In July 2025, Canadian Food Focus hosted their annual Farm and Food Tour in Saskatoon. The event included a group of about 25 dietitians, food bloggers, chefs, culinary educators, science communicators, journalists and policymakers, along with industry advisors and sector development officers.
“Our goal is to empower these influencers with immersive, on-the-ground knowledge so they can confidently answer consumer questions and become champions for Canadian food and farming,” said Dorothy Long, Managing Director for Canadian Food Focus.
This year’s tour focused on closing the gap between farm and fork, providing guests with tangible, sensory-rich experiences that showcase the realities, innovations and stories behind Canadian food and farming.
The event included two and a half days of farm visits, processor tours, learning seminars and cultural experiences. The group toured a mixed grain/cattle/egg laying farm in Saskatchewan, meeting members from 5 of the six generations on this family farm. Participants visited fields of wheat, canola and lentils, learning more about each of those crops and the equipment and technology used to produce them. The tour also stopped at a pasture to see how cattle graze and water alongside other prairie wildlife. Practical, hands-on activities like seed identification and DNA extraction were paired with open Q&A sessions and opportunities to view modern farm equipment. The first tour day concluded with a gathering at Wanuskewin Heritage Park, sharing Indigenous history and foodways.
Day Two featured both virtual and in-person learning. Guests took virtual tours of pork and chicken barns, gaining insight into animal welfare and production practices. The group visited an egg processing facility with demonstrations of state-of-the-art robotics and packaging. The tour also explored a dairy farm, showing guests how cows are cared for and how robotic milking systems are used.
“We always hear the phrase ‘farm to fork,’ but this trip gave me the chance to truly live it,” said attendee Veronica Jaramillo, a food scientist and communicator and cofounder of the Food Truth Project based in Montreal. “Meeting the farmers behind these operations was the most meaningful part. I left with a newfound appreciation for Canadian agriculture and the people who make our food system possible.”
“By providing first-hand exposure to farming realities and supporting open dialogue, tours like these enable our influencer guests to confidently field consumer questions—and tell the real stories of Canadian food production,” Long explained. “The insights they gain will ripple out through blog posts, media, community education, and professional practice, helping Canadians feel more informed and connected to our food system.”
This event was supported through partnerships with CropLife Canada, Cargill, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, Chicken Farmers of Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan Egg Producers, Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, SaskWheat, Saskatchewan Cattle Association, Sask Pork, SaskMilk, Sask Oilseeds, and Bayer Crop Science.
For information, please contact:
Dorothy Long
Managing Director
Canadian Food Focus
306-821-6639
About Canadian Food Focus
Canadian Food Focus is a national consumer outreach organization that represents agriculture and focuses on what Canadians want to know about their food. Each month, CFF averages over 1M engagements, 500,000 video views and 80,000 website visits. See canadianfoodfocus.org.
Engaging Consumers’ Interest In Farm Equipment