FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 29, 2018
ONTARIO’S LOCAL FOOD REVOLUTION GETS BOOST WITH NEW ONTARIOFRESH PLATFORM
Greenbelt Fund launches new and improved Ontariofresh.ca with technology partner Local Line
Ontario’s largest local food network connecting buyers, sellers and processors has undergone a major upgrade. The Greenbelt Fund has launched the upgraded Ontariofresh.ca platform with improved functionality and design – and the platform continues to be free, as always.
Ontariofresh.ca is an online marketplace where Ontario’s farmers and producers can market their products to a range of buyers. The platform has over 2,500 members from across Ontario, representing businesses at every point on the local food value chain, including buyers, sellers, processors and service providers.
Buyers looking to increase local food offerings can shop with confidence on Ontariofresh.ca because all products on the platform are Ontario grown-and-raised from start to finish, and processed or prepared foods must contain 80% Ontario ingredients by volume.
The new features members can expect on Ontariofresh.ca include a shipping calculator that compares shipping rates from various distributors in one place and new ‘Buy Local’ networks to increase member visibility and allow for cross-promotion.
“The new Ontariofresh platform brings our members even more functionality on Ontario’s largest online marketplace for local food,” said Megan Hunter, Communications and Program Manager at the Greenbelt Fund. “Members can connect more easily and use the shipping tool to get their local food onto Ontarian’s plates more quickly, and the platform continues to be completely free.”
“The Greenbelt Fund has invested in every aspect of our local food system, and Ontariofresh is part of that service to Ontario’s primary producers,” said Edward McDonnell, CEO of the Greenbelt Fund. “Increasing markets for local food across Ontario is good for rural economies, creates new jobs, and keeps our dollars in Ontario.”
Local Line is an easy-to-use e-commerce and logistics platform that helps food suppliers perform direct sales, increase their orders and save time on order fulfillment. Their white-label e-commerce, CRM, and inventory modules enable suppliers to control their brand and grow their business on their terms. Local Line was the ideal technology partner for The Greenbelt Fund when upgrading Ontariofresh.ca, as they bring unique industry and technical experience to the table. The Greenbelt Fund and Local Line have worked together over the past year to rebuild the platform, significantly improving its design and functionality.
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About Ontariofresh.ca:
Ontariofresh.ca builds connections across Ontario’s food-service value chain, linking Ontario institutions, food retailers, restaurants, caterers and agriculturally-focused service providers with local growers, producers, processors and distributors. We provide the access buyers need to source local products quickly and the tools sellers need to get their products to new markets. Ontariofresh.ca serves the institutional, commercial and retail purchasers of Ontario food, while supporting the producers who supply them, and is 100% free.
About the Greenbelt Fund:
The Greenbelt Fund changes the way we eat food in Ontario. Our innovative investments get more local food onto the plates of Ontarians. We work with businesses, institutions and NGOs to make Ontario’s farmers the first choice for consumers. The Fund’s work has generated a 13-fold return on our investments, permanently changed the food value chain, and improved local food awareness and education across the province. As a not-for-profit, the Greenbelt Fund is supported by public and private sources.
Contact:
Rachel Jones
Senior Communications Coordinator
Greenbelt Fund
Office: (416) 960-0001, ext. 340
[email protected]