CELEBRATING LOCAL FOOD Ontario Releases First Annual Local Food Report PROGRAMS and SERVICES 5th Annual Eastern Ontario Local Food Conference
Farmers' Markets at ONroute Service Centres
New Signs at Farmers' Markets to Show Where Local Wines Are Sold Ontario Expanding Eligibility for Agricultural Insurance Program TECHNICAL UPDATES Participate in Research to Improve Forage Rainfall Plan How to Create an Effective Agenda RESOURCES
Growing Forward 2: What's New! OMAFRA Economic Development Programs and Services Find OMAFRA Specialists on Twitter Lists
New FactSheets and Publications
Links to Electronic Bulletins and Newsletters
Phone Lines and Websites Dateline: Calendar of Events OMAFRA Advisors Next Issue: July 20, 2015 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. 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.
PROGRAMS AND SERVICES Les programmes, les services et les ressources du ministère de l'Agriculture et de l'Alimentation de l'Ontario et du ministère des Affaires rurales sont également disponsibles en anglais.
The programs, services and resources of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food and the Ministry of Rural Affairs are also available in French.
5th Annual Eastern Ontario Local Food Conference
In partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Rural Affairs, the Cities of Quinte West and Belleville will host the fifth annual Eastern Ontario Local Food Conference. This year's theme is Creativity+Collaboration= Action and will be held at the Travelodge in Belleville on November 4 and 5, 2015.
With the popularity of eating, shopping locally, and culinary tourism growing, there are more and more organizations and businesses recognizing the power of local food in their communities. This year's theme celebrates the creativity of local food businesses, organizations, and other supporters of the local food economy all using creative methods to work together to build a thriving sustainable local food system in Eastern Ontario.
The conference program begins with a Local Food Tour on November 4th. There will be various stops in the area to illustrate and celebrate the success of the agriculture and culinary sectors. Diana McPherson of Grills Orchard will be participating this year by hosting the group at one of the stops on the tour.
"As both a past presenter and attendee at previous Eastern Ontario Local Food Conferences, I definitely see the value in participating and learning how to tap into and benefit from a thriving local food sector."
Diana McPherson, Grills Orchard
Following the tour, the Welcome Reception will showcase the very best in local food and drink offerings from the Bay of Quinte Region.
November 5th will feature a full day of information sharing and networking. Of course, a savoury local food lunch will be an unforgettable part of the day. There will also be a trade show highlighting local products, services and resources.
Keep watching for details at eastontlocalfood.ca, follow us on twitter @eolocalfood or join us on Facebook at facebook.com/ eastontlocalfood to keep up to date on initiatives leading up to the conference. Farmers' Markets at ONroute Service Centres
Beginning on July 3, 2015, farmers' markets will be operating at three ONroute Service Centres across Ontario:
Cambridge North ONroute will have a farmers' market every Friday andSaturday through to the Labour Day weekend. Trenton North and Trenton South ONroutes will have farmers' markets everyFriday, 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!
New Signs at Farmers' Markets to Show Where Local Wines Are Sold
This year, the province celebrated its second annual Local Food Week by reminding Ontarians to sample and support local food, including Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) wines that are available at farmers' markets across the province.
As part of the province's strategy to increase awareness of the good things that are grown, made and harvested in Ontario, the province launched a first-of-its-kind pilot program last year to allow VQA wines to be sold at farmers' markets. Since launching in 2014, 78 wineries and 172 farmers' markets across the province have participated in the pilot program, with sales of more than $1 million dollars.
Now that the pilot project is in its second year, Ontarians can find world class VQA wines at their local farmers' market by looking for a purple VQA sign, or by using the mobile-friendly map to find a market participating in the pilot.
Promoting and celebrating local food, including VQA wines, is part of the government's plan to build Ontario up.
