Local Food News — World

The Local Food Summit 2017, August 6 -16

Through a combination of online interviews and presentations, plus live webinars, hear from and interact with more than 60 of the most significant on-the-ground leaders, activists, practitioners, authors and elders who are at the front lines of the local food movement—all for free. Join us in catalyzing a revolutionary acceleration and expansion of the local food movement’s impact, effectiveness, and scale! Website.

 

Sustainable Food Trust

The Sustainable Food Trust was founded by Patrick Holden in 2011 in response to the worsening human and environmental crises that are associated with the vast majority of today’s food and farming systems. His observation was that, for all of the hard work of food and environmental organisations over the last half century or so, there were still a number of major barriers preventing large scale uptake of sustainable food production and healthy diets. These include the lack of an enabling policy and economic environment for sustainable food production and consumption; a tendency towards reductionist and siloed thinking amongst scientists and some campaigning organisations; and a myriad of conflicting messages, often perpetuated by those with vested interests, leading to considerable confusion amongst consumers and policymakers alike about what to eat to be healthy whilst at the same time supporting just and sustainable food systems. Website.

 

Urban Agriculture Incentive Zone

The Urban Agriculture Incentive Zone (UAIZ) is a new state program (AB 551) adopted by the California State Legislature in 2013. This program aims to incentivize urban agriculture in urbanized areas in California by offering reduced property tax assessments in exchange for converting vacant or unimproved property to an agricultural use through a contract agreement for an initial period of five years. On September 12, 2015, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed a motion directing that a local UAIZ program be implemented Countywide in accordance with AB 551. Los Angeles County post. Ordinance.

 

Could tax breaks turn empty lots into urban farms? Long Beach hopes so

Long Beach is crafting two new programs that would encourage more urban farms to crop up in vacant lots across the city.  The first step in the process involves laying out a local framework for an Urban Agriculture Incentive Zones program, which would grant tax breaks to property owners who lease vacant lots for small-scale agricultural uses. The second deals with creating a vacant lot registry that would track how property owners care for empty lots. Some 618 properties have been determined eligible for the registry. The goal is to maintenance standards and routine inspections as part of a larger effort to curb negative impacts tied to empty and often blighted lots. Long Beach Press Telegram story.

 

Food Trucks, Cultural Identity, and Social Justice

The food truck on the corner could be a brightly painted old-style lonchera offering tacos or an upscale mobile vendor serving lobster rolls. Customers range from gastro-tourists to construction workers, all eager for food that is delicious, authentic, and relatively inexpensive. Although some cities that host food trucks encourage their proliferation, others throw up regulatory roadblocks. This book examines the food truck phenomenon in North American cities from Los Angeles to Montreal, taking a novel perspective: social justice. It considers the motivating factors behind a city’s promotion or restriction of mobile food vending, and how these motivations might connect to or impede broad goals of social justice. Book overview

 

Nutrition Information Abounds, But Many Doubt Food Choices

Americans are consuming food information from more sources than ever before, yet our nutritional literacy is sorely lacking—and our health may be suffering as a result. Those are among the findings of the International Food Information Council Foundation’s 12th Annual Food and Health Survey. “As in previous years, the Food and Health Survey has shown that Americans feel overwhelmed by conflicting food and nutrition information,” said IFIC Foundation CEO Joseph Clayton. “But this year, we’re finding troubling signs that the information glut is translating into faulty decisions about our diets and health.” International Food Information Council Foundation release.

 

The Ag Tech Market Map: 80+ Startups Powering The Future Of Farming And Agribusiness

We used CB Insights data to identify more than 80 private companies in agriculture tech and categorized them into eight main categories. We define ag tech as technology that increases the efficiency of farms (in the form of software), sensors, aerial-based data, internet-based distribution channels (marketplaces), and tools for technology-enabled farming. We only include companies that primarily target the agricultural sector. CB Insights post. Ag Tech map.

 

Revisiting the third grocery sector: the rise of the grocerant trend

A recent Wall Street Journal article connected food retailers’ increasing emphasis of store perimeters with flatlining sales of iconic center store CPG brands and underscored that the emerging concept of supermarkets as “grocerants” is maturing into the mainstream. This is hardly a startling new revelation to us or to many across the food and beverage industry. For more than a decade now, here at The Hartman Group, we’ve been telling the tale of the fresh revolution and the redefinition of quality away from packaged and processed food products that led to the center store migration. For the past twenty years we’ve observed a single, overarching theme encompassing the vast cultural shift in the food world: namely, the pursuit of all things real — expressed here primarily though cultural distinctions of “fresh.” Hartman Group post.

 

Barilla puts sustainability centre stage

Barilla believes it has a good story to tell on these issues and has chosen to make sustainability a very public and very prominent part of its identity, under the banner “Good for you, Good for the Planet”. That Barilla considers its sustainability mission so core to its business that it can be the primary emphasis of the company’s annual public statement on its performance provides further proof of how critical sustainability has become to companies whether public or privately held. Just-Food blog.

 

Linking Environment And Farming (UK) Global Impacts Report 2017

We are delighted to be publishing LEAF’s fifth Global Impacts Report, reflecting on our collective achievements in 2016. Over the last five years we have strengthened our reporting significantly and are immensely proud of the progress we are making in monitoring, measuring and communicating the impacts our members are making to the environment, economy and society. LEAF report.

 

AND IF YOU HAVE TIME

 

The Grocery Store Of The Future Is Mobile, Self-Driving, And Run By AI

In Shanghai, a prototype of a new 24-hour convenience store has no staff, no registers, and the whole thing is on wheels, designed to eventually drive itself to a warehouse to restock, or to a customer to make a delivery. The startup behind it believes that it’s the model for the grocery store of the future–and because it’s both mobile and far cheaper to build and operate than a typical store, it could also help bring better access to groceries to food deserts and rural areas. Fast Company story.

Local Food News — Ontario

Brock hosts cider industry boot camp

As more people raise a glass of craft cider as their drink of choice, Brock University is raising the bar on the beverage’s production. The Brock University Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI) recently hosted Canada’s first and only internationally accredited apple and pear cider production program. The course, which ran last week, was an intensive five-day study of all aspects of making cider, covering fruit production, quality control, and how to turn fermenting apples and pears into a financially fruitful endeavour. Mostly, though, the intention of the program was to establish a benchmark of skills and knowledge for an industry exploding like a bottle over-fermented home brew on a hot day. St. Catharines Standard story.

