b"products. The program is another aspect Phillips thinks those in North American ag could take away from their Irish counterparts. To help create trust with consumers there needs to be a standardized way to measure and explain sustainability goals.Consumers probably arent going to be just content with you saying your product is sustainable going forward. Theyre going to want to know why and how, Phillips explains. If we stay on top of messaging, continue to reach out to the public and engage with them, well have a lot better luck if there were something that were to go wrong. Because the public know our motives, they know were working to protect the land and pass it on to future generations.Fellow P.E.I. resident and past Nuffield Scholar Barry Cudmore found himself learning from and relating to Phillips studies. Cudmore is a former potato grower and runs a grain farm with his wife Ellen near Brackley Beach, P.E.I. Where we live in Brackley Beach, theres a lot of neighbours who don't farm and dont have a great understanding of what farming is, Cudmore says in a phone interview. We work hard on our farm to Bagging potatoes at Kisima Farms in Meru County, Kenya.try and stay connected with our neighbours who weren't farmers. IPHOTO: MARK PHILLIPSthink particularly when we're spraying our crops, we tried to keep them informed why we're spraying, what we're spraying and why weAs Phillips moves back to focusing on his work at the P.E.I. need to do it. Potato Board he plans to use his Nuffield studies in his daily work by He encourages those working in agriculture to take the time toconsidering what consumers want and need.get to know their neighbours and those around them who mightIt might sound kind of overly simplistic for everything I did but not have a direct connection to ag. Cudmore finds that by beingjust really putting your consumer hat on when you when you do friendly and taking the time to talk, it can make a mile of differencestuff. It doesn't matter what you're doing if it doesn't resonate with in bridging the divide.the consumer, he says. SPUDSMART.COMWinter 202437"