Under the guidance of Cora Whittington of Golden Pathways Coaching, the 12 Young Leaders from diverse parts of the world learned that knowing their personality types would allow them to better harness their strengths, improve on their weaknesses, and overall bring meaningful contributions to the international agricultural journalism sector.

“I have done similar personality tests before, but I found this one to be the most accurate. I think that Cora’s passionate facilitating made this workshop very successful,” said Sjoerd Hofstee, the Young Leader from the Netherlands.

This entry was written by Lloyd Phillips, South African delegate and 2011 IFAJ-Alltech Young Leader and Boot Camp delegate, following a presentation by Cora Whittington exploring people and personalities.

Here are links to the presentations made at Saturday's professional development session, as well as brief biographies of each speaker.

James Muir, professor emeritus, University of Stirling, UK — Keynote speaker

Professor James Muir is International development and research advisor and evaluator professor emeritus, University of Stirling, Scotland. Professor Muir was lead expert adviser for UK Government Foresight Programme on Global Food and Farming Futures http://www.bis.gov.uk/foresight/our-work/projects/published-projects/global-food-and-farming-futures, a major report released earlier this year.

James Muir presentation

Jill Clapperton, EarthSpirit Land and Resource Consulting

Jill Clapperton s a former rhizosphere ecologist for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Lethbridge, Alberta and and current owner of Earthspirit Land Resource Consulting, based on her ranch in Montana.

Jill Clapperton presentation

Kevin Perkins, executive director, Farm Radio International

Kevin Perkins is executive director of Farm Radio International www.farmradio.org, a Canadian-based NGO that works with farm broadcasters in Sub-Saharan Africa to deliver information through the cheap and effective means of radio. We've asked him to provide a perspective on delivering information to farmers who do not have access to First-World farm media or extension resources.  Most farm journalists in the developed world work for print publications, read by tens of thousands of well-educated farmers with many private or public sources of farm extension information. But much of the challenge of ensuring food security lies with millions of African farmers with little or no access to publications and who may not be able to read or write. However, they can listen to radio. Farm Radio International, a Canadian NGO, works with 320 radio station partners in Sub-Saharan Africa, providing scripts, a news service and broadcaster training.  

Kevin Perkins presentation

Terry Daynard, former professor of Crop Science at the University of Guelph; former Executive Director of the Ontario Corn Producers' Association

Terry Daynard is a former professor of crop science at the University of Guelph in Ontario, and former executive director of the Ontario Corn Producers Association. Along with Karen Daynard, he has recently authored a report on the effect of biofuels on world hunger http://gfo.ca/FoodvsFuel.aspx.

Terry Daynard presentation

Attachments:

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J Clapperton Sep 17 IFAJ	4108 Kb
T Daynard Sep 17 IFAJ	416 Kb
J Muir Sep 17 IFAJ	1718 Kb
K Perkins Sep 17 IFAJ	1213 Kb

Today, Women's suffrage in Sweden is celebrating 90 years. In 1914, my grandmother was born without the right of vote. Her voice was not worth anything – because of her gender. I am proud to be celebrating the anniversary at my very first IFAJ-congress, while I am thinking of all sisters that were fighting and are still fighting around the world for freedom of speech; freedom of expression; freedom of press.

If the minister of Agriculture is a pain in the ass I will write about it, no one can tell me what to write, said Hans Siemes from the Netherlands when he was talking about freedom of speech yesterday.

Is freedom of the press an important issue for agricultural journalists, he continued. Well, maybe, we are not standing in the front lines of wars most of the time, but agriculture is worldwide, exists everywhere and covers all topics.

Our roles will always be to watch and report for freedom. That includes telling the true stories and never stopping to be critical. Journalists from China or Congo have many greater and different challenges compared to journalists from Canada or Sweden. But we are all equal and journalists in the agricultural field.

It is always important to remember what roles companies, organizations or politicians play. We cannot afford to burn bridges behind. But, as Siemes says, we are hired by people to tell the truth. No matter how hard it is…

Tools like those that social media offers make our work much more complex and much more diverse. A Tweet or YouTube-clip travels in a second across all borders. To be part of a platform that connects 4,000 journalists in 31 countries is powerful. IFAJ can use that power to push for changes in the freedom of press.

No rights can occur or be maintained by themselves. And a watchdog is not a watchdog if it cannot bark.

As one of the Alltech’s Young Leader Award Winners, I am thrilled by the new challenges agriculture has in the future. The only natural resources that are increasing on Earth are human hands. In the future the quality of farming soil and water will be the limiting resources. Food is the new oil, said Alltech vice president Aidan Connolley today. It is also questions that will be raised and to be investigated at the Congress in Sweden next year, where the theme will be “Green solutions for the future”.

This entry was written by Anna Nilsson, Swedish delegate and 2011 IFAJ-Alltech Young Leader and Boot Camp delegate, following a presentation by Hans Siemes of the Netherlands about freedom of the press.

Eating and drinking in the restaurant with direct explanation from the producer. That was the privilege of the IFAJ Boot Camp and Master Class delegates this evening.

The dinner of the delegates took place in the center of Guelph in the Woolwich Arrow Pub. It was not your typical dinner, as delegates got to hear a clear explanation of the menu from one farmer and the restaurant owner.

Kevin Smith of Smoyd Potato Farm is growing on 38 acres, 3 varieties of potatoes. The complete harvest is sold, during the year, to several restaurants in Ontario. A way of doing business which Smith started with almost 15 years ago, “because we were disappointed about the quality of the potatoes we got on our plate,” the passionate farmer said.

With this approach, he is now making a good living – though it took him at least five years to be financially stable. In the beginning, Smith was just delivering the potatoes in the trunk of the vehicle and couldn’t break-even.

Bob Desautels is owner of The Neighbourhood Group of Companies, which includes the Woolwich Arrow. He started it in 1990 when it had a turnover of $400,000. Now that is around $2.2 million.  And that in a restaurant where all the food comes from local producers - 45 in total. “All selected on quality standards,” Desautels said.

The company is working on more sustainable food production and consumption. In 2016 the aim is to work with a carbon foodprint of zero, all based on local production. “With our company, we try to be a bridge between the restaurant and the producer. People should be encouraged to go to restaurant because it is much more sexy to get your dinner in such a nice atmosphere,” said Desautels.

This entry was written by Sjoerd Hofstee, 2011 IFAJ-Alltech Young Leader and Boot Camp delegate, following the final Boot Camp gathering for supper at the Woolwich Arrow in downtown Guelph, Ontario, Canada.