 

Thunder Bay’s Good Gardening Box produces fresh crops in days

A gourmet mushroom starter kit is being added to the mix of seeds and seedlings in Thunder Bay’s Good Gardening Box. The box sells for $60, with $20 as a donation to the Good Food Box, a local food security initiative run by the Northwestern Ontario Women’s Centre. The box includes five heirloom tomato seedlings grown by local volunteer growers, vegetable seeds from Superior Seed Producers and heirloom seed potatoes and strawberry plants from Belluz Farms, along with the Northwest Gourmet Mushrooms starter kit. CBC News story.

 

Parks pop-ups feature Niagara tastes, sights

But last week, instead of telling me dinner was just around the bend, Mather Arch was where I ate my last meal of the day. It was the site of a pop-up dinner hosted by Niagara Parks, which put the invitation out by social media to eat, drink and be schooled in history and architecture at a spot many of us have likely only driven past en route to somewhere else. The dinner was part of Niagara Parks Commission’s Begin Here: Canada 150 at Niagara Parks celebrations. It was one of a series of meals Niagara Parks is planning in unexpected places this summer. St. Catharines Standard story.

 

Lunch served with Farm Feast Salad Bar at Oakville’s Oakwood School

Connecting schools to farms and children to their food is a simple idea that has inspired the spread of Farm to School activity across Canada, according to Nancy Rumple, communications director for Halton’s Food for Thought, which connected the program to the school. Oakwood Public School is the second Halton Food for Thought partner school to launch its healthy eating initiative. St. Dominic Catholic Elementary School launched the same program last fall. It’s aimed at getting more healthy local foods on the minds, on the plates and in the mouths of students by engaging students and communities in gardening, cooking, preserving, purchasing and serving healthy local foods at their schools, said Rumple. InsideHalton.com story.

 

Webinar: Community Egg Grading Stations, June 20

In 2016, Farms at Work published a great report on possible opportunities for community egg grading stations. Having access to nearby egg grading facilities allows Ontario producers with small flocks (up to 100 birds) to sell their eggs at farmers markets, and to retail stores off the farm.  This webinar will explore the research and may provide some ideas for your community! Cultivating Food Coops post.

 

Ontario Government funds poultry processing in Renfrew County

Among those chosen recipients is Pembroke’s Reiche Meat Products. The local agri-food business will be receiving $14,550 to support its mission to grow opportunities for local poultry. “The funds will cover about 30 per cent of the overall cost of adding a chicken processing line to our facility,” said Jeffrey Bennett, Reiche Meat Products owner. “Specifically, the funds will go towards the purchase of equipment along with training.” Pembroke Daily Observer story.

 

Four colleges launch pilot projects to bring more local food to campuses

Four Ontario colleges are launching pilot projects aimed at having more locally grown food available for students on campus. The pilot projects are part of a local food procurement initiative led by Mohawk College in Hamilton with financial support from the Government of Ontario, in partnership with the Greenbelt Fund. The initiative is aimed at encouraging colleges to buy their food from local suppliers in their communities. The initiative would promote healthy food options for students, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing transportation, and support local food producers. Canada NewsWire story.

 

Boreal launches local food project

College Boreal in Sudbury is one of four Ontario colleges launching pilot projects aimed at having more locally grown food available for students on campus. “Given the unique challenges our Northern sites face in regard to local food procurement, College Boreal is excited to be conducting a food origin audit as part of the local food procurement initiative led by Mohawk College,” Lyne Michaud, vice-president academic for College Boreal, said in a release. The Sudbury Star story.

 

Bring Home the World – Improving Access to Ontario’s World Foods

We know that local food has evolved to include a greater variety of products that speak to the diversity of Ontarians that call our province home. That is why as part of our Local Food Strategy, our government is putting a greater focus on helping expand consumer access and availability of locally-grown World Foods to make it easier for everyday Ontarians to Bring Home the World. I’m challenging all Ontarians to get involved and tell us how our government can help you Bring Home the World by reading our discussion paper and filling out a short online survey. Ontario Government (OMAFRA) post.

 

Local food love at Foodland Ontario Retailer Awards

Jeff Leal, minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs and the minister responsible for small business, was also on hand to congratulate this year’s winners for their creativity and commitment to Ontario food. “Ontario’s grocery retailers play a fundamental role in helping raise awareness and demand for local food,” he said. He continued to say that when consumers buy local, they help boost the economy, create jobs and strengthen Ontario’s agri-food sector. Ontario products, he remarked, were second to none, renowned for their quality.

Minister Leal personally awarded three Vision Awards, recognizing grocery head offices for their corporate commitment to local foods. Canadian Grocer story.

 

AND IF YOU HAVE TIME

 

FreshSpoke is reshaping the future of food

Our local food marketplace is on the cutting edge of an economic revolution known as the “sharing economy”, making it possible for us to get what we need from each other instead of large food enterprises and for revenue to flow through the local ecosystem, directly to the wallets of farmers and other producers. So fasten your seatbelts! FreshSpoke is dreaming big and driving forward with new features connecting field and fork in more ways than you ever thought possible. Website.

Local Food News — Canada

Hip, happening Ottawa gets its A-game on for Canada’s sesquicentennial

As a Calgarian and first-time visitor to Ottawa, I honestly didn’t think I’d get all tingly and swell with pride at the real-life sight of the Centre Block, Peace Tower and circular Library of Parliament high atop the hill. After all, we in Cowtown tend to look west when it comes to travel, and get impressed by mountains (not hills). But there’s no denying I’m smitten. Indeed, between millennials flocking to Parliament Hill for sun salutations and downward dog (or with their iPhones to try and get a selfie with Justin Trudeau), foodies seeking artisan cheeses and hand-made chocolates in ByWard Market, and zythophiles tracking down craft beer such as Beau’s Brewing Company’s Lug Tread — the official beer for Canada’s 150 birthday celebrations —Ottawa has never been hotter. Calgary Herald story.

 

Alleyways Market: Winnipeggers meet to shop local in the Exchange

Artisanal bread, locally-made jewelry and snacks of all descriptions were on offer at this year’s first Alleyways Market on Friday. Starting at 4 p.m., dozens of shoppers and nearly 60 vendors met in an alley in Winnipeg’s Exchange District for the first of four markets to be held this summer. “It’s nice to have a night market downtown,” said Colin Enquist. He’s the sales and marketing manager for PEG Beer Company, which was a vendor at Friday’s market. CBC News story.

 

‘Spreading the food and the love’: Fruit, nut trees to be planted across Shelburne County

Shelly Hipson applied to Shell Canada through the Roseway Community Association to help grow her communities – literally. She was able to get enough funds to purchase 50 fruit and nut trees.  Rather than keep it in one community, Hipson decided to put some in every community in the county. “I wanted to spread the food and the love,” said Hipson. The Coastguard story.

