In July 2025, Canadian Food Focus was proud to host our annual Farm and Food Tour in Saskatoon, welcoming a dynamic group of food influencers—professionals with the power to shape public understanding of agriculture across the country. Our goal is simple yet essential: empower these influencers with immersive, on-the-ground knowledge so they can confidently answer consumer questions and become champions for Canadian food and farming.
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. By supporting a diverse cohort of communicators, we are strengthening trust between Canadians and their food.
A Rich and Diverse Group of Guests
Our tour guests represented a remarkable diversity of roles and perspectives:
- Registered dietitians and nutritionists eager to better explain food production methods and nutritional benefits.
- Food writers, bloggers, and media personalities seeking to tell authentic stories about where food comes from.
- Chefs and culinary educators excited to explore local ingredients and sustainable sourcing.
- Science communicators, journalists and food scientists bridging the gap between technical research and public understanding.
- Industry advisors and sector development officers working to unite producers and consumers.
This mosaic of backgrounds ensures that insights from the tour will reach a broad Canadian audience—whether it’s curious consumers looking for facts or food professionals making sourcing decisions.
Tour Highlights and Activities
Day One began with a welcome breakfast where guests networked and learned about the mission of Canadian Food Focus. After foundational sessions on the state of Canadian agriculture and plant science participants toured a multi-generational grain farm, experiencing first-hand the complexity of crop and livestock operations.
Practical, hands-on activities like seed identification and DNA extraction were paired with open Q&A opportunities, fostering deeper understanding. The day included a beef farm tour with interactive demonstrations about animal care, followed by an evening gathering at Wanuskewin Heritage Park, immersing everyone in Indigenous history and foodways.
Day Two featured virtual and in-person learning. Guests took virtual tours of pork and chicken barns, gaining insight into animal welfare and production efficiency—common consumer curiosity points. Visits included an egg processing facility with demonstrations of state-of-the-art robotics, a dairy farm operating with robotic milking systems, and meals featuring regional cuisines. Throughout these activities, experts from a variety of disciplines were available to answer questions, clarify misconceptions, and inspire networking.
Achieving our Goals
By providing first-hand exposure to farming realities, supporting open dialogue, and facilitating interaction with a broad cross-section of agriculture professionals, the tour has enabled our influencer network to confidently field consumer questions—and tell the real stories of Canadian food. The energy and insights shared will ripple out through blog posts, media, community education, and professional practice, helping Canadians feel more informed and connected to our food system.
Heartfelt Thanks to Our Sponsors
This ambitious programming is only possible thanks to generous support from our sponsors. Key partners in 2025 included industry associations, commodity groups, and organizations such as the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, Chicken Farmers of Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan Egg Producers, Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, CropLife Canada, SaskWheat, Sask Cattle, Sask Pork, SaskMilk, Sask Oilseeds, Bayer Crop Science, Cargill. Their collaboration enables us to provide exceptional learning opportunities for influencers, supporting food literacy across Canada.
Together, we are building strong, authentic relationships between farmers and influencers. Thank you for making this year’s Farm and Food Tour a resounding success.
LinkedIn Testimonial Posts:
Oh, Canada! You truly showcased your beauty during my visit to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan last week. Experiencing #Canola in bloom for the first time was beyond what any picture could capture (hence me contemplating this in the field).
A huge thank you to Dorothy Long for the invitation and Canadian Food Focus for the warm hospitality and thoughtful agenda. While there were numerous takeaways, I wanted to share a few of my highlights.
Farming is complex, regardless of size. #Farmers typically plan at least a year in advance for the next season. They must navigate external factors beyond their control, such as major weather events, which complicate their efforts to ensure a successful year (talk about stressful!).
Precision matters. Crops require ideal conditions to thrive. Both excess and deficiency of nutrients can lead to crop damage, impacting farmer income and the environment.
Diverse tools help crops thrive. Farmers utilize a variety of “tools in their toolbox” to support crop growth. Oversimplification can misrepresent the diverse methods farmers employ, including #pesticides as part of integrated pest management practices to minimize environmental impacts. See the picture below in the wheat field. This was one of the smaller weeds the wheat competes with. #Innovation has contributed to more precise farming to ensure the right amount of pesticides are applied at the right time to prevent over application (which also keeps input costs lower- win/ win).
Pulses are amazing. Canada is the leading producer and exporter of lentils, with Saskatchewan producing 95% of the country’s lentils! This powerful crop not only provides excellent nutrition but also helps fix nitrogen in the soil for future crop rotations. Lentils are often rotated with canola and wheat.
Great care and thoughtfulness go into producing lean pork, beef, eggs, and dairy. Animal welfare, cleanliness, and care are prioritized to ensure nutrient-dense foods enter our food supply.
I feel fortunate to have met just a few of the dedicated individuals working tirelessly, day and night, rain or shine, to bring food from their farms to my table. Don’t forget to #ThankAFarmer when you get the chance!
Contributed by:
Penny Eaton
Managing Director, Stakeholder Relations, Canadian Food Focus
Penny Eaton is a farm girl turned communications specialist who works to answer consumer questions about farming and food production. Penny manages stakeholder relations, coordinates events and communications projects and oversees funding requests and reporting.
Before joining our team, Penny established her own consulting firm, providing writing and communications services to a wide base of clients. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Saskatchewan and is originally from a farm near Rosetown, Saskatchewan. She’s a proud Riders fan and probably takes Halloween a little too seriously.
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