NEWS RELEASE
Farm animal care blog launched: Canadian farm animal councils set the record straight on animal welfare

Guelph, Ontario, October 19, 2009 – The credible voices of farmers and other advocates for responsible animal care often get lost in the swirling animal welfare debate. But Canada’s farm animal councils are working to change that with a newly launched blog entitled “Let’s talk farm animals.”

The site aims to set the record straight on animal welfare issues by providing the public with access to accurate information from veterinarians, farmers, researchers and the media.

“With this blog, we want to dispel the myths and provide accurate information about farm animal care in Canada,” says Kelly Daynard, Interim Executive Director of the Ontario Farm Animal Council.  “This blog presents a wonderful opportunity to share information and enhance understanding about food production. After all, who better to talk about farm animals than farmers themselves?”

The site is a repository of reports and media stories about key issues in farm animal welfare including housing, transport and behavior. Blog users can search the site by category or by key word and posts are open to visitor comments.

“Our hope is to build on the work of farm animals councils by further engaging the public and promoting more dialogue and awareness about farm animal care,” says Adele Buettner, Executive Director of the Farm Animal Council of Saskatchewan.

The blog is accessible at www.letstalkfarmanimals.ca 

Funding for this project was provided, in part, through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Advancing Canadian Agriculture and Agri-Food Program. This was part of a larger national animal welfare awareness project with OFAC’s sister groups Alberta Farm Animal Care, Farm Animal Council of Saskatchewan and Manitoba Farm Animal Council, and the Agricultural Adaptation Council in Ontario, the Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council, the Saskatchewan Council for Community Development and the Alberta Agriculture and Food Council.
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For more information:

Kelly Daynard, Ontario Farm Animal Council
kdaynard@ofac.org or 519-837-1326

Adele Buettner, Farm Animal Council of Saskatchewan
facs@sasktel.net or 306- 249-3227