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 5:00 p.m. For technical information, call the Agricultural Information Contact Centre at 1-877-424-1300 or visit the OMAFRA Website: www.omafra.gov.on.ca
GROWING STRAWBERRIES ORGANICALLY
by Canadian Organic Growers
Saturday, March 3rd -10:00 a.m -4:30 p.m. Please arrive early to allow us to start on time.
Bloomingdale Community Centre, 1031 Snyder’s Flats Rd, Bloomingdale
This workshop is for organic growers wanting to diversify their farm or improve the quality and quantity of their organic strawberries, or conventional growers wanting to explore organic strawberries as an option, or simply to reduce their pesticide usage while still raising quality berries.
Cost includes lunch and a copy of Growing Strawberries Organically: $70 ($60 members), $35 per additional person from same farm business (excludes book). Facilitated by: Rob Wallbridge, Songberry Organic Farm
Register with Canadian Organic Growers:
– online at www.cog.ca/shop/ (click “Events”) – by email office@cog.ca – by phone 1-888-375-7383.
The Growing Strawberries Organically workshop may be eligible for cost-share funding through the Business Development for Farm Businesses program, one of the Best Practices suites of programs under Growing Forward, a federal-provincial, territorial initiative. For more information on program requirements, call 1-800-265-9751 x64213 or visit: www.ontariosoilcrop.org/en/bdfbhome.
ENVIRONMENTAL FARM PLAN
by John C. Benham
If you are one of the farmers that keeps thinking that they should do their EFP workshop before the busy season, you should sign up for the next workshop in Wellington on Monday, March 19th to be completed on Monday, March 26th in the Elora OMAFRA meeting room 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at no cost to you.
Lunch and refreshments provided. To qualify for Cost Share funding, a completed up to date EFP workbook is required. Several farmers are signed up already. You may sign up yourself by going to: www.ontariosoilcrop.org/workshops/ or give John a call at 519-846-3394.
GROWING YOUR FARM PROFITS
by John C. Benham
If you are a beginning farmer, or have one in your family or if you know of one please let them know about this program. There is very good cost share support for several segments of this program designed for beginning farmers.
For those farmers in the northern part of Wellington and southern part of Grey, Liz Samis and Cheryl Russwurm are holding a combined Growing Your Farm Profits workshop in Mount Forest beginning Friday, February 24th to be completed on Friday, March 2nd. Lunch and refreshments are provided. Pre-registration is required. You may register online at www.ontariosoilcrop.org/workshops or by calling Cheryl at 519-367-5587 or Liz at 519-638-3268 or John at 519-846-3394. As well, Liz will hold another GYFP workshop in the Elora OMAFRA meeting room Friday, March 23rd to be completed on Friday, March 30th. Don’t miss out on these opportunities. There is good financial assistance to help you do a better job of managing your farm business.
PREPARING FOR A FOOD SAFETY AUDIT – DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES? –
by Colleen Haskins
….the short answer is “yes, you do”. Knowing what it takes however, may be a bit more challenging. Whether you are considering implementing an on-farm food safety program, or know you will be participating in a 3rd party audit, there are some key things you should do, to help navigate and assist you with this process.
1) Know your food safety program
•Obtain the corresponding manual and checklist
2) Ensure all areas of the program are complete
•Write your procedures and records
3) Prepare and organize required information
•Properly train workers & keep organized records
4) Have product traceability
•Practice a Mock Recall & keep documentation
5) Annually review your food safety program and practices
•Review, update and sign off on your program documentation
If the above items are still leaving you with questions on how you start to implement a food safety program or prepare for an audit, contact us at 1-877-424-1300 or visit our website at: www.ontario.ca/goodagpractices for more information and food safety resources. Food safety question? Ask us.
COMING EVENTS:
Feb. 21-Wellington County 4-H Volunteer Supper and Annual Meeting to be held at Gencor. Supper at 7:00 p.m. with the meeting at 8:00 p.m. For information, call Barb McAllister at 519-767-2928.
Feb. 22- Dufferin Feed and Seed Show and Annual Meeting – 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Amaranth Township Hall, 374028 6th Line Amaranth Township. Admission: $25.00 includes membership and lunch. Exhibitor space is available. For information, call Jim Irvine at 1-800-265-2284.
Feb. 22 & 23- Ontario Cattlemen’s Association Annual General Meeting and Banquet – “Celebrating 50 Years of Strength, Commitment and Determination”, Doubletree Hotel, Toronto. For details visit: www.cattle.guelph.on.ca.
Feb. 23- 29th Annual South Western Ontario Dairy Symposium, Woodstock Fairgrounds, Woodstock at 9:00 a.m. Cost is $20.00 and includes a roving hot lunch. For information, check the website: www.dairysymposium.com or email: jrodenburg@xplornet.com.
Feb. 27 & Mar. 5-Growing Your Farm Profits Workshop in Orangeville. To register, contact Jonathan Watchurst at 519-942-1181 or via email at: Dufferin@ontariosoilcrop.org.
Feb. 28 -Wellington County Farm Safety regular meeting at Husky Farm Equipment, Alma at 8:00 p.m. sharp. For more information, call Walter Grose at 519-846-5329.