 

Parksville-Qualicum association cooking up recipes for food tourism

To help create a collective vision, it has hired Tourism Cafe. Stakeholders were exposed to different food tourism examples from across Canada and were given the chance to draw inspiration from a variety of exercises conducted throughout the one-day session. Nancy Arsenault of Tourism Cafe indicated that based on their research, there are markets that are willing to pay for premium experiences. What Tourism Cafe aims to do is to discover successful food tourism recipes that can be applied to the region’s tourism strategy down the road. Parksville Qualicum Beach News story.

 

Food Island: Wine and food festivals bring crowds to P.E.I.

Other food centred events which have also helped P.E.I.’s economy include The P.E.I. International Shellfish Festival and The PEI Fall Flavours Festival. The provincial tourism department said many people decide to visit because of these food festivals. The Shellfish Festival attracts about 7,000 attendees — half are non residents. Fall Flavours attracts about the same number with 40 per cent being from out of province. CBC News story.

 

Multinationals face new pressures in grocery stores

Consumers increasingly want fresh, unprocessed food. The middle of the store now sees less traffic and that’s clearly affecting sales for most grocery products. Skippy peanut butter and Dad’s chocolate chip cookies are gone from the Canadian marketplace. If you feel sad about seeing these iconic brands go, brace yourselves. It’s just the beginning. Within days, two major U.S.-based food multinationals pulled well-known brands from the Canadian market. Mondelez International discontinued the iconic Dad’s cookies and Hormel Foods pulled Skippy peanut butter from the Canadian market. National brands are losing ground to private labels and fresh products. Net Newsledger story.

 

French schools, communities to focus on all things ‘local’

The newest Global Development Plan which provides a strategic vision for about 20 Francophone organizations across the Island, including the Commission scolaire de langue française, is based on the concept of holistic, intertwined school-community projects, planning and programs. Of particular interest, is the French and Acadian Developers Network’s first school-community pilot project, the jardins scolaires-communautaires (School-Community Gardens) that will be established at each of the six French schools. Not only does this focus on fusing school and local community initiatives respond to the needs and desires of the six Acadian regions of P.E.I., but it also comes about at the right time amidst other social advancements provincially and nationally. The Journal Pioneer story.

 

Cordelia crowned Startup Pitch night winner

Startup Pitch Night, a Startup Canada initiative was hosted locally by StartUP Sault Ste. Marie, and featured a grand prize of $1,000 cash (sponsored by TruShield Insurance), $500 Best Youth Pitch (sponsored by YouLaunch), and $250 Best Social Enterprise Pitch award (sponsored by NORDIK Institute). The grand prize winner was Cordelia Plant-Based Meals, a local food manufacturing business specializing in plant-based, healthy meals. Their ready-made meals are available for point-of-sale purchase at a growing number of locations in Sault Ste. Marie. SaultOnline.com story.

 

Sustainable Food Initiative

Our mission is to improve the food environment at the University of Alberta and contribute to a more sustainable food system on campus. We aim to make an impact through research, advocacy, awareness, networking, and action! Facebook page.

 

Food policy could become food fight

But this latest initiative signals a move into an area which has traditionally has been the purview of other agencies — ensuring Canadians have nutritious food. While a strong agri-food sector may contribute to that, much of AAFC’s recent emphasis has been on increased food processing. It may be good for the economy but not so good for our girths. One of the biggest “food-related issues” in Canada today is consumption of too much processed food. Winnipeg Free Press opinion.

 

AND IF YOU HAVE TIME

 

Why Canada needs a national food strategy

The agri-food industry’s potential has recently gained more prominence than we’ve seen in decades. This offers a rare opportunity for meaningful progress on these issues. A complete and collaborative approach to developing a national food strategy could serve as the vehicle that propels the agri-food industry forward, and this would bring value to all Canadians. In order for the agri-food industry to reach its potential, we need a unifying vision, which a national food strategy would provide. Policy Options post.

Local Food News — World

Pigtown events to celebrate local food culture in Limerick

The series features events such as the Culture Night Pig Parade; ‘Beyond the Pig – veganism in a meat eaters world’ panel discussion; ‘Ancient Irish food – what did our ancestors grow, pick and catch’ lecture and discussion and Urban Foraging Walks by local author and ethnobotanist Theresa Storey; Valerie O’Connor’s ‘Pig in the City’ food trail; Pigtown Tasting Menu produced by students of LIT’s Food and Tourism Department; and ‘The Apprentice – Pigtown Style’ hosted by Garretts Butchers where Limerick Butcher Apprentices will compete against visiting international craft butcher apprentices to be crowned the Pigtown Champion. Limerick Leader story.

 

Better Food Traders

We all know the food system isn’t working – but isn’t hard to know what to do about it? Well, Hackney-based Growing Communities did do something about fixing the food system. And twenty years on, their ground breaking organic veg scheme, farmers’ market and growers apprenticeships are feeding the inner city with local, delicious, organic fruit and veg. By paying a fair price direct to organic farmers, they’ve created a vibrant local food economy that’s good for growers, good for consumers and great for the planet. Since 2009 they’ve been helping other social entrepreneurs and community groups across the UK to set up community-led veg schemes based on Growing Communities’ successful model. Website.

 

Scots suppliers vie for space on Morrisons shelves

Fifty food and drink firms from across Scotland have been selected to pitch their produce to Morrisons. The supermarket chain said 140 firms had applied to have their products stocked on its shelves as part of its efforts to boost the home-grown industry, with the most promising suppliers getting the chance to pitch to the group’s buyers, local store staff and customers at two events in Perth and Musselburgh. Angus Bell, local category manager at Morrisons, said: “Scotland has a long history of great, local food and the producers we’ve seen have been no exception. After seeing the quality of the food here in Scotland this week, we’re keen to put even more food made in the country on our customers’ plates.” The Scotsman story.

 

Local food ambassadors shine at international festival

A Galway food syndication has further strengthened economic and tourism links with France following their attendance at the Fête des vins de l’Anjou recently. Foods of Athenry, Gran Grans and Tribal Foods who travelled along with Sheena Dignam of Galway Food Tours and Merveilles D’Irlande to attend Fête des vins de l’Anjou in the Pays de la Loire region last week wowed the French festival with a supreme West of Ireland food showcase. The trip showcased the diverse and unique range of locally sourced produce in the West of Ireland whilst also highlighting key SME’s and start-ups in the food industry to the French market. Galway Independent story.

 

Isle of Bute fisherman opens UK’s first-ever seaweed shop

Iain McKellar, 52, has been harvesting seaweed for over 10 years and selling it online to companies and restaurants from all over the globe. He realised that the abundance of seaweed on the Isle of Bute wasn’t being taken advantage of, and saw an opportunity to sell local produce with a difference. Herald Scotland story.

