Communicating about Food Security and Food Systems

Communicating about food security and food systems continued to be a core part of Food First NL’s work throughout 2022. Our work in this area can be broken into three main categories: outreach requests and presentations, media coverage, and online communications.

Two people standing over a display table, both looking at and pointing to sections of a document. The Food First NL banner is in the foreground.
Two men sitting at a radio recording table smiling at the camera. The CBC logo is on the wall behind them.
Four people seated in an airport lounge, all looking a little tired but smiling.

Food First NL staff had the pleasure of attending and presenting at a number of conferences across the country. Our CEO even managed to swing an in-studio interview with CBC’s The Current during a well-timed layover. Photo credit (first photo): NL Eats

Outreach Requests and Presentations

We responded to 152 outreach requests by community members and organizations over the course of 2022. These requests are an excellent opportunity to connect with people across the province. We answered questions and directed folks to resources about everything from root cellar designs to community garden governance.

We also receive requests to speak at webinars, conferences, community gatherings, lunch-and-learns, and more. In 2022, our staff completed more than 30 speaking events.

Media Coverage

Food First NL was also a prominent voice in the news in 2022, with more than 80 media hits, including radio, written, and t.v. coverage. While many of the stories featured our named programs, we were also regularly asked to speak on topics like rising food prices, farmland loss, and food insecurity more broadly.

Online Communications

Our social media presence continued to grow throughout 2022. We added two new social media accounts to reach Food on the Move customers, bringing our total to six active accounts across three platforms. We finished off the year with a total of 11,048 social media followers.

Our newsletter audience also continued to grow and our newsletter reached 4,258 people each month by the end of the year. The newsletter has also sparked some interesting conversations and email threads with readers who have thoughtful questions or insights about content.

Communications and Outreach Numbers

An icon of two speech bubbles. Text: 165 outreach requests including for information, speaking events, and partnerships.
An icon of a folded newspaper. Text: 4,258 monthly newsletter recipients with a 37% average open rate.
An icon of a microphone. Text: 84 media hits, incuding written, radio, and t.v. coverage.
Icons for facebook, twitter, and instagram. Text: 1,048 total social media followers across three platforms and six accounts.

By the end of 2022, we had:

  • 165 outreach requests, including requests for information, presentations, resources, and partnerships

  • 84 media hits, including web, print, radio, and t.v. coverage

  • 4,258 monthly newsletter recipients, with an average newsletter open rate of 37%

  • 11,048 total social media followers across three platforms and six accounts