If ever you’ve been asked about a food or agriculture topic and not known where to send someone for more answers, Utensil.ca may be your new go-to online resource.
Utensil.ca offers tools to build knowledge and confidence in Canada’s food chain, from farms to kitchens. It starts with Utensil Guide, the plain language guide to food and farming, says Crystal Mackay, CEO of Loft32 and co-founder of Utensil.ca.
“Agriculture and food has unique vocabulary by sector and region, with many acronyms. Utensil Guide will help people who work within the food system by giving them language they need to learn about new topics and communicate more effectively,” says Mackay.
The Utensil Guide is free for all to use and launches with over 500 terms. It is fully searchable by term, acronym or sector and extends from farm through to retail and food service. With easy to understand explanations, the guide also has links to many other credible resources. It will be continually updated, with input from users, Mackay adds.
“We want you to be comfortable and confident in all conversations about food and farming,” says Andrew Campbell, Ontario dairy farmer and co-founder of Utensil.ca. “Whether you are new to the agriculture and food sectors, or you want to extend your knowledge beyond just one or two sectors, Utensil.ca is that kickstart to help you.”
This resource was developed as a collaborative effort with many partners donating their time and resources to make it happen. The focus will start with topics related to farming and farmers, and start working towards food processing, restaurants and retail over the next 18 months.