Agricultural Ambassadors Trained

The province's agriculture industry will soon have some new ambassadors to tell Nova Scotians what modern agriculture is all about.

Beginning today, about 35 farmers, teachers and commodity-group representatives are attending the 2000 Agricultural Awareness Workshop in Truro to learn more about agriculture and how best to communicate it to the public. The workshop runs for two days.

The workshop is organized by the Nova Scotia Agricultural Awareness Committee. The committee is a government-industry partnership that works to increase people's awareness of the agricultural industry. Part of creating awareness is training a variety of educators as volunteer agricultural ambassadors who can talk about agriculture to schools, community groups and the media, and also conduct farm tours.

"It is so important to tell the story of agriculture to present and future consumers," said Ruth Grant, provincial agricultural awareness co-ordinator. "This workshop is an excellent opportunity for people with an interest in the agricultural industry to be trained in educational techniques and current information and really be ambassadors for the industry. The work they do is very valuable and much appreciated."

Rhea Brillinger of Ontario Agri-Food Education is the workshop's keynote speaker. She will talk about her experience in agriculture education and offer participants ways to deliver positive messages. Gary Atlin, a professor at Nova Scotia Agricultural College, will speak about the facts and fiction of genetically modified organisms, and Judy Pal of the Halifax Regional Police will discuss working with the media.

The conference will also include panel discussions. These talks will focus on farm tours, including topics such as farm health and safety and what makes a quality tour. Participants will also hear success stories and have the opportunity to network with others.