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Champions of Agriculture

Consumer confidence top of mind for agriculture advisory committee co-chair Nichole Neubauer

May 13, 2020 | 3:12 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Co-chair Nichole Neubauer sees boosting consumer confidence as a top priority for the province’s newly-formed Agriculture Industry Advisory Committee.

Neubauer Farms is a well known and respected southeastern Alberta operation, and any ideas or advice Neubauer can provide will help bring together what she says is a bit of a divided industry.

“There are so many different sectors and parts and pieces to this industry that this is going to be a great opportunity to unify and pull on the strengths of everyone that works in those different industries and basically move forward in a positive direction, ultimately creating consumer confidence in the food that feeds us all,” she said.

Neubauer sees the relationship between the committee and the government as a two-way street.

“There will be recommendations regarding strategies, issues and priorities and of course everything is going to relate back to food and how we feed Albertans,” she said. “If the government is going to look toward supporting an initiative or launching and idea it’ll be some friendly faces to bounce those ideas off of. And then as well if there are issues related to the ag sector-specific in our field we’ll talk about it as a group and then we’ll bring that forward to government as well.”

Neubauer said the group, which is co-chaired by Jill Harvie of Harvie Ranching, has had virtual meetings for the members to get to know each other and set direction.

Neubauer is excited to work with the rest of the 10-member committee to champion the industry, something that has actually been needed for a while, she said.

“It was something that was needed before COVID and it’s becoming abundantly clear that our entire wonderful Canadian food system needs that support now more than ever so people can understand where their food comes from,” she said.