A weekly report prepared by the staff of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). If you require further information, regarding this report, call the Elora Resource Centre at 519-846-0941. Office hours: 8:30am to 4:30pm.
For technical information, call the Agricultural Information Contact Centre at 1-877-424-1300 or visit the OMAFRA website: www.ontario.ca/omafra
Growing Forward 2 for fruit and vegitable producers – do you have an eligible project?
Growing Forward 2 (GF2) is accepting another round of applications from Oct. 22 to Nov. 5 and then from Nov. 16 to Dec. 3. You might have a food safety project for your produce operation that could be eligible for funding. Consider sending in an application if you are looking to improve food safety for your fruit and/or vegetable farm. You may be eligible if you have a project that will contribute to:
– Your operation being ready to obtain an audit to a national or international food safety program;
– Laboratory documentation validating your cleaning and sanitation procedures and/or acceptable water quality and/or acceptable pathogen levels in compost;
– Building upgrades that prevent food safety risks from occurring (e.g., shatterproof lighting, cleanable surfaces, air curtain to separate incompatible areas); and/or
– Equipment that will immediately reduce a food safety risk (e.g. bin washer, knife sanitizer, automated sanitation chemical dispenser, water treatment equipment).
Growing Forward 2 has established projects that address food safety through worker practices, pest control, pre and post-harvest water, soil amendments and cleaning and sanitizing as the highest priority.
Growing Forward 2 Updates – Growing Forward 2 (GF2) offers cost-share funding assistance, free workshops and training for Ontario producers, processors, organizations and collaborations.
All projects will be assessed on merit. For food safety projects, commodities with the greatest food safety risk will be given priority. Cost-share funding will be capped depending on the project category. Approval of your project is needed before costs can be incurred and paid.
What’s New for GF2?
Weather risk mitigation projects under the environment and climate change adaptation area of focus, are eligible for cost-share. These projects will focus on on-farm practices and strategies to address cold weather risk for perennial, edible horticulture crop producers, except for producers of wine grapes.
Next application intake dates for GF2
Applications will be accepted during the following dates: Oct. 22 to Nov. 5 and then from Nov. 16 to Dec. 3.
Growing Forward 2 (GF2) – free workshops
Are you interested in formalizing your food safety program? Have your buyers requested your business be certified in food safety?
The Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association is offering food safety workshops and webinars to get you started. While the information provided can be applied to all farm commodities, these workshops/webinars are aimed to address food safety hazards from the horticultural perspective, and are most appropriate for those who do not yet have a certified food safety program in place.
If you are looking to keep up to date on food safety and traceability practices, and/or strengthen your GF2 funding application, then register for any or all of these upcoming free workshops. To register visit http://www.ontariosoilcrop.org/
Do you have a food safety project in mind? Contact Christine Card for more information at 519-826-3337 or christine.card@ontario.ca.
Controlling farm soil loss
Soil erosion can be a slow process, but over the years it leads to tremendous losses for farmers.
To help farmers learn how to combat erosion, the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) will host two workshops this fall for agricultural producers. The first meeting will take place on Nov. 20 from 1:30 to 3:30pm at the Haldimand Agricultural Community Centre, 1084 Kohler Road, Cayuga. A second meeting will be held a week later, on Nov. 27 from 1:30 to 3:30pm at Alma Bible Church, 59 Peel St. E., Alma.
Specialists from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs will discuss steps farmers can take to keep the soil on their land. Topics will include erosion control structures and the use of cover crops.
Staff from the GRCA will present erosion risk mapping, developed for parts of the Upper Nith and Conestoga River watersheds. This mapping shows areas of gully formation, as well as areas at highest risk for sheet erosion. Information will be presented on grants available in Waterloo Region, Wellington County, Brant County and Haldimand County to address erosion issues and support the use of cover crops. Huron County cash crop producer Stefan Zehetner will be speaking at the Alma meeting about his experiences with cover crops.
“Erosion doesn’t just happen during spring runoff,” says Anne Loeffler, GRCA conservation specialist. “We’ve also had some significant soil losses after heavy rainfall events in late spring and early summer. Producers can’t afford to lose topsoil to downstream reservoirs and lakes.”
Participation is free, but pre-registration is requested. To register contact Anne Loeffler at the Grand River Conservation Authority at ruralwater@grandriver.ca or 519-621-2763 ext. 2242.
Funding for the workshop has been provided by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The Rural Water Quality Program is funded by most of the municipalities in the Grand River watershed.
Coming Events:
Nov. 4 to 5 – 2015 Eastern Ontario Local Food Conference, Travelodge, Belleville, Ontario. For more information visit http://www.eastontlocalfood.ca.
Nov. 9 – Ontario Food Tourism Summit, The Westin Prince, Toronto, Ontario. For more information, please see website https://ontarioculinary.com/octasummit/.
Nov. 12 to 13 – Welcome to the Ontario-European Forum, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario. For more information see http://www.ontarioeuropeanforum.com/.
