Ag in the City took place on February 19 at Lawson Heights Mall in Saskatoon as part of the Winter Break Escape school break program. Saskatchewan Pork Development Board representatives joined other agricultural groups to connect with families, answer questions and share information about food production.
The event itself lasted a day.
The importance of showing up lasts much longer.
Jessica Podhordeski, ag-ed coordinator with Sask Pork, said outreach like this has become essential as fewer Canadians grow up on farms.
“Generations are more removed from agriculture,” she said. “There isn’t a lot of hands-on experience anymore.”
That distance creates a gap. Consumers still care deeply about their food. In fact, interest continues to grow.
“People want to know where their food comes from,” Podhordeski said. “They want to know how it’s raised.”
That combination – strong interest and limited direct exposure – places responsibility on farm organizations. If agriculture does not tell its story, someone else will tell it for them.
For the pork sector, visibility presents a challenge. Modern barns sit outside city limits. Bio-security limits visitors. Most Canadians will never step inside a hog barn.
“For the pork industry, we aren’t as visible to the public,” Podhordeski said. “That doesn’t mean we don’t want to be transparent.”
Transparency does not require a barn tour. It requires conversation.
At Ag in the City, Sask Pork staff answered questions about how pigs are raised, what they eat, how barns operate and how animal care standards guide daily work. They also talked about nutrition and shared pork recipes. The setting felt casual. The questions were direct.
That kind of interaction matters.
Agriculture operates in a regulatory, political and consumer-driven environment. Public opinion influences policy. Policy influences cost of production. Cost of production shapes farm viability. The link is direct.
Producers sometimes assume consumers understand modern farming. Many do not. That does not mean they oppose agriculture. It means they lack context.
“Events like this give us a chance to share what we do,” Podhordeski said.

Those short conversations build credibility. When people hear directly from industry representatives, they gain clarity. They see faces. They hear the tone. They understand that farmers care about animal welfare and food safety.
Sask Pork used the event to reinforce a clear message.
“We are committed to excellence,” Podhordeski said. “We are dedicated to providing the best possible care for our animals.”
That message carries weight when delivered face-to-face.
Urban outreach also strengthens agriculture’s long-term position. Children who stop at a booth today become tomorrow’s voters, consumers, and decision-makers. If their only exposure to farming comes through headlines or social media controversy, the industry loses ground.
Showing up changes that.
Ag organizations across Canada recognize the need to step into public spaces. Whether in malls, fairs, classrooms, or community events, those touch-points create familiarity. Familiarity builds trust.
The Saskatchewan pork industry continues to invest in those efforts. Sask Pork provides classroom materials, online resources and direct engagement opportunities. Podhordeski encouraged consumers to visit saskpork.com for more information about pig care and pork production.
Outreach requires time and staff. It also requires patience. Not every conversation shifts perception. But steady presence builds understanding over time.
Agriculture feeds the public. The public shapes the environment in which agriculture operates. That relationship works best when both sides understand each other.
As farms grow larger and more specialized, the physical and cultural distance between farm and city increases. Events like Ag in the City help close that gap.
The pork sector understands that transparency cannot remain optional. It must remain intentional.
“We want people to know how their food is raised,” Podhordeski said.
That commitment to open dialogue may prove just as important as any production metric or market signal. In today’s environment, public trust stands alongside genetics, feed efficiency and market access as a pillar of long-term success.
Reaching beyond the farm gate is not a side project. It is part of modern agriculture’s job description. •
— By Harry Siemens