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Combining cooking with entertainment and education, Jim Chakeres, executive director of the Ohio Poultry Association and former OFBF staff member, presented "Connecting with the Consumer." Through a cooking demonstration where he prepared a turkey hash and a Mediterranean omelet, Chakeres challenged Farm Bureau members to find ways to look outside of their farms and consider what nonfarmers perceive about agriculture.

He said at the beginning of the 20^th century, one in three Americans lived on farms. Today, there is less than 2 percent of the population.

Because so few people are familiar with agriculture, Chakeres said farmers should invite people to their farms, consider what the farm looks like from the road and how it smells with the goal of educating nonfarmers that odors, sights and sounds will be coming from the farm.

Chakeres uses cooking as a venue to entertain and educate. He said he recently did a demonstration at a cooking store at Easton, a large mall near Columbus. Eight out of the 10 who attended his seminar worked at a salon. He said the demonstration gave him the opportunity to talk about how farmers care for the environment, and he was hopeful the ladies went back to work at the salon and shared what they learned with their customers.

In his experience, Chakeres said food safety is foremost on the minds of consumers. Well over 80 percent of food borne illness occurs when food leaves the grocery store.

He also said agriculture might need to rethink how it gets out its positive message. The egg industry hired a public relations firm, which he said has been effective in getting positive stories in major media.

He encouraged members to be open and honest with the public to build good will. For example, Ohio Fresh Eggs, which was formerly Buckeye Egg Farm, hired a community liaison to make visits with neighbors of the farm and find out what is on residents’ minds.

"You have to communicate. Over half your job is communication, with labor, family and neighbors," he said.

During his cooking demonstration, Chakeres wowed the crowd with his humor, cooking techniques and educational messages. While he was cooking, he touted the benefits of eggs. "They’re good for you again," he said. Lutein may improve eye health, and research shows people who eat eggs for breakfast consume fewer calories at lunch and dinner. They feel more satisfied and eat less.

He left the audience with the challenge to speak up for themselves, do their homework, think about how consumers view them and work to tell their message.

Caption: Jim Chakeres, executive director of the Ohio Poultry Association, challenged members to invite people to their farms and reach out to nonfarmers as part of his cooking demonstration.