New organic pickle line limits on-farm food loss.

By Jane Robinson for Food in Canada 

A small, family-run food business in southwestern Ontario has found a way to diversify their unique line of locally-grown organic pickles and divert food loss in the process.

Adrian Jaques is general manager at Sunshine Farms — a family operation in Thamesville, Ont. that’s been growing asparagus and cucumbers for the fresh and processing market for 35 years. Like many small, innovative food businesses, Sunshine Farms depends on reading customer demand for the products they grow, process and move to market.

Family-run farm fills the need for strawberry nursery plants in this growing greenhouse sector.

By Jane Robinson for Greenhouse Canada

EZ Grow Farms has grown just about every type of vegetable and fruit known to Ontario. A family-owned operation run by Darryl Zamecnik, his wife Helen and his brother Jarrod for the past 48 years, they added a new crop when Darryl’s son Dusty joined the business.

That’s now feeding a growing consumer demand for year-round local strawberries.

Sheldon Creek Dairy’s path to being the first commercial producer of A2 milk in Ontario

The Greenbelt Fund has partnered with The Matawa Learning Centre and Roots to Harvest to develop a short video that illustrates an important local food education program happening in northern Ontario.

Matawa Learning Centre is a community-based educational support centre for seven Matawa First Nation schools: Aroland, Eabametoong, Nibinamik, Long Lake #58, Ginoogaming, Neskantaga, and Webequie First Nations. Matawa partnered with Roots to Harvest to implement a “Forest Meets Farm” initiative to empower and increase First Nation youth awareness of traditional local food in the Thunder Bay region.

By Jeanine Moyer for Hospital News

Nine long-term care facilities in Ontario harnessed their purchasing power to serve up more local food to residents, and the benefits are paying off. Residents are enjoying more fresh, local meat and produce, staff have a new appreciation for local food, and purchases are strengthening the province’s agricultural sector.

The Greenbelt Fund, in partnership with Cloverbelt Local Food Co-operative, has produced a short video about Cloverbelt’s local food distribution program.

Based in Dryden, Ontario, and founded in 2013, Cloverbelt’s online platform connects northern Ontario consumers with regionally local farmers, allowing the consumers to order fresh foods for pickup in their communities. With funding support, Cloverbelt was able to service even more remote and underserved locations in northern Ontario, which may otherwise have little access to fresh produce.

Looking for the latest local Ontario beverage? A fruit orchard in Niagara plans to make fruit-based spirits from ugly fruit, or bruised fruit that would otherwise be thrown away or culled. By the end of this year or in early 2020, bottles of cherry, plum, pear, peach and nectarine spirits will soon be hitting LCBO shelves, offering consumers a fruity taste of summer in a glass.

Chartwells Canada’s new Buy Local Program supports community-based local farmers and vendors, connecting students to the people and places where their food is from

MISSISSAUGA, ON, June 6 – Today, Chartwells launched their landmark Buy Local program, a coast-to-coast approach to offering quality-assured, fresh, locally-sourced food from community-based, local vendors. The program is available to approximately 650 Chartwells campuses and schools across Canada. Whether it’s a jar of honey or a basket of fresh blueberries, the Buy Local program will create direct connections between Chartwells’ chefs and local farmers and vendors.

It can be tough to source local and organic food direct from farmers when you live in the city. But Fresh City has found a way to help you do just that! They source most of their total food purchases from Ontario farmers and deliver organic produce, groceries, meal kits and made-from-scratch meals to Toronto residents daily.

1874 Stone Milling is taking University of Guelph bakers back to their roots. Sourcing local, organic grains from area farmers, this small-scale flour mill partnered with the University of Guelph to supply flour for their new, on-campus Creelman Bakeshop.