A weekly press release prepared by the staff of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. If you require further information, regarding this press release, please call the Elora Resource Centre at 519-846-0941. Office hours: 8:30am to 5pm. For technical information, call the Agricultural Information Contact Centre at 1-877-424-1300 or visit the OMAFRA Website: www.omafra.gov.on.ca
FOODLINK’S 8TH ANNUAL TASTE LOCAL! TASTE FRESH! – Returns to St. Jacobs Sept. 18
Foodlink Waterloo Region’s local food showcase and fundraiser will be returning to St. Jacobs this year. The 8th Annual Taste Local! Taste Fresh! event will take place Sunday, Sept. 18, 2-5 p.m. in Riverside Meadows Park, St. Jacobs. Once again guests will be able to spend a delightful afternoon outdoors tasting original food creations prepared by teams of the area’s finest chefs and farmers. This year’s event will feature 20 all-new chef/farmer pairings offering participants an opportunity to sample exquisite new recipes featuring local foods and farm-fresh products.
Guests will be able to meet and chat with chefs about the art of cooking and farmers about the local food they grow. To add to the ambiance they will be treated to the live music of the Tim Louis Jazz Trio and will have an opportunity to bid on silent auction packages while sipping on Pelee Island Wines and Wellington County brews. Each guest will receive a “passport” providing information about the tasty creations as well as the participating farms and restaurants.
A limited number of tickets for Taste Local! Taste Fresh! is available while quantities last. There is an early-bird price of $65 until Aug. 31; and then any remaining tickets will be available for $75 each. The price includes all tastings and an exquisite one-of-a kind hand-crafted pottery plate. There are also group discounts available on books of ten tickets. Last year the event sold out drawing approximately 500 guests. Tickets can be purchased online at www.foodlink.caor by contacting the Foodlink office at 519-513-8998.
For the first three years Taste Local! Taste Fresh! took place in New Hamburg, followed by two years on Victoria Park Island in Kitchener. Since 2009 the event has taken place in St. Jacobs, thanks to the Township of Woolwich and St. Jacobs Country, who are the Golden Apple Sponsors of the event.
Taste Local! Taste Fresh! is a fundraiser for Foodlink Waterloo Region, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising the profile of our local harvest. This has been achieved through the establishment of Buy Local Buy Fresh local food branding, an annual map featuring farms and local food businesses, a Local Harvest Newsletter that profiles local farms and food, and by facilitating marketing connections between buyers and producers. Foodlink has continued to build an on-line presence through a comprehensive local food website www.foodlink.ca.
This year’s Taste Local! Taste Fresh! event features twenty local farms/food producers.
For more information, please contact: Anna Contini, Foodlink Manager 519-513-8998; acontini@foodlink.ca.
SEPT. 13-15 CANADA’S OUTDOOR FARM SHOW, CANADA’S OUTDOOR PARK, WOODSTOCK
Tillage in Corn Stalks Demo: With stronger corn genetics on the market, tillage becomes a tougher and tougher task. This year’s major field demo tackles tillage in corn stalks with new pieces of equipment from multiple manufacturers.
BioMass Demo Plots: This isn’t your typical crop plot. With help from the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association, this year attendees can see miscanthus, switchgrass and prairie grass grown side-by-side. Understand these new crops and their potential uses.
Forage Harvesting Demo: See the newest technology in forage harvesting in action. This one day demo will be show large forage harvesters from the industry’s key manufacturers.
Organics and Market Vegetable Expo: Whether large or small, there are companies ready to meet your needs in the organics and market vegetable expo. From farm organizations to equipment to marketers, this hub will service horticultural and organic farmers. Willsie Equipment Sales will run daily equipment demos in this new area on North Mall.
Pigchamp Demo: Farms.com and PigChamp will demonstrate wireless herd management.
Watch for event details at http://www.outdoorfarmshow.com/.
KEEP IT CLEAN by Jan Schooley, OMAFRA
Keeping toilet and hand-washing facilities clean helps to keep staff using them. Remember to use sanitizer to wipe down the outside of toilets, sinks and soap/sanitizer dispensers on a daily basis when in peak season – weekly otherwise. It is best to use a single-use wipe.
ASK FOR PROOF by Jan Schooley, OMAFRA
The professionals that supply you with portable toilets and hand washing facilities make sure that their equipment is well maintained. They understand due diligence and the importance of using potable water and the need for sanitizing. Don’t be shy about asking them for a letter of assurance. As part of a farm food safety program, you need this – as part of their professional standards they will be happy to supply it.
COMING EVENTS:
Sept. 2*-5 Orangeville Agricultural Fair, Orangeville. For information, call 519-942-9597 (*part day).
Sept. 3-5 Mount Forest Agricultural Fair, Mount Forest. For more information, call 519-323-1930.
Sept. 6 Wellington Federation of Agriculture, monthly board meeting at OMAFRA Boardroom, 6484 Cty. Rd. #7, Elora. For information, contact Lisa Hern at 519-848-3774, or email: jplh@golden.net.
Sept. 8 Grain Farmers of Ontario Annual Meeting – Delta Hotel, Guelph Website – http://www.gfo.ca/.
Sept. 8*-11 Arthur Agricultural Fair, Arthur. For more information, call 519-527-1321 (*part day).
Sept. 9*-10 Aberfoyle and Tractor Pull, Aberfoyle. For more information, call 519-824-2369 (*part day).
Sept. 13-15 Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show, Canada’s Outdoor Park, Woodstock. Watch for event details at: http://www.outdoorfarmshow.com/.
Sept. 16*-18 Fergus Agricultural Fair, Fergus Community Centre. For information: 519-856-9621 (*part day).
