two full-time employees, and contract staff.
OFAC is proud of how much we accomplish with a
coordinated approach to the issues. We appreciate the
OCA’s support, provincially and from the many county
associations and individual farmers who support our efforts.
Thank you. |
