Getting healthy food on the table

Client problem/opportunity

Food literacy is one of the key objectives of the National Food Strategy – a document created by the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, supported by AdFarm client Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA).

Teaching healthy, lifelong food habits to the next generation of consumers was identified as a strategy to help promote food literacy. OFA established the goal of “Six by Sixteen” – teaching young adults to plan and prepare six nutritious (and ideally locally sourced) meals by the time they are 16 years old. Promoting the use of local food as part of the initiative would support OFA’s 36,000 farm business members that grow more than 200 different commodities in Ontario. The challenge was delivering the food literacy message to young adults on a very limited budget.

Driving Deeper Solution

AdFarm knew there were endless, existing resources by Ontario commodity organizations that would help young people learn to cook and make healthy food choices. We recommended creating SixbySixteen.me – a resource hub that is presented, coordinated and managed by OFA – using existing materials. This approach addressed the budget concern, and provided a wealth of information and resources targeted to a young adult audience. We approached more than 20 partner organizations in Ontario – from all the main food groups to Foodland Ontario and other local food initiatives. Every single partner signed on and provided access to their information. The SixbySixteen.me site is organized into three main buckets of information, in a fun, young design – learn how to cook (YouTube videos), find local food and make healthy food choices.

This project created a perfect partnership for OFA – leading the initiative with partners throughout the industry. An initial landing page that created excitement and demonstrated commitment to the partners was launched at a reception with Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) during Ontario Agriculture Week. The full site was launched a few months later, and included a social media food photo contest, during a high school food and nutrition class in southern Ontario.

Proof

Every commodity group we approached to partner and share resources with Six by Sixteen “signed on.” Since the launch, additional groups have approached OFA to join in. The new site has generated a lot of interest within the industry, government and consumer-facing media, including Canadian Living. In the first six months, the site attracted more than 13,500 visitors, based on mostly in-house client social media promotion.

The four-week social media contest – promoted on a shoestring budget with minimal social media advertising – had 3,400 page views that generated 70 entries in the contest.

The Six by Sixteen program continues to enjoy organic growth throughout the industry, and with the extended audiences of parents, educators and public health professionals.