Farmer and agvocate Cherilyn Jolly-Nagel discusses public trust at Steaks and Stems Farmer and Rancher Appreciation Night in Tisdale. (Alice McFarlane/farmnewsNOW Staff)

By Alice McFarlane

Public Trust

Building public trust in agriculture

Oct 29, 2019 | 4:17 PM

The Ministry of Agriculture regional offices in Tisdale, Prince Albert and North Battleford are hosting the annual Steaks and Stems farmer and rancher appreciation nights this week.

The keynote speaker for the events this year is Cherilyn Jolly-Nagel, a producer from the Mossbank area and an agriculture advocate. She encouraged the 100 people in attendance in Tisdale last night to speak openly about agriculture.

Jolly-Nagel said consumers are curious about the food they prepare for their families and the answers to their questions are often coming from the wrong sources.

She explained public trust is granted when actions align with the values and expectations of society.

Jolly-Nagel said she’s very interested in the public trust component of agriculture policy.

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“I’ve seen this firsthand over the past 15 years being involved in policy. I focused my attention on the Canadian Wheat Board debate, on railway transportation, on the trade file and I see now that public trust is truly one of the biggest issues facing agriculture today,” Jolly-Nagel told farmnewsNOW. “Consumers are incredibly interested in the food that they’re buying, what the trends are and how that food is produced.”

Jolly-Nagel said producers need to defend their practices as consumer confidence in the food system is diminishing.

“Farmers have typically been terrible at communicating and sharing what we do on the farm and we need to be a bit more active on that file,” Jolly-Nagel said. “The good news is we have a strong value system in agriculture that includes food safety and sustainability and environmental practices. Our value system is what has to lead this discussion and I think the best way to win over any consumer is to start talking about the value systems that we use to make the decisions on our farms today.”

Jolly-Nagel said farmers need to remember that technology is a privilege.

“I neglected the issue around public trust and I see now that was a mistake. I have changed from believing that farming the way I want to farm is a right that’s been passed down to me through four generations to now believing that the technological tools that I have available to me are a priviledge and if I don’t communicate why I need those privileges they are destined to be taken away,” Jolly-Nagel said. “That includes things like genetically modified canola seed that we depend on, the pesticides we depend on, drone technology, all of the things that consumers are worried about are at risk.”

Jolly-Nagel said there are many ways farmers can engage and speak up about agriculture.

“Number one, I encourage all farmers to talk to politicians, your local MLA, your MP. Those are the people involved in influencing policy and the rules around farming. But there’s also tours, there’s inviting kids out to the farm, going into the schools, there’s writing letters to the editor, getting in touch with local media and letting them know you’re available to share stories and your own expertise, just participating, maybe it’s on social media. If you happen to be involved in social media then I encourage you to be active on social media.”

Jolly-Nagel and her husband David grow durum, chickpeas, canola, barley and lentils on their farm at Mossbank. She is also a director with the Western Canadian Wheat Growers and an international director with the Global Farmer Network.

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alice.mcfarlane@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @AliceMcF