Communication is the hub of everything done at OCA, on behalf of producers. Without it, government wouldn’t know our issues, consumers wouldn’t know our product and producers wouldn’t know how their check-off dollars are spent. Communications happen not only through OCA’s more obvious vehicles, but via email correspondence, telephone calls and meetings.

In 2009, OCA communications achievements include:

• 2010 OCA Annual Report

• Successful 2009 OCA Annual General Meeting “Close to Home”

• Five issues of Ontario Beef magazine: average page count increased by 4 in 2009

• Submissions to the annual reports of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association and Ontario Cattle Feeders’ Association

• N umerous corporate presentations – by request

• Response to 350+ messages to the OCA Website

• Handling and reference of media calls (estimation 200)

• Further expansion and posting of documents on the OCA Website

• 49 Weekly Updates (electronic)

• 2 Advisory Council Meetings and one joint Advisory Council/ President’s Meeting

• 10 Issues of “Beef Notes”

• Participation in fairs and shows which target consumers

• Several OCA Updates in Ontario Farmer

• Working with county cattlemen’s associations to promote beefthrough radio and newspaper advertisements

• Participation and sponsorship of two Queen’s Park Press Gallery Invitational Events

• 7 CBEF trade dinners

Speak-Up Training

OCA takes great pride in the quality of ambassadors within our membership. In particular, the OCA Speak-Up Team, founded several years ago, consists of a group of individuals from various sectors, age groups and regions. The Team provides a valuable resource to OCA staff in assisting with media requests. In June, OCA hosted Speak-Up training in Kitchener, ON. The 1˝ day session was designed to re-vitalize the OCA Speak-Up Team, recruit new members and allow networking.

The event began with an evening of guest speakers from the media and consumer polling groups who set the stage and spoke about why media relations is important to an organization like OCA. That was followed by a full day of table-top exercises and group discussion, capped by on-camera mock interviews. The training was delivered by Media Savvy Inc., out of Toronto, and focused on television and radio coverage with some reference to print.

Seventy per cent of the current Speak-Up Team participated. OCA thanks all members for their dedication and service on behalf of the entire industry.

Vet on Call The OCA Website was improved this year with a service that we’ve dubbed “OCA Vet on Call”. A passionate veterinarian, Dr. Mac Littlejohn,  approached OCA in the Fall of 2008 to discuss ways that he could work with us to get preventative animal health information to the producers who need it. OCA has, for years, contracted with a veterinarian who writes timely columns for Ontario Beef magazine – but while those columns are useful, the medium allows for only a blanket approach to animal health concerns, rather than providing individual answers.

The result of discussions between Littlejohn and OCA was to create a section on the Website where producers could submit questions to Littlejohn (whose contact information is never revealed in order that potential “askers” don’t by-pass the Website and email him directly). The questions are reviewed by OCA staff and Littlejohn himself before an answer is sent via OCA, back to the original submitter. If an additional question is to be asked, that will also have to be submitted via OCA’s Website.

It should be made clear that this service a) does not replace a vet-client-patient relationship, b) does not dispense actual prescriptions or c) promote any brands of pharmaceuticals. All of these stipulations are strictly monitored by the College of Veterinarians of Ontario.

OCA hopes that our online “Vet on Call” will provide valuable help to producers who are looking for tips and suggestions with respect to herd health.

The service can be accessed at www.cattle.guelph.on.ca.

Social Media

Each communication vehicle works better for a specific target audience, and OCA is committed to changing as the needs of our producers change. Technology is a driver, and as a result, in 2009, an OCA communications priority has been to embrace social media as a means of communicating to our members and the general public.

Social media uses Internet and web-based technologies to transform broadcast media monologues (one to many) into social media dialogues (many to many). It supports the democratization of knowledge and information, transforming people from content consumers into content producers. Businesses also refer to social media as user-generated content (UGC) or consumer-generated media (CGM).

In 2009, OCA created an account on Twitter©. People are eager to connect with other people and Twitter© makes that simple. Twitter© asks one question, “What’s happening?” Answers must be under 140 characters in length and can be sent via mobile texting, instant message, or the Web. If you have a Twitter account, follow what’s happening at OCA by finding us @ ontcattle.

World’s Longest Barbecue (WLB)

Anita Stewart has been a champion for our industry since BSE and we were proud to support her World’s Longest Barbecue for the first time in 2007, and again in 2008. In 2009, OCA was the platinum sponsor, and a link to the OCA Website can be seen on the homepage of Flavours of Canada.

This year, OCA was part of an event in Elora organized by Stewart, to celebrate local food. The Grand River Raceway hosted over 600 guests who listened to great music and ate great Ontario foods. Gord Hardy, OCA President and John Gillespie, OCA Director, were on hand to serve beefon- a-bun sandwiches. Anita is now broadening the concept of the World’s Longest Barbecue to that of a Food Day.