A weekly report prepared by the staff of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA).
TRANSITION SMART WORKSHOPS
Farmers to Processors is an innovative two-day workshop for farmers developed by the Agri-food Management Institute (AMI) in strategic partnership with Georgian College. Grey County Economic Development is subsidizing the cost of the workshop in Owen Sound to help more local producers participate.
Transition Smart delivers everything farmers need to know in order to move from growing and raising food to producing value-added products on farm. Subjects covered include operational planning, marketing, product development, pricing, distribution and sales. This detailed workshop provides tools that can be implemented immediately and identifies feasible opportunities to add income and diversity to your farming business.
Reserve your spot now. Transition Smart will be delivered Nov. 5 and 6 at the Orangeville Campus or Nov. 19 and 20 at the Owen Sound Campus. Price: $129 plus HST. Space is limited, visit georgiancollege.ca/farmers or call 705-728-1968 ext. 1605 for more information and to register.
GROWING FORWARD 2 WORKSHOPS
Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) producers are invited to attend free EFP (fourth edition) workshops to learn about best management practices, develop an action plan for their farm and learn about cost-share funding opportunities
Growing Your Farm Profits – Start the business planning process by attending this free two-day interactive workshop. You will assess business management practices, determine priorities and key goals, develop realistic action plans and learn about cost-share funding opportunities.
Biosecurity Workshop – At this one-day workshop, an experienced veterinarian or certified crop advisor will show you the benefits of having an on-farm biosecurity program, and identify key practices which will enhance biosecurity measures on your farm.
Maximizing Your Traceability Investment Workshop – This in-class workshop will focus on how you can gain a competitive advantage and improve your bottom line with your traceability system. Real life examples and business profiles focused on traceability best practices will be examined throughout the workshop.
Food Safety Workshops/Webinars – Looking to keep up to date on the latest food safety practices and help strengthen your Growing Forward 2 application? The Food Safety Workshop is a two-day in-class workshop to help you formalize your food safety program, or you can watch six 1.5 hour webinars which cover the same topics (see schedule online).
For more information and to register online, visit www.ontariosoilcrop.org.