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: 8:30 am 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.
First impressions community exchange
Is your community interested in developing an action plan to enhance or build on its strengths, and address challenges?
First Impressions Community Exchange (FICE) is a structured and cost-effective process that reveals the first impression a community conveys to potential visitors, investors and new residents. It is a good place to start your first economic development planning endeavour.
FICE is a partnership with a peer community where each community visits the other and uses a checklist to inform each other of the strengths and challenges identified during the visit. FICE is beneficial to communities that are developing a plan for the future. It offers a fresh perspective of your community. The Ontario government initiated the FICE program in 2005, since then FICE has been successfully implemented in more than 150 communities in Ontario. FICE is a straightforward, structured community process. A visiting team is typically made up of six to eight community residents with diverse backgrounds, occupations, ages, etc. in order to assess the exchange community from a variety of perspectives. The team travels together to the exchange community, where they spend several hours gathering information individually or in pairs. The visit may include an overnight stay to assess the community’s night life and accommodation services. The team then prepares a report and presents it to the exchange community. The exchange community reciprocates with a similar visit and report-back.
Funding program intake dates
The Rural Economic Development (RED) Program has funding to help rural communities’ development and promote economic growth to support sustainable rural economies and regions, while developing the capacity, tools and flexibility they need to become stronger, more prosperous communities.
• Current in-take: July 1 – Aug. 30
Growing Forward 2 (GF2) is a comprehensive federal-provincial-territorial framework aimed at encouraging innovation, competitiveness and market development in Canada’s agri-food and agri-products sector. In Ontario, farm, food and agri-product businesses, organizations and collaborations can build their own plan and select opportunities to help grow their profits, expand their markets and manage risks.
• In-take Periods: Producers: Capacity building funding assistance, ongoing implementation funding assistance, Aug. 4 to 28;
• Processors: Capacity building funding assistance, ongoing implementation funding assistance, Aug. 4 to 28;
• Collaborations: Capacity building funding assistance, ongoing implementation funding assistance, July 4 to Aug. 28.
Research that resonates: 17th World Congress of Food Science and Technology and Expo
The 17th World Congress of Food Science and Technology and Expo (IUFoST 2014) will focus on advances in food science and technology; insights into key industry drivers such as: food safety, food policies and market regulations, trends in food processing, consumer behavior, sustainability; and challenges facing the industry today. This World Congress will be held in Montreal from Aug. 17 to 21.
Coming events
– Aug. 8 to 10: Drayton Fair. For more info contact: 519-638-5093 or website at: www.draytonfair.com;
– Aug. 15: Canadian National Exhibition. For more information contact: 416-263-3835 or website at: www.theex.com;
– Aug. 21 to 22: West Central Junior Dairy Show (for those aged 9 to 13) at the Grand River Raceway, Elora;
– Aug. 23: 4-H Dairy Show – 12:30 pm at the Grand River Raceway, Elora.
– Aug. 23: Truck and Tractor Pull, 5:30pm at the Grand River Raceway, Elora. For more information contact: Derek Bruder 519-501-1387.
– Aug. 24: Raindate, Truck and Tractor Pull, 11am at the Grand River Raceway, Elora;
– Aug. 22 to 24: Palmerston Fair. For more information contact: 519-343-3427 or website at: www.palmerstonfair.com;
– Aug. 30: Mount Forest Fair. For more information contact: 519-323-2272 or website at: www.ontariofairs.org/fairs/.