 

The new Nottingham shop that’s selling surplus supermarket food at a tiny price

Surplus supermarket food destined for the bin will be sold for ‘as little as possible’ at a new city store. Foodprint, a ‘social supermarket,’ will open in a Sneinton warehouse this summer – selling “perfectly edible food” that would otherwise be thrown away because it is past its best before date or has a packaging error. The store, in Sneinton Road, is the brainchild of a group of University of Nottingham students who are passionate about ending food waste and food poverty simultaneously. Nottingham Post story.

 

Cork Airport unveils new food offerings for travellers

Suppliers for the new food offerings at Cork Airport include Fingal Ferguson with Gubbeen chorizo, Jane Murphy with Ardsallagh goat’s cheese, Bandon Vale cheddar, Flahavan’s Oat porridge, G’s Jam from Co Laois, Ballycotton smoked salmon, Glenilen yoghurts, Glenown Ice cream and Pallas Green with locally grown fruit and vegetables. Frank Gleeson, MD of Aramark Food Services, said. “Aramark is delighted to be able to offer great products and a great experience, while supporting local food producers and developing a menu that reflects what makes Cork the gourmet capital of Ireland.” Irish Examiner story.

 

Nourish Scotland’s Making a Living from Local Food programme 2017

Are you passionate about tasty, nutritious, locally and sustainably produced food? Are you in the process of setting up a local food enterprise or have just started one? For the second year running, Nourish Scotland’s Making a Living from Local Food programme is offering mentoring and peer-to-peer-support to 15-20 aspiring and recently established local food entrepreneurs from across Scotland. The programme is funded by the Prince’s Countryside Fund. Scottish Rural Network post.

 

AmazonFresh expands grocery deliveries across South East

AmazonFresh is being extended to postcodes just outside of London in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire as the online retail giant begins to roll out the grocery delivery service one year after first coming to the UK. The service is now available in selected postcodes from Luton to Watford, Berkhamsted to Hampshire. Approximately 180,000 products are on offer for same day delivery, including fresh produce items. These also include some of Britain’s most popular brands and a selection of groceries from London’s shops and markets as well as local food producers. Produce Business UK story.

 

Holmewood Edible Community Association

Where all residents will have the opportunity to get involved with environmental projects at a local level.These projects will include; Knowleswood Community Farm. Grow your own. Greenside project. Gardening and Cleaning Teams.These projects will be the tap root of initiatives to follow, we encourage local peoples paticipation through Education plus Volunteering opportunities. Facebook page.

 

AND IF YOU HAVE TIME

 

New routes to better markets for farmers and growers

Whilst Brexit is forcing a rethink of a crucial portion of most UK farm incomes – the farm subsidies – when we leave the European Common Agriculture Policy, it would be a mistake to ignore the market side of the calculation. How will farmers secure a decent return from the market place for decent food production, with (or even scarier, without) subsidies? With the single market possibly gone, and new trade deals and huge regulatory changes ahead it seems crucial to ensure farmers have access to a diverse and fairly trading marketplace. Sustain UK post.

Local Food News — Ontario

Abundance GTA

We are growing out of an ongoing dialogue among city and rural inhabitants who care passionately about food safety and access. This dialogue is excited by a belief that we can imagine diverse ways and means to care for the lands to ensure their potential. Over the weeks ahead, we’ll post stories about the Lands and its inhabitants, human and not-human, as well conversations with people who are coming up with innovative and exciting ways to re-envision how we produce food. Website.

 

Halton Healthcare Hosts Local Food Expo

Halton Healthcare is celebrating Local Food Week, designated from June 4th to 10th, by hosting a Local Food Expo. The Expo will be held on Thursday, June 8, 2017 from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm in the Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital (OTMH) cafeteria. “We are very excited to be able to host this food expo at our new Oakville Hospital, and we hope it will be the first of many. We invite everyone from all our Halton Healthcare communities, as well as our staff, physicians and volunteers to join us,” explains Marianne Katusin, Manager, Food Services. “Come out and taste samples, purchase treats and talk to the growers and manufacturers themselves.” Halton Healthcare post.

 

Ontario invests in local food access to support agriculture and agri-food sector

Jeff Leal, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, made the announcement along with Burkhard Mausberg, CEO of the Greenbelt Fund, at McLean Farms in Peterborough. This investment includes a $15,000 grant to Farms at Work to partner with Transition Town Peterborough to strengthen the impact and sustainability of Peterborough Local Food Month. Farms at Work’s project is one of 24 new projects across Ontario, totalling over $800,000 in new investments from the Greenbelt Fund through the province’s Local Food Investment Fund program. Eastern Ontario AgriNews story.

 

Land Over Landings

To oppose the irresponsible and politically motivated plans for an unneeded Pickering airport and urban/industrial development on the federally expropriated lands of Durham Region. To educate the public on transit and transportation options, on the importance of protecting watersheds, and on a viable agricultural alternative to the political plan to industrialize this area. Facebook page.

 

Sharing On-Farm Success: Great Lakes Goat Dairy

The Sjaardas operate Great Lakes Goat Dairy near Wyoming, Ontario. They milk 550 goats. And with additional milk from local farmers, they’ve built a successful goat cheese business that takes their products right to the consumer’s front door. Sjaarda says making great cheese is essential for their success. But they also need to get their product to market. See how the Sjaarda’s tapped into Growing Forward 2 to build an online ordering system. YouTube video.

 

Black Creek Food Justice Network

We are a working group of Black Creek residents and local community orgs working for food security and social justice in our community and beyond. Facebook page.

 

Say cheese – and deli!

The two culinary veterans will unveil new cheese recipes, exclusive local and international products and revamped catering options. “Our guests are always looking to discover and expand their tastes which is why partnering with Cheese Boutique was a natural progression … we are very excited to offer our customers new cheese and charcuterie boards, recipes and introduce them to new flavours.” Toronto Sun story.

 

Seed fund investment helps local gourmet food processor double sales in only one year

As the local food movement took hold, owner Will Rootham-Roberts started seeing increased interest in locally made and sourced small-batch gourmet condiments. He recognized an opportunity for the family-owned company to expand and offer Ontario farmers the possibility of creating and selling shelf-stable jams, jellies and sauces from their own locally grown produce. But he needed help turning that vision into reality – help he received from Bioenterprise in the form of a grant from the Bioenterprise Seed Fund. AgInnovation Ontario post.

 

Province Launching Consultations on Northern Livestock Pilot Project

Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Jeff Leal met with Indigenous partners, local municipalities, livestock organizations and industry today in Timmins to discuss the Northern Livestock Pilot project and kick off consultations with stakeholders and communities on supporting viable agriculture in the North. Government of Ontario news release.

