For weeks, George Matheson, a hog producer near Stonewall, Man., has heard the same comment from friends and neighbours – I saw you yesterday in Winnipeg.Matheson got used to comments about his face on billboards and buses in the province’s capital as part of a Manitoba Pork Council ad campaign.In early April, the council launched “The Family Behind The Farm,” an effort to introduce Winnipeggers to hog producers in the province.The council bought TV and radio ads, along with billboards and public transit ads, to drive traffic to a website called thefamilybehindthefarm.ca, said Kelly Funke, Manitoba Pork’s communications manager.On the site, the council provides a biography of five farm families, including the history of each farm, why they have a passion for raising pigs and a list of off-farm hobbies.Matheson’s friends have responded positively to the campaign.“They say it’s nice to see a face put to the industry, as opposed to some large corporation,” said Matheson.He appears in a TV ad with his wife, Shelley, watching their daughter perform in a dance recital.The campaign has been important because it dispels the myth that corporations dominate Manitoba’s hog industry, Matheson said.“Over the last 15 years, because of the rapid expansion of the industry in this province, people thought it was primarily big business and something they couldn’t relate to,” he said.“We’re not just in it to make a profit and leave. We want to live here and be part of the communities.”The campaign doesn’t try to address concerns about the hog industry, such as animal welfare and environmental issues, Funke said.“It isn’t necessarily meant to answer every question there is about the industry, but to put those human beings out there.”Manitoba Pork’s advertisements and website have elements in common with the Farm Animal Council of Saskatchewan’s “We Care” campaign.FACS runs bus ads and billboards in Saskatchewan cities featuring young farmers from across the province.Adele Buettner, FACS executive director, said they hit their mark, delivering the message that many farmers are young, well educated and progressive.Traffic to Manitoba Pork’s family behind the farm website has been fairly strong, said Funke.
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