Establishing a Grey County Chefs’ Forum Food Hub, Flesherton $22,000

The Grey County Chefs’ Forum will improve Grey County farmer’s access to new markets. A food hub will be created to aggregate regional foods and extend distribution to restaurants and retail buyers beyond Grey County. Once the hub is established, they will begin expanding their marketing in order to grow the number of farmers and buyers that rely on the hub.

Brokering Connections from Producer to Market, Toronto $15,000

Local Food Plus undertook a market analysis for locally sustainable food brokerage–a service used in the food industry as an alternative to hiring a sales force in order to access hard-to-reach markets. During this process, they examined existing business models and conducted extensive consultations with market partners on both the supply and demand side.  Their research confirmed that there is a significant market opportunity for this kind of brokerage system.

Come Grow With Us! Ontario Lamb Company & Ontario Veal Premium – Ontario Farmers Producing for You, Newmarket $207,500

Newmarket Meat Packers Limited will bring local lamb and veal into major grocery retail chains. They will install equipment that will allow them to meet retail food safety standards, and create an Ontario brand of halal veal and lamb. This project provides a unique opportunity for small and medium-sized producers to get their animals to market.

Sustainable Food Cluster – Elgin County, St. Thomas $10,000

The Southwest Economic Alliance (SWEA) formed a value chain team to begin the development of a business plan for a local food aggregation and distribution cluster in Elgin County. A food cluster works on the premise that each region has its own agricultural product and processing specialty that when linked together can create local food systems. During their project they established a diverse project team with representatives from the entire value chain including farmers, processors, and distributors from the County of Elgin and Elgin-St. Thomas Public Health to guide in development of a distribution cluster.

Hub and Spoke Local Food Distribution, Hamilton $5,000

THAAT Co-op has partnered with Common Ground Farm to develop an efficient, sustainable, and specialized model for connecting small and medium sized farmers in the Hamilton area with small and medium sized distributors and users of produce by creating a local food aggregation hub at the farm. In doing so, THAAT Co-op provides emissions-free delivery of local food with the use of cargo tricycles, cargo bicycles, and trailers. THAAT Co-op is conducting a market analysis and developing a business plan for expanding their delivery model to increase their local food distribution.

From Field to Freezer, Ontario Grows, Toronto $105,000

The Toby Brand Corporation will develop and market a range of individually quick frozen Ontario vegetables including kale. The new frozen products are projected to result in over $300,000 of sales per year. The project will begin with a research and development analysis to ensure a strategic and sustainable farm to freezer product plan is in place. Once the new products are formulated, they will seek sustainable partnerships with growers and market the products through a comprehensive marketing plan

Creating Ontario Beet Spirits, Toronto $14,100

The Toronto Distillery Company Limited will distill and bottle an Ontario organic beet whiskey and market the offerings for retail—the first project of its kind. This project will heighten awareness of distilling new spirit types from local feedstock in Ontario, which will provide new opportunities for local farmers who are currently shut out of Ontario’s spirits marketplace.

Strengthening the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Value Chain, Mississauga $120,000

Bamford Produce will provide large foodservice companies and retailers with local fruit and vegetables. The grant will allow them to market local food, and to implement software that measures local food purchases. Bamford will increase market access for 10 to 20 small and medium sized growers, and increase sales of Ontario produce by $1.5 million.

Breaking Barriers in the Food Value Chain, Fergus $90,000

100 Mile Food Services Ltd. will develop a new sales model that expands its distribution area and focuses on creating a working relationship between farmers and their customers. In redesigning their sales strategy, 100 Mile Food Services Ltd. expects to increase market opportunities for 50 farmers by 2015

Local Frozen Food For All Seasons, Toronto $145,000

Zast Foods Corporation will create and market a line of individually quick frozen Ontario fruit and vegetables to ensure a year-round supply. Zast Foods will find new farm suppliers to secure the products they need to create a new line. The new frozen mixes will include products such as salsas, peach slices, and asparagus. The estimated impact of these new frozen foods is an increase in local food sales of $1 million by 2015.