Quick Facts: There are approximately 200 farmers' markets and more than 145 wineries that produce VQA in Ontario. VQA wines are made from 100% Ontario grown grapes. The province has implemented the VQA wines at farmers' market pilot program through the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario to ensure that wine sales are conducted in a socially responsible manner. Ontario's agri-food sector contributes $34.8 billion to the GDP and supports 780,000 jobs - about one in every 9 jobs. For more information on Ontario wines go to: Find Ontario wines Ontario Expanding Eligibility for Agricultural Insurance Program
New Legislation Passes to Help Protect the Agri-Food Industry
On May 27, 2015 Ontario passed the Agriculture Insurance Act, 2015 which will allow more types of agricultural products to be covered by the province's production insurance program.
Production insurance is part of a suite of business risk management programs designed to help farmers manage losses due to events beyond their control, such as weather, pests and disease. While production insurance is currently available for almost 90 commercially grown crops in Ontario, including grains, oilseeds and certain fruits and vegetables, the new legislation will expand eligibility for the production insurance program for more agricultural products.
The new legislation will help agri-food producers better manage risk, as well as encourage greater innovation, profitability and job creation in the agri-food sector. It will also help agri-food producers achieve the financial security they need to support business expansion and meet the Premier's challenge to the sector to double its growth rate and create 120,000 jobs by 2020.
Expanding the types of products eligible for production insurance and strengthening the agri-food industry is part of the government's plan to build Ontario up. The four-part plan includes investing in people's talents and skills, making the largest investment in public infrastructure in Ontario's history, creating a dynamic, innovative environment where business thrives and building a secure retirement savings plan.
For more information on Ontario production insurance go to: Ontario production insurance TECHNICAL UPDATES Participate in Research to Improve Forage Rainfall Plan
Agricorp is working with the University of Manitoba to conduct a survey to improve the Forage Rainfall Plan. The purpose of this survey is to provide important information that may be used to design more effective insurance and risk management tools for Ontario producers. This research will examine the risk of forage producers and other crop producers in Ontario. This survey will ask questions regarding risk management strategy and farm operation characteristics. It will also collect views on the cost of crop insurance. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey - with our thanks.
The link to the survey is here: research How to Create an Effective Agenda
An agenda is the framework that helps meetings run effectively and efficiently. It is a step-by-step outline of the topics to be covered at the meeting.
Effective agendas enhance group accomplishments.
The agenda informs members of accomplishments and priorities It ensures adequate consideration of all issues, events and projects It keeps the discussion focused and on track It makes effective use of participants' time To be most effective, the chair and key participants should create the agenda prior to the meeting.
The chair plays the lead role in planning the agenda and is responsible for arranging the facilities and chairing the meeting.
The chair and the secretary communicate the information to those who should attend the meeting Committee chairs research and organize their reports and ensure someone is at the meeting to discuss the subject Members should contact the chair with topics they would like discussed To read more on how to create an effective agenda go to:
Effective Agendas
New Requirements for Neonicotinoid Pesticides to Protect Pollinators
As part of the Ontario Government's Pollinator Health Strategy, there are new regulatory requirements under the Pesticides Act to establish:
a new class of pesticides consisting of corn and soybean seeds treated with the neonicotinoid insecticides; imidacloprid, clothianidin or thiamethoxam, rules for the sale and use of neonicotinoid treated corn and soybean seeds, and timing and implementation of the regulatory requirements. The new regulation comes into effect on July 1, 2015 with some requirements to be phased-in to help growers adapt to changes. For more information, check out the information resources below.
