Blue Ribbon family farm
Hellmann’s conducted research in Canada which found that the majority of kids living in urban areas are highly creative and curious, but increasingly disconnected from nature. So we wanted to find out exactly how much they and their parents know about what’s in the food they eat.
The results are captured in the video below.
The brand then arranged for the group to visit the Stockbrugger family’s canola farm in Saskatchewan on a trip with the renowned chef Chuck Hughes.
Earlier in the week, Hellmann’s awarded the farm with Blue Ribbon status. A Hellmann’s Blue Ribbon Farm supplies agricultural raw materials to the brand’s suppliers and processors. They are family farmers who regularly ‘bring out the best’ in everything they do by implementing the best sustainable agriculture practices, supplying high-quality ingredients and protecting the land.
No ordinary field trip
The urban kids went for a real hands-on experience with farmers. They learned about soil texturing, seed testing and planting; how crops are monitored for damage from insects or disease; and all about the equipment and technology used. The tour finished with the kids making mayonnaise by grinding canola seeds to extract oil, learning the process from ‘farm to fork’ and illustrating the simple ingredients in every jar of Hellmann’s mayonnaise.
“Almost half of Canadian adults say they are more likely to purchase food made with sustainably sourced ingredients, but around a third aren’t sure what sustainability even means,” says Carolina Riotto, Senior Global Brand Development Manager, Hellmann’s. “That’s why activations like this are so important. They open people’s eyes to how a farm operates and how much goes into managing the land and crops. And when we know more about our food, we choose better and eat better.”
Grow with Us
This is the latest example of how Hellmann’s is raising awareness of its sustainable, natural, real ingredients, not just by telling consumers about it, but by involving them.
18 months ago the brand opened the doors of one of its tomato suppliers in Latin America as part of its ‘Grow with Us’ campaign. This digital experience allowed consumers to interact with farmers in real-time while they worked and saw for themselves the journey of a ketchup tomato from ‘field to plate’.