Connecting the Farmer to the Foodservice Business, Newmarket $54,847

The Holland Marsh Growers’ Association (HMGA) created a two-part plan to increase sales. They reached out to seven businesses/individuals to act as a broker for the Marsh growers to sell to the broader public sector but were unable to find one with the requisite capacity. The second half of their plan involved providing training and certification in on-farm food safety (CanadaGAP) for their member farmers. HMGA have successfully partnered with fellow Regional Food Grant partners, for example, helping procure a deal between the University of Guelph and a number of Marsh growers.