Manitoba Pork is stepping up its efforts to share the story of the role pork producers play in the production of food; how that food is produced; and what is being done to ensure the safety of that food, the proper care of the animals and the protection of the environment.

George Matheson, the Chair of Manitoba Pork, says it's important for farmers to be involved in educating the public:

“The public generally knows very little about our sector of agriculture – adults a little, I would say. Children almost nil. It's no longer a rural culture that we're in.

“Most people from my generation came from a farm or had family members who were farmers, so they received some knowledge through that. But things have changed – we're very much an urban culture now.

“People are distanced from their food and just buy it from a grocery store so it's up to us, the pork producers, to properly educate the public on the role that our sector plays in Manitoba: what we do and why we do it, and the outcomes that result in environmental and food safety, as well as animal care and work place health and safety.

“If we don't provide that story, no one else is going to do it for us.

“It's us or no one.”

Matheson encourages anyone interested in learning more about Manitoba's pork sector to visit the Manitoba Pork web site at ManitobaPork.com.

He notes the organisation is represented by a ten-member board of directors and any of those individuals would be more than willing to spend time with the consumer to answer any questions about the sector.

As reported by Bruce Cochrane, Farmscape.Ca