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: 94

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

Canada places restrictions on Finnish pork imports over ASF

Finland first announced African swine fever in its pork in July

U.S. pauses pending tariffs on Canadian goods

50 per cent tariffs were scheduled to take effect at midnight on Aug. 19

New Ag Partnership Prioritizes Farmer Mental Health

The Do More Agriculture Foundation and McDonald’s Canada partnered to advance mental health support for Canadian farmers and ranchers, beginning with a beef sector roundtable.

2026 Reg Schellenberg Next Generation Legacy Award Recipient Announced

The Canadian Cattle Foundation (the Foundation) presented the annual Reg Schellenberg Next Generation Legacy Award to Cyle Stewart of Morse, Saskatchewan, to support the Canadian Cattle Young Leaders (CYL) Program. Vice President of the Foundation Lynn Grant and CCA Director Garner Deobald presented the award at the Canadian Beef Industry Conference. In December 2022, Reg Schellenberg, President of the Canadian Cattle Association, suddenly passed away. In lieu of flowers, the Schellenberg family requested that donations be made through the Canadian Cattle Foundation to support the Canadian CYL Program. The Reg Schellenberg Next Generation Legacy Award recognizes individuals who exemplify the values Reg Schellenberg was known for—humble leadership, a commitment to mentorship, a spirit of collaboration, and unwavering dedication to the Canadian cattle industry. CYLs were encouraged to nominate one of their peers for the award based on criteria built with the Schellenberg family, inclu

Trade, Fertilizer and Markets: What’s Really on Alberta Farmers’ Minds?

What are Alberta farmers, retailers and lenders talking about when they gather around the coffee shop table? In the latest Alberta Seed Guide Podcast, ATB Financial’s Jon Neutens shares what he’s hearing across the province — from fertilizer costs and commodity prices to trade uncertainty and why optimism still runs deep in agriculture. For Alberta producers, uncertainty has become part of the business. Commodity prices remain under pressure, fertilizer markets have been rattled by global conflict, and trade negotiations continue to create more questions than answers. Yet despite the challenges, the mood across rural Alberta isn’t one of panic. It’s one of cautious optimism. That’s one of the key takeaways from the latest episode of the Alberta Seed Guide Podcast, where host Marc Zienkiewicz sits down with Jon Neutens, head of agriculture at ATB Financial, to discuss what producers, retailers, agribusinesses and lenders are talking about as the 2026 growing season unfolds. Neutens,

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service