Meet Nikki Intranuovo, a passionate young agriculturalist and soon-to-be University of Guelph, student. Nikki, a fifth-generation member of her family’s beef and cash crop farm, aspires to play an essential role in educating the public about the significance of agriculture in our society. She brings a wealth of hands-on experience from her family farm and engagement with organizations like 4-H and Junior Farmers. From the dairy farm to the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, Nikki’s diverse backgrounds have fuelled her desire to bridge the gap between farm and fork.
Read here as Nikki shares her insights from her Ambassador presentation on the importance of awareness in agriculture and its essential role in the sustainability of our ever-growing world.
Hello, my name is Nikki Intranuovo. I am a 5th generation on my family’s beef and cash crop farm. I will be attending the University of Guelph in September 2023 to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture. While there, I am excited to learn about a wide variety of things, including strategies for educating the public about agriculture. With so few Canadians having jobs on farms, the sustainability of the agricultural industry itself is in jeopardy. I currently work on a dairy farm, have a flock of laying hens, and help my family produce beef and cash crops; with so few family farms left in Canada, each is extremely important to the sustainability of Canadian agriculture. For Canadian agriculture to not only survive, but to thrive, the industry needs more contributing members; this can be achieved through educating the public about agriculture. Through 4-H and Junior Farmers I’ve had opportunities to educate the public about agriculture in a variety of ways including art shows, public speaking, social media, and more. I also had the opportunity to be the Master of Ceremonies of the Education ring at the 2022 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair where I participated in demonstrations and conversations with a variety of individuals with varying knowledge of Agriculture. This opportunity showed me how ambitious the public is to learn about agriculture and through conversations I had with the public I learned how little they really know about where the food they eat comes from. Chocolate milk cows do not exist, a simple fact that an alarming number of people are not aware of. Growing up on a farm I’ve had the opportunity to learn first hand the importance of agriculture in our ever growing world. I’ve seen the impact agriculture can have on a community and the necessity of knowing where food comes from. Awareness of agriculture is a challenge both in Canada and around the world and it is my belief that everyone should know about where their food comes from and the journey it takes from the farm to the fork. Throughout my studies I hope to learn more about the agriculture industry in order to answer questions and educate the public more thoroughly.
All the best
– Nikki Intranuovo
