The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair (aka ‘The Royal’ or RAWF) is one of the biggest agricultural fairs in Canada and world-wide, and is ideal for agriculturalists to share Ag knowledge and products with fellow farmers and enthusiasts. From breeding/conformation and riding competitions to produce awards, Canadian agriculturalists can showcase just how incredible agriculture is. The Royal is also a great place for average Canadians to learn about agriculture.
The whole event lacked promotion however. Part of RAWF is exposing the ‘city slickers’ to agriculture in a fun and engaging way that encourages continued interest. But as I researched into the Royal’s educational programs, I realized that major media outlets mostly gave the brief ‘3-liners’ on the event, only highlighting dates and prices. There were some articles about a photographer being tossed by a bull, and select educational activities, but overall, the event lacked coverage. And it seemed to me that the promotional aspect portrayed more of a sport-atmosphere with education being an after-thought. Adults enjoyed the cooking-with-fresh-food seminars, and educational activities about horses and food were great for teaching kids about agriculture. I just don’t think enough people knew about them.
Educating the masses is a big issue in agriculture, so events like the Royal are perfect for helping with this issue. As much as RAWF is for farmers and Ag enthusiasts, educating the masses should also be a focal point; additional interactive displays, extensive educational-aspect advertising, and perhaps even setting up Education Days are some ideas. Agriculture can’t get much closer to the city than RAWF has in Toronto; let’s take advantage of this opportunity!
This post has been re-posted here at TheNerdyAg.wordpress.com, initially published by the same author at a different URL. Original Posting Date: November 10, 2013
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