On April 23, 2013, CommonGround New York hosted “Safe Plate” at SUNY Cobleskill. The workshop, which was focused on talking about the safety of food and agricultural production methods, was attended by more than 200 agricultural studies majors. In addition to enjoying a free lunch, students had the opportunity to mingle with the event’s sponsoring organizations, which included the New York Corn & Soybean Growers Association, New York Animal Agriculture Coalition, New York Beef Industry Council, New York Farm Bureau, Monsanto, and the American Dairy Assocation and Dairy Council.
Following lunch, the sponsoring groups hosted workshops for the students on how to talk to consumers about modern food production and agricultural practices. Workshops included “Myths and Misconceptions of Agriculture” by New York farmers Beth Chittenden and Denise Lloyd; “GMOs and Sustainability” by Monsanto representative Marsha Stanton and crop consultant Tom Kilcer; “All Milk is the Same”, by New York Animal Ag Coalition executive director Jessica Zeihm; “Today’s Beef Choices” by New York Beef Industry Council representatives Carol McGillis and Phil Trowbridge, and “What’s in the Milk Bottle”, by American Dairy Council communications director Beth Meyer.