 

Northern Ontario the place to farm

When northwestern Ontario comes up in conversation, it’s usually mentioned in a story about an eight-hour, mind numbing drive through rocks, trees and more rocks. For Jason, the region is the undiscovered gem of Canadian agriculture. “This, in my opinion, is one of the best places to farm in Canada,” said Jason, cow-calf director with Beef Farmers of Ontario. “Before any young person buys a farm anywhere in Canada, take two weeks of holidays and travel across northern Ontario.” Western Producer story.

 

AND IF YOU HAVE TIME

 

Lock up your manure!

Norfolk OPP is following up on a Radical Road, Woodhouse, manure theft reported Monday, May 15. Police say a man in a van visited the property that day and the day before and removed manure. The owner confronted the man, who then left southbound on Port Ryerse Road. The owner got the licence plate from the retreating ‘manure wagon’ and was able to supply it to police, who say they will be contacting its owner. Norfolk News story.

Local Food News — Ontario

Local Food Symposium, Wednesday November 8, 2017

Mark your calendars! On Wednesday November 8, 2017 the Greenbelt Fund will be hosting a Local Food Symposium at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. The Symposium will explore everything local from the practical to the visionary, with engaging break out sessions and insightful, inspiring speakers. ??????

 

Reevely: Ontario’s vintage alcohol regulations have us subsidizing liquor now

Each kind of alcohol has its own rules. Beer has one set, wine another, apple cider a third, hard liquor a fourth. At the moment, the Liberal government likes artisanal alcohol in general: little breweries, wineries, cideries and distillers create jobs in rural areas and boost tourism, they’re hip and they have a dash of back-to-the-land romance. They buy local produce, too: “grain to glass” is the mantra for craft distillers, like “field to table” for locavore cooking. Cideries are really big on Ontario apples. Ottawa Citizen story.

 

Dryden Cloverbelt Local Food Co-op wins provincial award

Dryden’s Cloverbelt Local Food Co-op has been given a 2016 Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence. The award recognizes contributions to boosting economic growth in Ontario by creating new products that help to support job creation, add value to existing products and support a sustainable environment. Cloverbelt, who also won the award in 2014, was launched in 2013 to help bring food straight from the farm to the consumer. More than 100 producers of goods have since sold products through the food cooperative. KenoraOnline.com story.

 

Incubator uses Growing Forward 2 funding to give local food businesses a start

A not-for-profit food business incubator in Toronto is helping entrepreneurs get their fledgling food companies off the ground. Food Starter offers food prep, processing, packaging and storage facilities to industry entrants at a reduced rate, as well as courses to teach entrepreneurs about key aspects of the food industry, like food safety, regulatory compliance, labelling, accounting, marketing, business management and human resources. The Toronto Food Business Incubator partnered with the City of Toronto to access funding from Growing Forward 2 to develop and launch Food Starter in November 2015. AgInnovation Ontario post.

 

Government Invests in New Greenhouse Technology for Organic Microgreens

Local food is key to the Canadian economy. With the opening of our new 3.5 acre Woodhill Greenhouse facility, we are poised to supply a large part of this market with the most nutrient dense food. Our facility has been upgraded with the latest innovations in UV light transmitting roofing combined with automated soil and seeding equipment. Innovations, such as these, are allowing our company to produce the highest quality organic lettuce and microgreens right here in Ontario, year round. Marketwired press release.

 

Highview students feed their minds with Food for Learning

Renfrew County Food for Learning Student Nutrition Program provides funding for food and ongoing support to schools and community organizations who run healthy breakfast, snack and lunch programs for the children and youth living in Renfrew County. The program aims to educate students on proper nutrition and provide them with the best food for thought to take them through their school day. Pembroke Daily Observer story.

 

Growing Canada’s emerging sweet potato industry

Canada’s first sweet potato variety is expected for release next year. And now work is underway to ensure Canadian farmers can also access sweet potato cuttings – called slips – right here at home. To help meet booming Canadian demand for sweet potatoes, Vineland Research and Innovation Centre (Vineland) is developing new varieties that grow well in Canada’s cooler climate and shorter growing season. AgInnovation Ontario post.

 

North St. Lawrence Market dig delves deep into Toronto’s foodie history

A new four-storey building is set to replace the demolished farmers market at Front and Jarvis Sts. But first, an archeological excavation is shedding light on the history of food in Toronto. Toronto Star story.

 

New loan program for young ag entrepreneurs

Recently young entrepreneurs in the agriculture retail, manufacturing and food processing sectors have had access to a new loan program. Farm Credit Canada announced the Young Entrepreneur Loan last month to provide financing up to $1 million per qualified applicant, under age 40. “By providing specialized loans for young farmers and entrepreneurs, we are helping the next generation get established and contribute to Canada achieving its full potential as a leading food supplier worldwide,” says Michael Hoffort, FCC president and CEO. FCC Express story.

 

Green Certificate Program lets students gain agricultural, on-farm experience

The Green Certificate Program offers Alberta high school students in Grades 10, 11 and 12 the opportunity to earn up to 16 of their Grade 12 diploma credits through training in some aspect of agricultural production, such as in cow-calf, dairy, feedlot, field crop, irrigated crop, sheep or swine production. Agriculture Canada post.

 

AND IF YOU HAVE TIME

 

Massive chicken egg cracked open to reveal another egg inside

A giant chicken egg that made national news has been cracked open to reveal another perfectly formed, normal-sized egg inside. The 180-gram egg — which is heavier than a Major League baseball — was discovered by Echo Bay, Ont., hobby farmer Dennis Goslow last month. His hen managed to lay an egg more than three times the size of an average large chicken egg. CBC story.

Local Food News — Canada

‘Greenship’ Will Be A Self-Sustaining Food Source For Northern Alberta

A pile of dirt and tires just west of Edmonton is about to be transformed into an impressive monument to green living. The greenship — similar to an off-grid “earthship” home that generates its own energy — will be an entirely self-sustaining greenhouse. The Aspen Centre for Integral Living, an environmental non-profit behind the project, says it’s as much about educating visitors on green living as it is about providing the northern community with year-round food. Huffington Post story.

 

‘Align with the eaters’: Food Guide changes may benefit farmers

While still in the works, proposed changes to Canada’s Food Guide seem to emphasize a reduction in foods with high levels of sugar, sodium and saturated fats. If those revisions come to light, they could benefit Canadian farmers, based on the principles of food sovereignty, the head of a national farmers’ group says. “We believe it’s ultimately in the farmers’ interest that food is not overly processed, but produced in a way that is best for eaters,” said Jan Slomp, president of the National Farmers Union (NFU). Western Producer story.

