Students improving life: Dylan Sher

Dylan Sher, food and agricultural business student, is improving life through informative storytelling of the food system.  

To produce a documentary while studying in university is an impressive undertaking, to say the least. 

With an imaginative mind and go-getter attitude it didn’t take long for Sher to begin the early stages of his documentary: Before the Plate. 

With a noticeable gap in knowledge between farmers and consumers, Sher’s goal is to inform viewers of where food comes from. 

Before the Plate, which has its first private screening on August 5th, 2018, will take audiences on a journey from the field to the restaurant, answering questions and debunking myths along the way.  Watch the trailer for Before the Plate here.

From social media post to feature-length documentary

It was while reading a misinformed article about the dairy industry that Sher first felt the urge to present a well-rounded and accurate perspective of the food journey. 

Taking inspiration from Andrew Campbell, dairy farmer and founder of Fresh Air Media, who shared a photo from his farm every day for a year, Sher thought his social media channels would be the perfect platform to start a dialogue and educate his community about agriculture. 

His hope was to reach an audience that didn’t know about the inner workings of the food and agriculture sectors. Sher wanted his social media posts to make an impact. 

The idea snowballed and he soon found himself producing a documentary. 

“The first post went out, the name Before the Plate came to mind and a combination of too little sleep and too much coffee resulted in the beginning of a documentary,” Sher says jokingly. 

As a born and raised city-dweller, Sher decided early on that he wanted to be a farmer. Opportunities to garden and learn the science of plants while in elementary school exposed Sher to a different type of learning. One that he thoroughly enjoyed. 

Sher’s parents entertained the idea of his son becoming a farmer and told him he’d have to go to the University of Guelph (U of G) to do so. His university search ended after that conversation. He may have only been in the fifth grade, but he was determined.   

An entrepreneurial flair

Entrepreneurial spirit runs in Sher’s blood; both his father and grandfather owned their own construction businesses. 

Similar to Before the Plate’s origin, it was while going door to door as a window cleaner that Sher saw a missing link. 

Because of this, while in the tenth grade, Sher founded an internet start-up company that addressed some of the needs he saw in the housing industry. Sher noticed a flaw in the way home owners and contractors interacted. He believed it could be an easy fix, and before no time, “fixopolis” was born.

“fixopolis” was a platform where homeowners could be connected with reliable and qualified contractors for all their housing needs. This was his first entrepreneurial adventure and he never looked back. 

It was also his entrepreneurial spirit that also led him to his program of study at the U of G.

Experiencing agriculture

His acceptance to the Bachelor of Commerce in Food and Agricultural Business was a dream come true. The program has a strong focus on encouraging entrepreneurial skills, as well as key business components of the agriculture and food sectors. 

His strong eagerness to learn, and the productive and encouraging environment of OAC helped him thrive. He tries to learn everything he can about agriculture, both inside and outside the classroom. 

When he isn’t working on his documentary, Sher can be found going to every possible crop tour, farm tour or networking event. 

Sher values the vast amount of opportunities he has had to make connections with peers, professors and industry professionals.

“The food and agricultural environment is the best out there,” says Sher. “Everybody knows everybody.”

Many of the people he’s met while studying at U of G are featured in the film.

The film stars John Horne, distinct executive chef of Canoe Restaurant, where he deconstructs one plate of food and follows each ingredient all the way back to the farms they originated from. 

Sher and team feature all types of jobs along the way, that include beekeepers, veterinarians, young farmers, product distributors and even professors from U of G.

Before the Plate has been a pure passion project for Sher. He is excited for the world to see his project tell an accurate story, compared to similar documentaries that are typically one-sided and take the shock-factor approach.  

Sher admits that the life of Before the Plate is just beginning. What’s next is a little unknown. But what he is sure of is that there will be a vast amount of opportunities, but each step must be planned strategically. 

Learn more: "U of G Student’s Film Premiere to Coincide With Food Day Canada"