Elora - Speaking to a hybrid audience of attendees at the Farm & Food Care Ontario (FFCO) annual conference on April 13, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) Lisa Thompson announced a funding agreement that will contribute up to $547,200 to FFCO outreach initiatives over the next three years. Minister Thompson was the organization’s kick off speaker for FFCO’s first in-person conference in two years.
The new funding will be put towards supporting five of the organization’s activities, all designed to raise awareness and appreciation of Ontario farmers and food producers. The funding will support:
- FFCO’s Breakfast on/from the Farm events which provide a unique and personal experience for nonfarming Ontarians to visit and explore agriculture with working farmers each year;
- Farm tours for culinary students which allow them to learn about raising livestock and horticultural products they prepare in the kitchen;
- Interviews, photography and videography work showcasing the critical work that seasonal agricultural workers and temporary foreign workers do in Ontario for the More than a Migrant Worker initiative;
- The Garden in a Box program that connects home gardeners with Ontario farmers;
- Numerous digital consumer outreach activities including virtual field trips highlighting the diversity of farms and food processing facilities to consumers.
“Ensuring Ontarians have the facts on where their food comes from, how it grows, and how it is made is key to growing the next generation of leaders for Ontario’s agri-food sector,” said Lisa Thompson, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. “This important investment will empower Farm and Food Care Ontario to deliver these critical programs.”
As a registered charity, Farm & Food Care Ontario funding largely comes from farmers, farm organizations, agribusinesses and others through memberships and program partnerships. The funding is the first Farm & Food Care has received from the provincial government for public trust work and will support these initiatives until 2025.
Bonnie den Haan, FFCO’s chair, responded to the announcement with excitement. “FFCO is delighted by this support from the province. FFCO has always had a reputation for doing great work on incredibly limited budgets. This funding is a huge show of support from the provincial government for the work we do and will really enable us to expand the reach of our initiatives.
Source : Farm & Food Care