An innovative new project from Halton Healthcare Services (HHS) means more fresh, healthy meals made from local food will be on the plates of patients, staff, and visitors at Halton Healthcare Services’ three community hospitals in Halton Region.

With support from the Greenbelt Fund, and funding from the Ontario government, Halton Healthcare Services will create one of Canada’s first local food procurement policies in healthcare in order to get more local food into hospital kitchens.

“Halton Healthcare Services is taking a unique approach: they will increase the amount of local food served in hospitals and take it one step further by working with their partners to develop sandwich recipes using local deli meat options. This project means providing local food options to healthcare facilities that can be replicated by other hospitals. The result—more local food for Ontarians and a better patient, staff, and visitor experience,” says Burkhard Mausberg, CEO of the Greenbelt Fund.

HHS’s Good for You, Locally Grown ($107,000) project is a partnership with Gordon Food Service and Signature Culinary Solutions to procure local foods and develop a variety of sandwiches using a line of local deli meats. The hospitals that make up HHS are Georgetown Hospital, Milton District Hospital, and Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital.

“Our government is proud to support more local food for Ontarians, which in turn supports our farmers, families, and economy. This project shows great leadership in our community by Halton Healthcare Services,” says Kevin Flynn, MPP for Oakville.

“Our hospitals serve more than 300,000 residents in the Halton Region–and being able to serve more fresh and locally grown food options to our patients and their families while they are in our care will help enhance our culture of care. The Greenbelt Fund provides us with the opportunity to build local networks and support Ontario producers, as we develop a local food policy for HHS, helping lead the way for other healthcare facilities in Ontario,” says Elma Hrapovich, HHS Director, Nutrition & Food Services.

Gordon Food Services, an additional Greenbelt Fund grant recipient, was also announced today. For a detailed description of projects please visit Ontariofresh.ca.

Since its launch in 2010, the Greenbelt Fund has supported 78 projects with funding totalling $7.4 million geared towards innovative local food projects across the province. 

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About the Greenbelt Fund:
The Greenbelt Fund, a non-profit organization, supports and enhances the viability, integrity, and sustainability of agriculture in the Greenbelt and Ontario.

The Fund delivers support to farmers and local food leaders to ensure more of the good things that grow in Ontario are being served and distributed through our public institutions, retail, and foodservice markets. Helping to overcome challenges and support economic growth, the Fund’s goal is to create systemic change to permanently increase the amount of local food consumed in the province through grants, education, policy, and networking initiatives. The Fund is supported by public and private sources. For more information about the program and grants visit Ontariofresh.ca. For more information on local food visit, foodlandontario.ca.

For more information about the Ontario government’s new Local Food Act and broader local food strategy, visit ontario.ca/localfood.

Contact:
Jennifer Asselin     
Communications Manager   
Greenbelt Fund    
Phone: (416) 960-0001, ext. 306
jasselin[a]greenbeltfund.ca

Group shot of Grantees (from left): John Oliver, Halton Healthcare Services; Cindy Palmer, Gordon Food Service; Jim Robinson, Gordon Food Service; Steve Crawford, Gordon Food Service; Joy Parsons; Elma Hrapovich, Halton Healthcare Services; Marianne Katusin, Halton Healthcare Services; Burkhard Mausberg, Greenbelt Fund; MPP Oakville Kevin Flynn

(From left): Burkhard Mausberg, Greenbelt Fund; Jim Robinson, Gordon Food Service; Elma Hrapovich, Halton Healthcare Services; MPP Oakville Kevin Flynn

MPP Kevin Flynn at Greenbelt Fund announcement