2017 Best of CAMA Speaker Seminar

"Agriculture & Food:  A Look into the Future - What's the next conversation?"

Cost to attend:  $95.00 plus GST (lunch included)

BOC 2017 Speaker Promo Piece-FINAL

HOST – MARTY SEYMOUR
Marty Seymour is Director, Industry and Stakeholder Relations at FCC, where he engages with
national associations, government officials and industry influencers to explore partnership
opportunities that add real value to Canadian agriculture.

TIMOTHY CAULFIELD – PROFESSOR OF HEALTH LAW & SCIENCE POLICY,
UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA
Timothy Caulfield is a Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy, a Professor in the
Faculty of Law and the School of Public Health, and the Research Director of the Health Law Institute,
University of Alberta. His highly interdisciplinary work explores ethical, legal and health policy issues
associated with a range of topics. He works frequently with the popular press and is the author of two
national bestsellers: The Cure for Everything: Untangling the Twisted Messages about Health, Fitness
and Happiness, and Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything?: When Celebrity Culture and Science Clash.
Topic: When Celebrity Culture and Science Clash – how does pop culture play a role in shaping
conversation about agriculture and food? How do we challenge those conversations?

NATASHA & ELYSIA VANDENHURK – CO-OWNERS, THREE FARMERS
Natasha Vandenhurk is CEO and part owner and daughter of one of the farmers. Natasha began
her venture at Three Farmers at the age of 24 after graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics
from the University of Saskatchewan. She and her team at Three Farmers are focused on creating
natural, healthy foods and retailing these foods through health stores and specialty shops across
Canada. Elysia Vandenhurk is COO and part owner of Three Farmers and also a certified Red
Seal Chef. She joined her sister at Three Farmers after practicing the culinary arts in Toronto
under celebrity chef Susur Lee. Elysia’s skills in the kitchen have proven to be invaluable at Three
Farmers as they continue to expand their line of natural, healthy foods.
Topic: How Three Farmers Slayed the Dragons (and the Natural Foods Industry) –
farming background, educations in economics and food, entrepreneurial spirit: these sisters mean
business. See how they went from start-up to success. They will also share their experiences in
the natural/organic foods sector and speak from a millennials point of view, as that generation is
leading the industry trends.

CARMAN ALLISON – VP, CONSUMER INSIGHTS, NEILSEN
Carman Allison serves as VP of Consumer Insights for Nielsen Canada. Carman has his finger
on the pulse of the consumer packaged goods landscape and is relied on by manufacturers and
retailers to provide them with the consumer insights they need to make strategic and impactful
business decisions. With 25 years of experience, he shares his insights on consumer shopping,
industry trends and buying and media consumption behaviours and attitudes through thought
leadership reports, industry presentations and his two monthly columns in Canadian Grocer and
Grocery Business magazine
Topic: 2020 Vision: Best Bets for Growth and What Makes the Consumer Tick? Canada’s
dynamic retail landscape has challenged many manufacturers and retailers, forcing them to
re-examine and reinforce their value proposition. Over the next five years, value will continue
to be a key consumer motivator, but we need to look for new ways to connect with consumers
to get beyond just price. We will explore four emerging consumer and retail trends and the
effect on the consumer package goods business before this decade is out.

BARB STEFANYSHYN-COTÉ – CO-OWNER, BLACK FOX FARM & DISTILLERY
Barb farms near Saskatoon, Saskatchewan with her husband, John. Their new agritourism
location, Black Fox Farm and Distillery, produces over 7 acres of fresh-cut flowers for u-pick,
farmers market, events and weddings. They have over 10 acres in raspberry and haskap orchards
to supply their boutique distillery where they hand-craft gins, vodkas, liqueurs and whiskies.
They offer tours, tastings and several festivals throughout the year. John and Barb have been
recognized as the Outstanding Young Farmers of Saskatchewan and Canada. Barb is a
graduate of the U of S College of Agriculture, a Nuffield Scholar and in January was awarded
an honorary life membership from the Saskatchewan Ag Grads Association.
Topic: Why Not? We often get stymied justifying our decisions.
Sometimes the answer is “Why not?”. That response led us to sell the family grain farm,
start the largest cut-flower farm on the prairies and open an award-winning distillery.

Thanks to our seminar sponsor: