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 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For technical information, call the Agricultural Information Contact Centre at 1-877-424-1300 or visit the OMAFRA website: www.ontario.ca/omafra
Ontario releases first annual Local Food Report
Ontario has launched its first-ever Local Food Report, which measures the province’s progress in bringing local food to more tables across the province.
In 2013, Ontario passed the Local Food Act, 2013, which aims to increase awareness of local food, nurture local food markets and foster vibrant food-based economies across the province. The act also commits to an annual report on the province’s local food activities, goals and accomplishments. The first ever Local Food Report highlights some of the actions taken by the province and the agri-food sector to promote and celebrate local food this year, including:
– Setting food literacy goals to increase the number of Ontarians who know what local foods are available, who know how and where to obtain local foods and who know how to prepare meals made with local food;
– Providing a tax credit to farmers for making food donations to food banks and student nutrition programs;
– Piloting a fundraising initiative that helps the province’s schools to fundraise by selling Ontario-grown fruits and vegetables to families; and
– Distributing more than 800,000 copies of Foodland Ontario’s local food recipe calendar in 2014.
The inaugural report will help the province track future progress in meeting its local food goals
Farmers’ markets at ONroute service centres
Beginning on July 3 farmers’ markets will be operating at three ONroute service centres across Ontario:
– Cambridge North ONroute will have a farmers’ market every Friday and Saturday through to the Labour Day weekend; and
– Trenton North and Trenton South ONroutes will have farmers’ markets every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through to the Labour Day weekend.
All participating farmers are MyPick certified. The MyPick logo is your assurance that Farmers’ Markets Ontario has visited the grower’s farm and has verified not only that the farm itself is ‘local’ but that what the grower is selling is produced on his or her farm.
Be sure to look for the signs as you drive along the 401.
Growing Forward 2: What’s new
Growing Forward 2 (GF2) offers cost-share funding assistance, free workshops and training for Ontario producers, processors, organizations and collaborations.
What’s New for GF2?
This year we’ve made it easier for clients to put together a good project application by making the following changes to the program:
– Priorities are easily identified in the program guides;
– All projects will be assessed on merit;
– Cost-share funding will be capped depending on the project;
– Some project categories have prerequisites as a required condition before clients can apply; and
– Approval of your project is needed before costs can be incurred and paid.
GF2 cost-share funding assistance application intakes for producers and processors are: August 10 to August 27, and November 16 to December 3.
For more information visit: www.ontario.ca/growingforward2
Coming events
Aug. 7 to 9 – Drayton Fair. For more information contact 519-638-5093 or visit the website at www.draytonfair.com
Aug. 22 – Grand River Fair and Exhibition (Dairy Show and Tractor Pull). For more information contact 519-846-8879 or email info@grandriveragsociety.com
Aug. 21 to 23 – Palmerston Fair. For more information check the website at www.palmerstonfair.com