Ontario Introducing New Rules to Protect Pollinators Neonicotinoid regulations for growers Neonicotinoid regulations for seed vendors Professional Pest Advisors Questions can be directed to:
Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change Public Information Centre Tel: 416-325-4000 or toll free: 1-800-565-4923 E-mail: picemail.moe@ontario. ca or
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Tel: 1-877-424-1300 or TTY 1-855-696-2811 E-mail: ag.info.omafra@ ontario.ca RESOURCES There are lots of resources available on the web at the OMAFRA website www.omafra.gov.on.ca/ english/ag.html as well as others to help you with your decisions. 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 clearly identified in the program guides All projects will be assessed on merit Cost-share funding will be capped depending on the project category Some project categories have prerequisites as a required condition before clients can apply Approval of your project is needed before costs can be incurred and paid New Dates for GF2
GF2 cost-share funding assistance application intakes for producers and processors are:
August 10 to August 27, 2015 November 16 to December 3, 2015 For more information visit: growing forward 2
OMAFRA Economic Development Programs and Resources
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Regional Economic Development Branch provides economic development services through its regional advisory staff to support agricultural and rural organizations through:
Integrated delivery of agriculture and rural economic development resources and programs Coaching, training and stakeholder facilitation services Program implementation through an array of government resources Networking to build regional economic development collaboration and best practices New program development and research on emerging programs Connecting clients to OMAFRA resources that enable economic growth Coordination of information, resources, tool and programs to a number of client groups including: Rural Municipalities Regional Economic Development Organizations Chambers of Commerce Business Improvement Area Associations Rural Businesses Innovative Agricultural Producers Regional Stakeholder Groups/Local Committees Other Ministries For more information on OMAFRA's economic development programs and services contact your local REDB advisor http://ontario.ca/bglf or visit http://ontario.ca/b83f
Find OMAFRA Specialists on Twitter Lists
Field Crop Team and Livestock Specialists https://twitter.com/ onfieldcrops/lists/field-crop- team/members
Hort Crop Team:
https://twitter.com/ onhortcrops/lists/hort-crop- team/members
Fact Sheets and Publications
To order OMAFRA publications and factsheets: Visit the ServiceOntario website at: www.serviceontario.ca/ publications or call1-800-668-9938 Visit the OMAFRA website at:http://ontario.ca/b83g or call: 1-877-424-1300 Visit any OMAFRA Resource Centre / Northern Ontario Regional Office or ServiceOntario location http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/ english/offices/ouroffices. html Guide to Fruit Production (revised April 2015)
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/ english/crops/pub360/sup/ pub360sup.pdf
Pasture Production: Pub 19
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/ english/crops/pub19/pub19toc. htm
Guide to Weed Control 2014-2015
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/ english/crops/pub75/pub75.pdf Electronic Bulletins and Newsletters
Ag Business Update
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/ english/busdev/news/index.html
Virtual Beef
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/ english/livestock/beef/news. html
Pork News and Views Newsletter
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/ english/livestock/swine/news. html
CropPest Ontario
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/ english/crops/field/news/news_ croppest.html
CEPTOR - Animal Health News
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/ english/livestock/ceptor/news. html
ONVegetables (Vegetable Viewpoint)
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/ english/crops/hort/news/news_ vegview.html
Ontario Berry Grower
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/ english/crops/hort/news/news_ berrygrower.html
Hort Matters Newsletter
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/ english/crops/hort/news/news_ hortmatt.html
On Organic
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/ english/crops/organic/news/ news-organic.html
Specialty Cropportunities
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/ CropOp/en/index.html
Phone Lines and Websites
OMAFRA Website: www.ontario.ca/omafra Agricultural Information Contact Centre: 1-877-424-1300 or e-mailag.info.omafra@ontario.ca Foodland Ontario - For recipes straight from our kitchen to yours: Foodland Dateline: Calendar of Events
Dateline provides you with ready access to information on upcoming meetings, training events and workshops. The online calendars - West, Central-West, East, North, Province and All Regions helps you locate information specific to your needs and geographic interest. To access one or more of these calendars go to: OMAFRA Dateline Calendar.
Tips for Viewing, Saving and Printing Event Information from Dateline:
It is recommended that you use the "Agenda" format to view events in the regional and/or provincial calendars. This format provides you with complete details for each event. For reference purposes here are the steps to follow for easy viewing and to eliminate the need to click on each date and event within Dateline.
a) Select the region of interest by clicking on the button beside the name. A calendar will appear.
b) Click on the Agenda format (upper right hand corner). A list of events will appear.
c) Click on Print. A pop-up box will appear.
d) Select the print range. To move from the pre-set time period, click on the arrow beside the date. Start and end boxes will appear. Click on the end box information to access the calendar. Using the arrow key move to the desired month and then click on your preferred end date.
e) Click on Print Descriptions to access the full information for the event.
f) Click on Save As or Print to save or print the calendar(s).
OMAFRA Regional Economic Development Branch Advisors
To contact your local OMAFRA Regional Economic Development Branch Advisor please go to go to OMAFRA Advisors
