Expanding Market Channels, Peterborough $40,000

Cross Wind Farm is investing in new equipment to increase production capacity in order to meet growing demand for its artisan goat cheeses. Along with launching two new products and increasing sales, this project will bring new farmers to market by aggregating goat dairy from select Ontario farms in its pasteurization and packaging facility. 

Future of Food and Farming, Milton $5,000

Country Heritage Park will organize an event for stakeholders in the local food economy to examine issues set to impact the future of food and farming in Ontario. Topics will include: technology platforms and innovations, demographic shifts, consumer preferences and concerns, trade rules, and regulatory frameworks.

Temiskaming Local Food Hub, Temiskaming $25,000

Northern Harvest is the local food champion for Temiskaming Shores, and will partner with Muskoka North Food Co-op and Eat Local Sudbury to increase the reach of local food in the north. With a $25,000 investment from the Greenbelt Fund through the Local Food Investment Fund, Northern Harvest will expand services to remote communities including Larder Lake and launch a local food hub.

Connecting Farmers & Purchasers: Trade Fare, Toronto $13,750

The Rhizome Institute will facilitate three events and tours of Ontario farms to better connect GTA food entrepreneurs to farmers before the start of the next growing season - an opportunity to increase orders between buyers and suppliers; and assess the demand for niche products like organic barley for a brewery or heritage corn for tortillas.The project is anticipated to create 40 FTE jobs.

Mobile Education Exhibit to Enhance Local Food Literacy in Durham Region and Beyond $31,500

The Durham Region Federation of Agriculture and Durham Farm Connections will purchase a new mobile educational trailer for an on-going public education campaign about local food and farming literacy in Durham Region. With interactive educational material and promotional resources, the project will connect with over 100,000 Ontarians about local food and the value of agriculture.

Developing a Standard for Selling Local Meats: a process and products, Simcoe $36,000

VG Meats will work with the Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance and restauranteurs to determine the best mix of cuts to utilize a full carcass in the packaging of beef, am and pork. Through workshops and outreach to restaurant owners, VG Meats will develop best practices in packaging meats for full carcass utilization and offer their learnings to other farmers to increase sales.

HACCP Compliance and Training, Toronto $69,000

Real Food for Real Kids will overcome a significant barrier to serving local food in Toronto hospitals by obtaining HACCP certification for its facility. Once certified, Real Food for Real Kids will be able to prepare delicious, nutritious local food for hospitals like St. Michael’s Hospital and Scarborough General.

Culinary and Farm Tours, Guelph $15,000

Farm & Food Care will host four farm tours over the next two years, featuring Ontario products, speakers and resources to learn about local foods. The two hundred participants will include culinary students, local officials, business owners, and members of the public, and the tours will offer farm visits, a lunch of Ontario foods, and guest speakers from the local food sector.

Building a Strong Organic Egg Program in Ontario, Peterborough $45,000

Yorkshire Valley Farms will partner with the 15 family-farms currently operating as Organic Meadow Co-Op to market and sell eggs under the Yorkshire Valley Farms brand, creating scale and providing access to more markets than either partner can achieve independently. Yorkshire Valley Farms will also create new value-added products, such as organic liquid egg, to make use of less popular egg sizes.

2016 Production Opportunities Program, Toronto $45,000

FoodShare Toronto will help up to 25 farmers to enhance their ability to meet demand at farmers’ markets by providing microgrants. The grants will allow farmers to introduce new products, scale up, extend the growing season, and improve quality and value. The project is expected to increase sales at farmers’ markets by $200,000 over two years.