 

Fresh, local food planned at 3 P.E.I. schools under new $100K program

More fresh, local food could be on the menu at cafeterias in three Prince Edward Island schools starting in the fall under a new pilot program aimed at improving food security and education. The Food Security and Food Education Program — on which P.E.I.’s Department of Agriculture and Fisheries is spending $100,000 — will help Islanders access local food and teach about its nutritional value, where it comes from, and how it’s produced, the province said Tuesday in a written release. CBC story.

 

‘Buy local’ cafe set to open in former Real Food Connections location

Two New Brunswick entrepreneurs are hoping they can take an unsuccessful local grocery in a more profitable direction as a local food cafe. The plastic once covering the windows of the former Real Food Connections location in Saint John has been removed and on Monday, several workers will drive down from Fredericton to take over the store. It’s now called “Locavore Foods.” “We’re all hands on deck,” said Jason Lejeune, one of the co-owners of Locavore. “The appearance has changed from being a grocery application to a cafe application.” CBC story.

 

Food activist finds weeds in province’s urban garden plan

The Alberta government is offering land along the ring road to grow vegetables, but a longtime proponent of the idea has mixed feelings now that it’s on the table. “It’s a little disappointing. There was very little consultation about the property location. We submitted well over 20 locations and this is one of the last locations we’d choose,” said Paul Hughes, a local food activist. Calgary Herald story.

 

Find Local Foods

‘Find Local Foods’ is proud of our Canadian local food directory service, connecting consumers to local food suppliers in Canada. Available online to visitors and new suppliers. We spend a lot of time & money to promote & market our directory, list with us and we do all the work so you can focus on your business. A Canadian Local Food Directory, by Canadians, for Canadians! Our new directory is state of the art with every conceivable method built into the software to promote and market the business listings and classifieds ads on search engines and with social media. Website.

 

What is Behind the Trend of Local Food?

To meet the growing demand for more local food on institutional menus it’s important to start with understanding what’s behind the trend – why do people seek out local food? Writer lists five reasons. Food Secure Canada post.

 

Thirst for craft beer brews opportunities

Three flags fly proudly over Saanichton Farm – one for country, one for tractor and one for beer. For Bryce Rashleigh, they are visible reminders of what keeps the farm growing, and what they are growing for. “The whole local food movement is huge on Vancouver Island,” he says. “People are more supportive of my farm and what I do when they see the connection to what they eat and drink.” FCC Express story.

 

This is some of the best soil in Canada’: Vancouver tells farmer she can’t raise chickens on farmland

Robin Friesen wanted to farm. So she leased half an acre in the Agriculture Land Reserve (ALR) and bought 150 chicks. But what seemed like a simple plan — raising a small flock of chickens for meat and eggs — became complicated last week with the appearance of a City of Vancouver bylaw officer who told her she’d run afoul of the city’s backyard chicken bylaw, which prohibits people from keeping more than four hens. National Post story.

 

Food choices govern food production, which has environmental impacts in a time of global climate change

What’s more, the influence of Canada’s Food Guide on the food industry extends beyond our own borders. Food choices govern food production, which has environmental impacts in a time of global climate change. Since Canada is a major food exporter, Canada’s Food Guide affects the health and environment not only of Canadians but of citizens around the world. Given the importance of this publication, it is critical that we get it right. And getting it right means recommending not only a wholesome, nutritious diet but also a sustainable one. Policy Options post.

 

AND IF YOU HAVE TIME

 

From bullfrogs to wild rice, the wackiest things the provinces protected in Canada’s new free trade deal.

When Canada’s trade ministers revealed a mass internal free trade agreement last week, the list of exemptions and items to be discussed was as long as the barriers they removed. Bull frogs, wild rice, weddings and funerals were among the integral provincial industries specifically outlined for protection. The agreement includes a requirement that only residents of the province “may be issued a licence for taking of bullfrogs for sale or barter.” So all those people from Manitoba rushing over he border to stock up on frog’s legs better watch out. National Post story.

Local Food News — World

Kiwis one step closer to knowing where their food is from

Support for Green MP Steffan Browning’s member’s bill is a win for the vast majority of New Zealanders who want to know where the food they buy is produced, the Green Party said today. The Consumers’ Right to Know (Country of Origin of Food) Bill will make it mandatory for food producers to label their fresh or single-ingredient food products with the country of origin. The Bill was passed to select committee stage this evening. “A recent poll showed that more than 70 percent of New Zealanders support mandatory labelling, and it’s good for local food producers too. Scoop.co.nz press release.

Helicopter business ready for take off with five-star dining tours

“Over the past ten years I’ve focused on the highest standard in worldwide jet charter, I thought this would be the perfect bolt-on for inbound clients showcasing the dramatic [Scottish] scenery and local food as a whole experience,” she said. The Heli-Dining combination has been requested so frequently over recent months that Ms Torres decided to launch it as a separate offer to her whole client base. Herald Scotland story.

UFU’s schools competition set to boost farm awareness across NI

The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has launched its 2017 schools competition, in association with Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend and ASDA. This year’s competition, which is open to all nursery, primary and special schools around Northern Ireland, is based on the theme ‘Eating Healthy, Local Food’. ASDA, which sponsors the competition, has a range of prizes on offer for the winners. “This competition will give pupils a greater knowledge of the seasonality of our produce and how it is produced. It will also underline the importance of supporting local producers to benefit the rural and wider economy in Northern Ireland. Agriland story.

BMW Ireland to Power Irish Online Start Up’s Quest to Discover Local Food Heroes

As life is nothing without taste, BMW Ireland is partnering with TheTaste to allow one lucky food lover to dine free for a year by nominating their local culinary gem. In association with BMW Ireland, TheTaste Team will expand and embark on an all-Ireland voyage of discovery to unearth the hidden treasures around the country in TheTaste BMW 1 Series M Sport. With the Irish food scene going from strength to strength, TheTaste is on a mission to travel the length and breadth of the country, putting as many delicious experiences as possible on the map. TheTaste.ie post.

Honey Month– a month long celebration of honey!

Apiarists around Australia will showcase beekeeping, honey products and of course, wonderful food during Honey Month this May. Honey Month is a national bee and honey awareness campaign that promotes Australian beekeepers and their products to a broader public. NewsMaker press release.

Calling all food producers: Sell at Morrisons

If you are a local food producer then Morrisons want to hear from you. They have launched ‘The Nation’s Local Foodmakers’ campaign which aims to get local produce into each Morrisons store and sell more British food. Morrisons want to recruit more than 200 new suppliers from across England, Scotland and Wales in the first year and are inviting foodmakers to pitch for their place in its supermarkets. Tamebay blog.

