January 22, 2014
HOSPITAL MEALS GET A LOCAL FLAVOUR BOOST
Fresh, Healthy, Local Food Coming to Toronto Hospital Thanks to George Brown College
An innovative collaboration between George Brown College and St. Michael’s Hospital means more fresh, healthy meals made from local food will be on the plates of patients, staff, and visitors.
With support from the Greenbelt Fund, and funding from the Ontario government, George Brown College, has partnered with St. Michael’s Hospital to develop a certification course for hospital foodservice staff.
“George Brown College is a trailblazer in local food education, and St. Michael’s Hospital is an industry leader in preparing fresh, delicious patient food in-house. This cutting-edge initiative and partnership will demonstrate the possibilities for incorporating more Ontario-grown ingredients into high quality, home-cooked meals within health care facilities. The result–more local food for Ontarians and a happier and healthier patient, staff, and visitor experience,” says Burkhard Mausberg, CEO of the Greenbelt Fund.
The College’s project, Cultivating Change: Local Food Within the Healthcare Sector ($120,000), will see St. Michael’s staff experiment with “from scratch” local food recipes to reveal skill gaps, while George Brown students test recipes to understand how the healthcare kitchen operates. St. Michael’s will offer internship placements where George Brown students work alongside hospital staff to assist with ongoing menu creation featuring local food.
“This project shows great leadership in our community by both George Brown College and St. Michael’s Hospital and is an important investment for my constituents. It’s important to me too, because it supports our farmers, families, and the economy,” says Glen Murray, MPP for Toronto Centre.
“George Brown College is very happy to receive this grant from the Greenbelt Fund to develop healthy and delicious recipes for St. Michael’s Hospital and increase the use of local, seasonal ingredients in public sector kitchens,” says Lorraine Trotter, Dean, Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts, George Brown College. “Not only will the creative and nutritious recipes aid in patients’ recovery, but our students will also benefit from this project by gaining valuable experience that will prepare them for the workplace.”
Additional Greenbelt Fund grant recipients announced today are 100km Foods Inc., Aramark Canada, Local Food Plus, Sustain Ontario, and The Hospital for Sick Children. For a detailed description of projects visit Ontariofresh.ca.
Since its launch in 2010, the Greenbelt Fund has supported 78 projects with funding totalling $7.4 million, increasing the amount of local food available 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.
Contacts:
Jennifer Asselin
Communications Manager
Greenbelt Fund
Phone: (416) 960-0001, ext. 306
jasselin[a]greenbeltfund.ca
Ontario produce provided by 100km Foods Inc.
Honourable Glen Murray, MPP Toronto-Centre, Minister of Infrastructure, Minister of Transportation
Speakers (from left): Anne Sado, President of George Brown College; Kathy Macpherson, Vice President of the Greenbelt Fund; Honourable Glen Murray, MPP Toronto-Centre, Minister of Infrastructure, Minister of Transportation; and Lorraine Trotter, Dean, Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts, George Brown College
All the grantees from the announcement.