South to North Good Food Distribution: Northern Food Justice in Motion, Toronto $60,000

FoodShare will reboot its northern food distribution program, which delivers affordable, fresh produce to remote northern communities experiencing food insecurity including Moose Factory, Fort Albany, Moosonee, and Attawapiskat. The project will strengthen consumer relationships between northeastern Ontario communities with southern Ontario growers, and is forecast to increase local food sales by $120,000 in the first year.

Implementation of Packaging Line for Fresh Ground Turkey Products, Hanover $52,750

Exceldor Foods will invest in a new packaging line to replace traditional styrofoam packaging for its Butterball brand ground turkey. The new packaging will be more convenient for consumers as the resealable packaging makes it easier to portion and to freeze. In addition, by reducing packaging materials the new line will be more environmentally sustainable. Working with Metro grocery stores, Exceldor will promote Butterball ground turkey as a healthy, Ontario-raised protein. The project is expected to increase Ontario turkey sales by $203,000 in 2018 and $1.59 million over five years.

Increasing Storage Capacity and Extending Marketing Season for Ontario Apples, Simcoe $40,000

Norfolk Cherry Company will partner with Norfolk Fruit Growers’ Association to retrofit its storage facility to accommodate growing cold storage needs of local apple growers. Cherry production enjoys a relatively short season, with the facility going unused much of the year. This project addresses a shortfall in storage capacity for local apples while maximizing the use of Norfolk Cherry Company’s facility.

Increasing Processing of Ontario Raised Halal Beef, Veal, Lamb and Goat Product Through Improved Production and Cooling Efficiencies, Denfield $35,000

Parkhill Meats will invest in new equipment to increase capacity at its halal processing facility, using 100% Ontario-raised beef, lamb, goat and veal. The investment in new refrigeration and packaging facilities will increase local food sales by 20% to $1.2 million annually.

Egg Room Storage, Keene $6,000

John Millar Farm Ltd., the only licensed egg-grading facility in Peterborough County, will enlarge and improve energy efficiency of its egg storage facility, providing the farm access new market channels including local farmers’ market and high-end restaurants. The project will generate $36,000 of local food sales during the project’s duration.

Building an Ontario Social Innovation Food Hub, Milton $15,000

Country Heritage Park will launch a new local food hub that will make it easier for farmers in the Halton region to access new markets and collaborate with local food entrepreneurs. Country Heritage Park will also provide discounted rates for non-governmental organizations and social enterprises to access its facility, conduct school farming programs, connect local farmers with food security organization Feed Halton, and provide farming and food service training for vulnerable populations with special needs. The project is projected to generate $25,000 in local food purchases within the first six months, and $150,000 when the facility is fully operational.

Specialty Butter and Ghee, Harriston $20,000

Bell’s Edge Farm will purchase packaging equipment to optimize the production of local flavoured butter and ghee, while developing new products under their flavoured butter line. Bell’s Edge Farm is currently the only purveyor of ghee and flavoured butter sourced from Canadian ingredients. Bell’s Edge Farm forecasts an increase of $152,625 in local food sales during the project’s duration and will create two full-time and three part-time jobs.

Ontario Agri-Food Venture Centre, Cobourg $32,400

The Ontario Agri-Food Venture Centre supports the business development of local food products by providing equipment and facilities to test product ideas and markets. The OAFVC will purchase an automated liquid filling and bottling machine to meet growing demand from clients and food entrepreneurs to create natural fruit drinks, edible oils and other bottled products.

Heritage Grains, London $9,000

Whole Grain Hearth will trial growing four to five heritage grain varieties for Ontario climate suitability, which will then be passed on to a local bakery to process and test to optimize bread recipes. Tasting events will be held to promote the new products, while Whole Grain Earth staff will attend networking events to showcase products and transfer knowledge. The project is expected to generate $12,000 of local food sales during the project’s duration and create one full-time and one part-time job.

Partners in Production 2017, Toronto $35,000

The Greenbelt Farmers’ Market Network, in partnership with FoodShare, will provide cost-sharing investment assistance to 16-20 small and medium-sized farms to increase and diversify offerings at local farmers’ markets. The investments will improve quality, extend the season, or develop value-added products for market.