20 Story Idea?Email Paul.Nolan@Farms.com Better Farming | November 2023 “A lot of people came from Kitchener and Stratford, and they were just so impressed with what they saw. It was great for them to be getting out of the city and seeing what Perth County has to o er, and we were making meaningful connections with some of our urban counterparts,” says McIntosh. e Perth County Federation of Agriculture later received a letter from one of the visitors. “She was from Milverton, and she wrote about how strong communities are built on inclusivity and diversity,” McIntosh shares. e letter commended tour organizers for creating an opportunity for cultural exchange and community engagement, while demonstrating the openness, support, and the commonalities of the residents of Perth County. “We all have a job to educate and share our experiences in agriculture and to help people connect that back to where their food comes from,” says McIntosh. “ e federations have a lot of value to bring to the community. A bunch of our directors were at the farms to answer questions and direct tra c. We were there to eld general farming questions and help people through the experience as well.” McIntosh credits OFA’s support for being able to host this community event. “I don’t know if we would’ve been able to pull it o without the Revive Fund and partnership with OFA.” Niagara Region: Road Safety Project e Niagara Federation of Agriculture applied to the OFA Revive Fund to support their local campaign to improve road safety with radio and sticker advertisements. e Niagara region is home to many fruit and crop farmers with both big and small equipment, and also attracts a number of tourists, leading to safety concerns for farmers and farm workers who are travelling the roads. e stickers, which state “Pass When Safe,” come in a large and a small size to t a variety of agricultural equipment and vehicles. While organizing the sticker project, the Niagara federation considered where else in their community they could share the message to improve road safety. A er considering di erent options, the board decided to go with radio ads. “Depending on the station, these ads are played all day long at stores and dentist o ces and other businesses, and they reach people all through the community. Depending how much money you can spend, you can reach a large audience,” says Derek Funk, a member of the Niagara Federation of Agriculture. “We went to the local pop station that all my kids listen to and the school buses play, and we also looked at a classic rock station. With the two stations, the listener base is over 100,000 people, so instantly our reach is much larger while still reaching the people who see the pull-up at the library and/or encounter the sticker on the back of our equipment.” e federation put together two ads – one 30-seconds long, and another that was only 15-seconds long. “Every day Niagara farmers and farm workers are labouring tirelessly in the elds and travelling on our roads. When driving, if you are approaching a worker on a bicycle, a tractor, or any other farm equipment, be patient and give space,” was the message of the ad. “Make sure it’s safe to pass before you step on the gas.” e ads ran over the span of a month and a half in the summer, to align with a large portion of the farm tra c. e goal was to reach outside of the farm community. “ e whole point is that we are reaching outside of just the farming community. Now our reach is the entire region. ere are so many places that play the main local radio stations, so you are really getting out into the community and sending that message out,” says Funk. “And it’s a passive way of receiving the message. People just absorb the message then. It’s not click bait or anything, but it repeats over and over, OFA Revive Fund Niagara Region directors pose with road safety signs. Derek Funk photo … the top producers across Ontario for just PENNIES per adult reader! Paul.Nolan@Farms.com ADVERTISERS REACH ...
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