A homegrown solution may be what is needed to help Ontario farmers.
As a result, councillors here are endorsing Homegrown Ontario’s request for support.
The town’s resolution states it “supports practices that contribute to the creation of a sustainable environment.”
Further, “Homegrown Ontario is a brand which allows consumers to support Ontario farmers by purchasing Ontario produced meat and poultry.”
Minto’s resolution identifies Ontario grown meat and poultry as a local, sustainable options and states purchasing Ontario products requires less burning of fossil fuels for foods transported over hundreds or thousands of miles.
Last month, Homegrown Ontario wrote to council asking for support.
The discussion was brought to the June session.
Deputy-mayor Judy Dirksen said she likes to refer to the group as Meatland Ontario, “It’s sort of the Foodland Ontario version for meat.”
Homegrown Ontario was originally an alliance of Ontario Pork, the Ontario Veal Association and the Ontario Sheep Marketing Agency.
Dirksen said it has grown from there and other groups have come on board, such as the Turkey Farmers of Ontario and the Ontario Independent Meat Processors. Dirksen said the project has the support of the Agricultural Adaptation Council.
“It’s just a good way to support Ontario farmers,” she said.
She compared it to an echo of earlier this year, when Minto received a request of support for the Ontario Egg Farmers.
At the time, Dirksen made the comment that the municipality would likely be getting more of this type of request. This is one of them, she said.
More information on Homegrown Ontario can be found at homegrownontario.ca.