A different kind of fizz: community drinks company challenges Glasgow juice culture

Using this knowledge as her starting point, Natalia created Bottle of Ginger, a soft drinks producer and social enterprise where all profits go straight back into local food and drink initiatives. The aim of Bottle of Ginger is to raise money through sales that will be put back into the local community to help alter consumption habits and improve understanding of how quality drinks are made, in comparison to mass-produced fizzy drinks. It’s certainly necessary given some of the statistics Natalia quotes: “The consumption rate of soft drinks can be used nowadays as a sort of geographical indicator of inequality. Positively Scottish story.

WA consumers asked to make a ‘good choice’ and buy local food

Western Australian consumers will be asked to make a ‘good choice’ and support local food businesses, as part of a dynamic new marketing campaign which rolls out across the State in July. The Good Choice campaign has been developed in collaboration with industry, and is set to reenergise the Department of Agriculture and Food’s long serving Buy West Eat Best program. FOOD Magazine – Australia story.

Demand for higher quality and British food grows by up to 100 per cent

Caterers are increasingly turning to quality British produce instead of engaging in a ‘race for the bottom’ on price, according to the Soil Association. £49.7 million is spent on British food through the Soil Association’s Food for Life Catering Mark (raw ingredients from the UK, including meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, fruit and vegetables, oil, sugar and flour) – an increase of 40% over 2015. £38 million of this food meets Red Tractor standards. The scheme has encouraged ‘positive changes’ in the catering sector to local, sustainable and ethical products with points given for spending on different schemes such as LEAF, RSPCA, Fairtrade and Organic. FarmingUK story.

BlueCart Mission

We love restaurants, their suppliers, and the food they provide. We believe that everyone in this industry — regardless of the size of their farm, warehouse, dining room, or bank account — should have access to the latest tools and technology. The food industry operates on razor thin margins. We believe technology should increase those margins, not add costs. We believe better communication means better business relationships. Clear communication means fewer returned orders, less time spent staring at spreadsheets, and quicker order response times. It’s good for everyone. Website.

AND IF YOU HAVE TIME

Rethinking revolution on the centenary of the Russian Revolution

Both the launch and the book are outstanding illustrations of the fact that Marxian socialists have no understanding whatsoever about food or social movements related to food. I surprise myself that I’m still surprised by this, but then, I once shared the same heritage as most of the authors. I’m not sure what is that so ticks me off about their overlooking of food and agriculture. After all, they also ignore clothing, shelter, cities and the internet, all of which might be deemed important to radicals trying to be relevant to their era. Rabble book review.

Local Food News — Ontario

The Greenbelt: Protecting and Cultivating a Great Ontario Treasure

This beautiful coffee-table book is a portrait of Ontario’s Greenbelt and the people who nurture it. Stretching from the Niagara Peninsula to Tobermory – with farmland, forests, and watersheds – the Greenbelt is the largest and most protected peri-urban landscape in the world. The book also celebrates the people who live in the Greenbelt—artists, farmers, entrepreneurs, cyclists, mountain climbers, and so many others who have been enriched by what makes us quintessentially Canadian: our land. Book to be released April 17, 2017. Greenbelt post.

 

Harvests of Haldimand sheds new light on evolving local food scene

The guide includes a variety of sections, including culinary adventures, farm country tours, exploring and learning about how to grow food, a history of local farming and restaurants. “Our previous Harvests of Haldimand Map & Guide listed our farmers who sell direct to the public and restaurants that sell locally produced food, but we felt that there was a bigger story to tell about local food and the wonderful relationship that local producers have with other businesses to offer tourists and residents unique food experiences,” said Lidy Romanuk, manager of Economic Development and Tourism in Haldimand County. “This new guide is a reflection of the evolution of food in Haldimand County.” Grand River Sachem story.

 

Agricultural ‘speed dating’. That’s a thing

A collection of local producers, agriculture experts, funding agencies, tourism representatives, and restaurateurs gathered at the Quattro Hotel and Conference Centre Thursday for the Sault Ste. Marie-Algoma Forum on Food, Farms and Tourism. Facilitated by Tourism Northern Ontario with the Algoma Country Travel Association, Tourism Sault Ste Marie, the Sault Ste Marie Chamber of Commerce, the Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN), Take a New Approach, and Buy Algoma Buy Fresh, the forum spoke of the potential for culinary tourism in the region and the importance of pairing area producers with vendors. SooToday.com story.

 

Culinary exchange identifies room to grow

The Haliburton Highlands has plenty of potential, but is still missing out on opportunities to capitalize on the local food movement, stakeholders and councillors heard last Wednesday at county council chambers in Minden. Representatives from Prince Edward County, who had been in the Highlands last October as part of a culinary exchange, presented their findings about the area’s offerings, knowledge, marketing and attitudes to local food. They found there is still much to be done. Haliburton County Echo story.

 

Online marketing opens consumer doors for Ontario beef farmers

Farm to City, a new marketing model with a web-based ordering system, is opening up direct-to-customer marketing opportunities for beef farmers such as Rob and Maryjo Tait, of Celtic Ridge Farms. The young farm family recently launched the online ordering system and was thrilled by the response from customers. AgInnovation post.

 

Good Food Box program continues to expand in Barrie

And under the Urban Pantry Project, a partnership between the Good Food Box and FruitShare Barrie funded with a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Barrie’s Good Food Box has grown and expanded considerably over the past year, and may now be just what you need to ease your grocery budget woes and boost your healthy diet. All you do is order and pay for your box by the second Wednesday of the month, and then pick it up on the third Wednesday. The Barrie Examiner story.

 

The City Farmer

From “green roof” to Community Garden, urban agriculture has been experiencing a boom.

Over the past 7 years, “urban agriculture has really infiltrated our culture,” says Lorraine Johnson, author and editor of Ground: Landscape Architect Quarterly. It’s nothing new: during World War II, homeowners in cities were encouraged to transform lawns and flowerbeds into “Victory Gardens,” augmenting the food supply. The growing interest today comes from a greater interest in fresh, local food, issues of food security, and changing esthetics. Bradford Times story.

 

Moving toward more local food

News that Thunder Bay’s urban farm group, Roots to Harvest, will partner with the public school board to develop a training farm in the middle of the city is a welcome extension of an aggressive move to embrace local food. The farm will teach city kids the rudiments of farming, a throwback to the days when farming was a way of life for most families. The urban farm will also feature demonstration and training plots for groups seeking to establish their own community gardens, a section to develop regionally adapted seeds, a section for fruits and berries, a bee hive, and a rabbit hutch to teach students about animal husbandry and humane raising of animals for food. Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal story.

