Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

BASF Invites Some Urban Consumers To The Farm. Sustainability Video Series.

 

 

 

Conversations On Sustainability online video series captures the
dialogue when urban consumers meet the farmers that grow their food.


MISSISSAUGA, ON - BASF Canada (BASF) today launched an online
video series called Conversations On Sustainability on its AgSolutions YouTube
channel. The videos feature highlights from the conversations five urbanites had
with five Canadian farmers when they travelled from the city to the farm to see
how food is grown, and how the industry can sustain it.

"We invited
average urban consumers, who had some not so average questions and opinions
about food, to speak openly with the farmers who grow it," says Scott Kay,
Canada Business Director at BASF. "When it comes to food supply, we're all in
this together. Whether you're the consumer, the grower or the innovator, it's
really about us all working together. Through the video series, these urban
consumers had the opportunity to speak openly and connect with growers like
never before."

Each of the five consumers got a tour of a Canadian farm
- in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario - to see the field, the
machinery and the crops close up. They spoke one-on-one with growers and asked
them questions like how much it costs an acre to run a farm, to how growers
apply their herbicides, to how and why growers select particular seed varieties.


"I'm from downtown Toronto. I have no idea what life is like on a farm,"
says Ron Schlumpf, a banker.

Schlumpf spent a day with Dan Ronceray on
his farm in Somerset, Manitoba, where the two were able to share their
perspectives.
"We have nothing to hide," says Ronceray. "We produce a good
crop and quality products, and if they [consumers] need to know every step of
the way, I'm happy to open my farm and show them how we do it."

Other
participants included Humphrey Banack, a grower in Camrose, Alberta who met with
Detlev Kloss, an inventory control manager from Whitby, Ontario; Curt Gessell,
who operates a farm in Delisle, Saskatchewan who met Marie Duggan, an
administrator from Tottenham, Ontario; Brian Vandervalk, a producer in Fort
McLeod, Alberta, who met Mike Reid, a recent university graduate from Toronto;
and Steve Twynstra, a grower in Ailsa Craig, Ontario, who met Gerry Johnston, a
registered nurse from London, Ontario.

Views: 99

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Ontario Invests $22 Million to Create New Export Opportunities for Ontario food products

Canada and Ontario are investing nearly $22 million to help farmers and food processors grow exports, create jobs and strengthen the agri-food sector.

Canada Backs Smart Lettuce Farming

Canada is investing in new digital tools to help lettuce growers improve crop management, reduce waste, lower labor costs, and increase farm productivity.

Validating Autonomous Pivot’s field-monitoring technology on Innovation Farms

“Nothing is in the field more than the pivot, and yet most of them tell you very little, if anything at all, about the crop,” says Daniel Jenkins, vice president of sales for Autonomous Pivot. Autonomous Pivot’s technology uses cameras and ground penetrating radar to collect soil-moisture data, crop imagery, rainfall, pressure, GPS location, and irrigation activity to help growers make better irrigation and crop-management decisions. The company sees centre pivots, traditionally used exclusively for irrigation and fertigation, as underutilized pieces of equipment that are in the field more than any producer or agrologist. It aims to convert the centre pivot into its own reporting scout in the field. Autonomous Pivot installed its technology at EMILI’s Innovation Farms MacGregor site during the 2026 season. EMILI is validating the technology’s insights about field conditions, irrigation optimization, and pest and disease alerts. “Development is a tenuous process because you’re ask

This is Agriculture: Board Chair

Ray Bouchard has worked in the agriculture industry for 46 years in a career that has spanned sales roles in agriculture manufacturing and distributing, and leadership roles including more than a decade as CEO of Enns Brothers. For more than ten years, Ray has contributed his entrepreneurial spirit and strategic expertise as EMILI’s board chair. Here, Ray shares what makes him passionate about agriculture, and his vision for EMILI’s future success. Describe your role as EMILI’s board chair. In the early days of EMILI, I was more involved on the operational side of the organization but now that we’re 10 years in as an organization, I am focused on EMILI’s long-term strategy. Where did you grow up? Was it an agriculture or urban environment? I grew up just west of Winnipeg in Elie, Manitoba. You could call it a bedroom community of the city, but also it was an agricultural community. What was your first job in the agriculture or agri-food sector? I had a chance when I was in my teens to

Producers to discuss real-world impact of testing and validating agtech at Agriculture Enlightened

Farmers know farming best which is why the AIVA Network works with Canadian farmers to test and validate agtech and bring proven solutions to market. From validation hubs that operate on fully operational commercial farms, to farmer alliance members who provide structured feedback on market-ready technologies, this AIVA Network panel at Agriculture Enlightened will share perspectives on how testing and validating technology in real world conditions has real world impact. Carl Havixbeck is a farmer network success manager with AIVA Network. He has worked in the agricultural sector in Manitoba for over 30 years. His passion for agriculture started as a young boy on a family farm in Rosser, MB. After completing a certificate in diesel mechanics at Red River College, and then an agribusiness degree from the University of Manitoba, Carl began his farming career. Stepping away from the farm after 10 years, Carl began serving farmers directly within many different businesses and roles in the

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service