Dylan Sher, producer of the local food movie Before the Plate, has received the 2020 Farm & Food Care Ontario Champion Award.
The award was presented by Farm & Food Care Ontario (FFCO) Chair Bonnie den Haan in front of a virtual audience of 300 attendees to the sold out Harvest Gala-in-a-Box event recently.
The Champion Award has been presented annually since 1999 in recognition of an individual or group’s significant commitment to public outreach, and support for Ontario’s farm community. The award is traditionally handed out at FFCO’s annual general meeting in April, which was postponed due to COVID-19.
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Sher grew up in Richmond Hill with no agricultural background but worked on a dairy farm in high school and then applied to the University of Guelph to study agriculture business. Through these experiences he became aware of the disconnect between urban dwellers and those who produce their food.
Seeking to find a solution and help to bridge the gap, Sher set out to develop a documentary that follows the journey of a single meal, taking each ingredient on the plate and following it back to the originating farm. Joining the project was Chef John Horne of Canoe, a downtown Toronto restaurant, who prepared the plate and took the food journey, visiting the Ontario farms where his ingredients came from. His partner in the project was Sagi Kahane-Rapport who directed the film.
Before the Plate can be found on platforms such as Amazon, iTunes and Direct TV. In moving to these platforms, the movie has a broader audience across the country and beyond.
Since the movie’s release, Sher and Kahane-Rapport have created a media company that provides film services to agricultural organizations looking to connect with consumers.
“When I first had the idea for Before the Plate, I never imagined it would one day turn into a documentary available on Amazon,” said Sher.
The movie was launched to a sold out audience in 2019 and went on to be shown at numerous events, in elementary classrooms and at universities.
In presenting the award, denHaan said that “Dylan has shown a passion for telling our agricultural stories, which is something that benefits our entire industry.” She added, “With his urban background, he’s uniquely placed to help bring the stories of agriculture to everyday Canadians.”