 

Chef plans lineup of free learning sessions in Northumberland

Ontario Agri-Food Venture Centre innovation coordinator and chef, Emilio Ojeda, has a lineup of free cafe chats in Northumberland County about different aspects of developing local food businesses. Grants and loans for expanding and starting food businesses was the focus of the first of the series and it was scheduled for earlier this week, Ojeda said in an interview.

The next one which interested people can either turn up to, or register in advance through http://www.oafvc.ca, will be held at The Dreamer Cafe on Queen Street in Port Hope. Northumberland Today story.

 

The London Brewing Co-operative opens up its new digs – and Old East celebrates

London Brewing Co-operative opened its doors to the public Saturday, and judging by the large crowd that lined up for draft or to buy one of the six beers made on site, there is a lot of appetite for local organic beer and local organic growth.  “The idea is that this building is about local agriculture. This building and all the activity therein is about local, sustainable agriculture. It is, by definition, a local food hub,” he said. The micro-brewery is anglophone Canada’s first worker-owned co-operative, Pastorius said. It is partnered with On The Move organics and shares a common philosophy to use and promote local food. London Free Press story.

 

AND IF YOU HAVE TIME

 

Love animals and hard work? You could take over this Smiths Falls, Ont., farm — for free

If you love animals, are prepared to work hard and long for the bucolic lifestyle, Stephen Overbury has a proposition for you. Overbury is looking for someone to take over his farm near Smiths Falls, Ont., as he prepares to return to Japan, where he had lived for about 15 years. But instead of selling it or renting it out, the 62-year-old is offering it up to the right person, in perpetuity — and it won’t cost a dime to take it over. CBC story.

Local Food News — Canada

Farmer forgoes millions to preserve agricultural gift for Edmonton

Doug Visser is taking the final steps to create a permanent gift for Edmonton in his struggle to protect quality farmland and an old growth forest from suburban growth. He’s agreed to place a conservation easement on the land and launched a fundraising campaign to cover the fees, pledging to match donations up to $70,000 and forgoing millions in possible revenue. The easement – registered and monitored by the Edmonton and Area Land Trust – would ensure the top quality farmland could never legally be used for anything beyond community-based agriculture. Edmonton Sun story.

 

Homemade rhubarb vinegar and sunflower-seed soup? Yukon food experiments you have to try

When a Yukon woman from Dawson City decided she was going to eat food sourced solely from her community for one full year, a northern foodie — and fellow Yukoner — jumped at the challenge. Michele Genest, who’s also the author of Boreal Gourmet, has been “experimenting with stuff” and concocting recipes with Yukon-grown products — which have resulted in both successes and failures. Genest says the goal of the First We Eat project is to start a dialogue across all of Northern Canada about food security and sourcing locally. CBC story.

 

An eBay for grain trading, FarmLead, raises $6.5 million Series A

Farmers work to feed the world. Yet somehow, corn, wheat and rice sales are still happening at a local level through antiquated paperwork and phone negotiations. Now, an Ottawa-based startup called FarmLead has raised $6.5 million in venture funding to connect grain producers and buyers automatically online, and help farmers get fair prices for what they grow. The platform is something like an eBay for grains. Tech Crunch story.

 

Province puts money into promoting local food

Rick Doucet, the minister of agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries, said the money will support the implementation of the province’s Local Food and Beverages Strategy throughout 2017 and 2018. The strategy, which was announced in October 2016, is aimed at increasing consumer awareness about local food and helping farmers bring their produce to the market, both locally and internationally. CBC story.

 

Farmers union finds new local food and beverages strategy unclear

The provincial government put out a new local food and beverages strategy this week, but farmer Rébeka Frazer-Chiasson said it resulted in more questions than answers. “The wording is nice. The logic is there,” said Frazer-Chiasson. “But it doesn’t seem like a super coherent plan as to how we’re going to change some of those problematics.” Frazer-Chiasson was pleased to hear there was a unified logo for local foods in the province. CBC story.

 

Local Food and Beverages Strategy, New Brunswick

This strategy attempts to strike a meaningful balance to promote local food and beverages production and marketing while not detracting from the significant opportunities driving the mainstream food and beverage sectors. In doing this it will address the following three objectives: 1. Improved consumer awareness of local food and beverages. 2. Improved availability of local food and beverages. 3.improved support for new or expanding food and beverage enterprises. Strategy.

 

Alberta forum dishes out education about sustainable food

Susan Roberts, a lead organizer, helped plant the seed for the 2017 Cultivating Connections forum. Just like the local food industry, Roberts said she wanted the event to be all about community. “It’s not a conference, it’s not an assembly, it’s not a summit. It’s a time to talk,” she said. She rallied a team of farmers, gardeners and local produce experts to answer questions about food in the province. CBC story. Website.

 

Successful Cape Breton food co-op looking to double number of customers this year

A small but thriving family-run farm in Cape Breton is looking to expand, in part thanks to a successful food co-op on the island that plans to double its customer base this year. Thyme for Ewe, a farm run by Estelle and Tim Levangie in Millville northwest of Sydney, has been one of the suppliers of the Pan Cape Breton Food Hub Co-op since its creation three years ago. The co-op connects local food producers with consumers via weekly online food requests, co-ordinates pickups from the suppliers and makes deliveries. There are 30 suppliers and the number of customers is set to increase to 250 from 125 this spring. CBC story.

 

Southwest BC Bioregion Food System Design Project

The Southwest BC Bioregion Food System Design Project was a four year, multi-disciplinary research project initiated by ISFS to provide regionally specific, data-driven information about: * The potential to increase Southwest BC food production and processing for local markets; * Whether and to what extent increasing local food production could improve food self-reliance, benefit the provincial economy, and create jobs;  *The potential to reduce some detrimental environmental impacts from food production in Southwest BC. Report.

 

Urban Farming in Toronto & the GTA – Hyper-local Food Solutions, April 7

Moderator: David McConnachie, Publisher, Alternatives Journal | Panelists: Lara Kelly, Holly Ray Farms | Susan Poizner, Orchard People | Rhonda Teitel-Payne, Coordinator, Toronto Urban Growers | Brandon Hebor, CEO/Co-Founder, Ripple Farms | Ashlee Cooper, Evergreen. 2017 Green Living Show, April 7-9, Toronto

 

AND IF YOU HAVE TIME

 

Food for Life Report

Food for Life will feature the best scientific research on food and nutrition to inform reader on how to best protect and enhance their health and navigate the myriad of self-serving dietary advice touted in food labels, menus, advertisement-fueled magazines, and fad diet books. Food for Life Report will help readers apprise of developments in food and nutrition law in Canada and internationally. For people who care about food and health, Food for Life Report is a great recipe for savvy eating and savvy citizenship. The Centre accepts no funding from government or industry and our magazine carries no advertisements. Website.