A weekly report prepared by the staff of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). For more information, regarding the report, call 519-846-0941, 1-877-424-1300 or www.ontario.ca/omafra. Office hours: 8:30am to 4:30pm.
34th annual Organic Agriculture Conference
The 34th annual Organic Agriculture Conference is Jan. 29 to Feb. 1 at the Guelph University Centre;
– Jan. 29: 10am to 4:15pm (registration at 9am): Design perennial polycultures;
– 6 to 9pm (registration at 5:15pm): Organic foods and holistic health symposium: connecting the dots, communication the benefits;
– Jan. 30: 9am to 12pm: (two seminars to choose from) Seminar A: Closed fertility systems and the Keyline Effect; or Seminar B: On-farm vermi-composting: Overview of soil health and fertility;
– 1:15 to 4:15pm: Seminar A: BioDynamic preparations: principles and practices. How and why to use them on your farm and garden; or Seminar B: High quality crop production: building soil for superior flavour;
– Jan. 31: 9:30am to 5pm: workshop themes: organic crop production; organic livestock management; urban agriculture and city farm issues; pollination, horticulture and production; permaculture and restoration agriculture;
– Feb. 1: 9:30am to 3pm: workshop themes: raising your kids on an organic farm; food sovereignty; taste and tenacity; heirloom garlic diversification; Ontario’s environmental bill of rights; organic certification de-mystified; small orchardist’s basic guide to success; food safety; best practices; record-keeping 101; question and answer on issues around purchasing and managing your start-up organic farm; how to be a farmers’ market success.
– Program pricing: Jan. 29 and 30, all programs priced individually; Jan. 31 and Feb 1, paid by the day.
Check regularly for full workshop descriptions and new information at: www.guelphorganicconf.ca or the Conference Response Line: 519-824-4120 ext. 56311.
Local food fund
Following a successful launch and high interest in the local food fund, the program was temporarily paused on July 1, while the ministry undertook a review of the fund’s design.
The review provided an opportunity to look at ways to improve the fund’s objectives and make any necessary adjustments needed to best target and support Ontario’s local food initiatives.
The program review is now complete and the ministry will begin accepting new applications on Nov. 24.
To date, five intakes have been completed and 112 projects have been approved, representing a provincial commitment of more than $16.6 million.
To be considered eligible, an application must be submitted between 9am on Nov. 24 and 11:59pm on Jan. 16.
The program application and guidebook will be available on the local food fund website on Nov. 24.
Growing Forward 2 application deadlines
Producers and processors: the next implementation application intake for producers and processors opened on Nov. 10 and will close on Dec. 11 and the capacity application stream is still open.
Organizations and collaborations: the 2015 deadlines will be available on the Agriculture and agri-food Canada (AAC) website mid-December.
Before submitting an application to AAC, organizations and collaborations should first review the capacity building and project implementation program guides.
Next, AAC encourages applicants to complete a pre-proposal and submit it to: info@adaptcouncil.org.
Full Growing Forward 2 applications are due on the deadline dates listed on the AAC website. Capacity building funding requests $20,000 and under are accepted on an ongoing basis and reviewed within 20 business days.
Coming events
– Dec. 11: Rockwood Farmers’ 22nd annual Parade of Lights, beginning at 7:00 pm;
– Jan. 23: SoilSmart 2015, Manulife Sportsplex, Rim Park, 2100 University Ave., E., Waterloo; and
– Jan. 24: FarmSmart 2015, Rozanski Hall, University of Guelph.
