GUELPH, ON–Funding from the provincial government is supporting a new project dedicated to growing the province’s agri-food sector by helping farmers seize local selling opportunities.
The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness is providing an investment into the Cultivating Local: Seizing Opportunities to Grow Ontario’s Local Agri-Products Sector project.
“Increasing the production and consumption of local Ontario food will strengthen long-term food supply chain resilience and agri-food economic competitiveness,” said Rob Flack, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness. “The OFA is a perfect partner to collaborate with us in supporting Ontario farmers to sell more of their world-class products to Ontario families and local consumers.”
“We are thrilled to have the provincial government’s support for this initiative that encourages farm diversification, improves market channel opportunities for farmers, and also provides more fresh, local produce to Ontarians,” says OFA President Drew Spoelstra. “We know there are many passionate farmers and future farmers who want to explore new products and new markets, and these workshops will help ensure they have the expert advice and resources to take that next step.”
With the funding, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) and partner organizations are hosting a series of nine free online workshops featuring key experts and resources for producers and prospective producers to learn more about the opportunities to sell in-demand products directly to Ontario consumers.
The workshop topics include selling value-added agriculture products, marketing and selling your product online, selling at farmers’ markets, restaurants, and institutions, selling in rural and remote Ontario, getting into agritourism, and more.
The two-hour online workshops are held Thursday mornings from November 2024 to February 2025. For those who aren’t able to participate in the live events, all workshop recordings will also be posted on OFA’s website. Many agricultural and commodity organizations are partnering on the project alongside OFA, including Agritourism Ontario and Farmers’ Markets Ontario.
Source : OFA