“Faces of Farming” 10th Anniversary Edition Calendar Now Available

“Faces of Farming” calendar celebrates milestone - Farm & Food Care unveils 10th anniversary edition

Minister Jeff Leal and Farm & Food Care Foundation vice chairman Ian McKillop unveiling the cover of the 2015 Faces of Farming calendar featuring Ryan Schill of Wallenstein.

(Guelph, Ontario), October 31, 2014: The tenth anniversary edition of the “Faces of Farming” calendar was unveiled last night at Farm & Food Care’s Harvest Gala in Kitchener, Ontario. This calendar annually highlights the diversity of Ontario’s farmers and farming families, and is designed to show the public the kind of passion and hard work that goes into producing the food we all enjoy.

Since its inception in 2006, the “Faces of Farming” calendar has showcased almost 140 different farmers and farm families from across the province; further information on all of them and their farms can be found at http://www.farmfoodcare.org/news/2015-faces-of-farming-calendar/201.... Annually, the calendar is sponsored by many Ontario agribusinesses and commodity groups. Once again, the photographs were taken by Kitchener photographer Terry Scott White who has been with the project since its inception.

All of the farmers highlighted in the calendar are hardworking individuals who hail from different parts of the province. They are different ages, come from different areas of the industry -from poultry and dairy to corn and orchard fruits - and share a passion for what they do. Here are just a few examples from the 2015 edition:

A group shot of most of the participants and the creative team for the 2015 Faces of Farming calendar.

• Two city girls who found their calling on Ontario egg and beef farms;

• Winners of Ontario’s 2014 Outstanding Young Farmer competition;

• Multi-generational fruit and vegetable farmers who were recognized for their environmentally-  sustainable farming practices;

• A race car driver who grows broccoli on his family farm;

• Brothers who are active community volunteers as well as dairy farmers;

• A family growing edamame beans – a crop new to Ontario - on land that has been in their        family for over a century.

Scanning the QR codes found on the bottom of each calendar page directs viewers to video interviews with each of the farmers and farm families.

Almost 4,000 politicians, grocery stores, butcher shops and media sources will be mailed copies of the calendar and the soon-to-be-released 2014 edition of the Real Dirt on Farming booklet in November. Copies can be ordered by filling out the online order form at www.farmfoodcare.org, or by calling 1(519) 837-1326. A list of retailers selling the calendar is also posted on the Farm & Food Care website.

Farm & Food Care Ontario is a coalition of farmers, agriculture and food partners proactively working together to ensure public trust and confidence in food and farming. Farm & Food Care provides a coordinated approach and credible information on food and farming in Ontario. For more information visit www.farmfoodcare.org. ;

For further information, contact:
Kelly Daynard, kelly@farmfoodcare.org, 519-837-1326 (office), 519-993-8634 (cell)

2015 Faces of Farming Calendar Participants

January Ryan Schill of Wallenstein (Waterloo Region)
Sponsored by AdFarm

February Sandra Aspden of Tillsonburg (Elgin County)
Sponsored by the Canada Mink Breeders and Ontario Fur Breeders’ Association

March Jan and Evert Veldhuizen of Woodstock (Oxford County)
Sponsored by DEKALB

April Lynn, Véronique, Jessica and Valérie Longtin of Fournier (Prescott County)
Sponsored by Egg Farmers of Ontario

May Amanda and Jason O’Connell of Carleton Place (Lanark County)
Sponsored by RBC Royal Bank

June Josée Séguin of Noëlville (Sudbury District)
Sponsored by Gay Lea Foods Co-operative Ltd.

July Brian, Silken, Theo and Eli Ricker of Dunnville (Haldimand County)
Sponsored by Turkey Farmers of Ontario

August Sheila Sheard of Brampton (Region of Peel)
Sponsored by Beef Farmers of Ontario and the Ontario Corn-Fed Beef Program

September Clarence Nywening of Thamesville (Chatham-Kent)
Sponsored by Ontario Broiler Chicken Hatching Egg Producers Association

October Krista Patterson of Appin (Middlesex County)
Sponsored by Grain Farmers of Ontario/Good in Every Grain

November Kenny Forth of Lynden (Region of Hamilton)
Sponsored by Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association

December Annette MacKellar of Alvinston (Lambton County)
Sponsored by SeCan – Canada’s Seed Partner

January, 2016 Glen, Monica, Ryan, Rick, Kevin, Jill, Emma and Cohen Howe of Aylmer
(Elgin County) Sponsored by the Farm & Food Care Foundation