theOwen.com » Sustainability

Local Agri-Food Innovators Celebrated

Deb — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:44:11 +0000

McGuinty Government Rewards Seven Recipients For Their Innovations

Innovative ideas grown by Ontario farmers were celebrated today at a ceremony in Mildmay honouring local winners of the province’s regional awards for innovation excellence. These fresh ideas are contributing to the local economy, boosting the agri-food industry and giving consumers more choice.

The Premier’s Agri-Food Innovation Excellence awards are part of a $2.5-million, five-year program (now in its third year) established to recognize innovators who contribute to the success of Ontario’s agri-food sector.

Local events across the province are recognizing 55 regional award winners, who are receiving $5,000 each for their innovations. Area winners presented with their awards today are:

The Healing Arc Inc. & Everspring Farms Ltd. (Teeswater) – Bruce County

Saugeen Country Dairy (Markdale) – Grey County

WoolDrift Farm (Markdale) – Grey County

Grey Bruce Agriculture and Culinary Association – Grey and Bruce Counties

Forager Foods (Bayfield) – Huron County

Hillside Gardens Limited (Bradford) – Simcoe County

Sunrise Produce (Alliston) – Simcoe County

Winners of the $100,000 Premier’s Award and the $50,000 Minister’s Award were presented in April at the Premier’s Summit on Agri-Food.

QUOTES

“These innovations help to strengthen our local agri-food sector, which is such an important contributor to Ontario’s economy. I am pleased to recognize the achievements of these local innovators with these awards.”
- Carol Mitchell, MPP for Huron-Bruce.

QUICK FACTS

· In its first three years, the Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence has attracted more than 550 applications highlighting on-farm innovations.

· Ontario’s agri-food sector is one of the province’s leading industries, contributing more than $33 billion to the economy every year.

LEARN MORE

Learn more about this year’s award winning innovations and discover the variety of previous award-winning on-farm innovations.

Learn more about other government programs supporting innovation in Ontario by visiting the Ministry of Research and Innovation website.

Regional Innovations Awarded In Mildmay

The following are Regional Award winners of the Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence:

BRUCE COUNTY:

The Healing Arc Inc. & Everspring Farms Ltd. – Teeswater

Have you tasted the ‘orange of the north’? Sea Buckthorn is a multipurpose, citrus-type berry used in functional foods and for a variety of medicinal, agronomic and environmental purposes. The fruit is a source of omega 3, 6 and 9 oils and just eight berries provide the daily requirement of vitamin C and beta carotene. Sea Buckthorn can be grown in a wide range of soils, in greenhouses and is drought resistant. After six years of research and development, the growers are now selling cuttings to private and commercial sectors in Ontario and Quebec. These innovators have helped introduce the crop to Ontario and are continually working to educate consumers on its ‘berry-good’ merits.

Grey Bruce Agriculture and Culinary Association – Grey and Bruce Counties

The whole really is stronger than the sum of its parts when producers, processors, restaurants and tour operators band together to promote the benefits of local foods. This association now has 157 paid members who are enjoying the increased consumer traffic and profits that come from cross-promotion. Locals and tourists like the convenience of the Buy Local Buy Fresh map, and it helps restaurants coordinate their use of local food.

GREY COUNTY:

Saugeen Country Dairy – Markdale

If you have a yearning for yogurt, this farm’s for you. At Saugeen Country Dairy, the owners operate both a certified organic dairy farm and an on-farm dairy. It is the first on-farm dairy in Ontario to make and sell organic yogurt, which it has been doing since 1994. This yogurt has a short list of ingredients with all the milk produced on the farm. And it has been profitable. After 14 years of steady sales growth they process more than 300,000 litres and employ three full time and five part time staff.

WoolDrift Farm – Markdale

WoolDrift Farm, the first commercial sheep milking operation in the province, has shepherded the growth of Ontario’s sheep milk industry. Owners Chris Buschbeck and Axel Meister were the first to import East Friesian dairy sheep embryos into Canada and continuously improved the genetics of the flock, resulting in sales across North America. These innovators have been instrumental in founding the Ontario Dairy Sheep Association and have attracted farmers to the sheep milk market through various educational symposiums and workshops. Today, more than 50 Ontario farmers are milking sheep commercially, producing 1.5 million litres of milk which is poured into artisan cheeses, yogurt, ricotta and feta cheese.

HURON COUNTY:

Forager Foods Inc. – Bayfield

Forager Foods Inc. offers one-stop shopping with a local flavour. And it’s looking to broaden support for Ontario agri-businesses by creating a network of similar stores across southwestern Ontario. With 21 local and regional food partners currently supplying products to a 900 square-foot retail food specialty store, customers can choose from an array of locally-produced foods. These include meats, deli, artisan cheeses, Lake Huron fish, prepared foods, fresh vegetables and pantry items. Most are grown from within 45 minutes or less of the storefront. The applicant’s background as a chef helps consumers pair foods for an enjoyable and regional food experience.

SIMCOE COUNTY:

Hillside Gardens Limited – Bradford

Ron Gleason is helping to strengthen the gate-to-plate connection. He redesigned an existing software program for use as a farm traceability program. It’s capable of tracing all field activities from harvest, to packing, to shipping dates and destinations. Lot IDs are assigned in each step in the process, and the end product is dated with a bar code sticker. The wireless, computerized system will only allow product that has been assigned to a load to be picked and scanned. This improves many aspects of the business, from inventory rotation and quality issues to recall efficiency and inventory control. The system provides “real time” inventory and work is underway to expand its capabilities. Hillside Gardens is also the winner of the $50,000 Minister’s award.

Sunrise Produce – Alliston

The chips are never down at Sunrise Produce. The farm’s experienced potato breeders and growers, Peter and Carla VanderZaag, have developed three new potato varieties that can be made into the popular snack all year-round. Most other chipping varieties maintain their quality for only two to three months. The three innovative potato lines can be processed any time, from the moment they are placed in storage until the following summer. The new varieties were officially registered in 2007 and have been adopted by other producers. Last year, 300 acres of the new varieties were grown in Ontario. There is significant market growth potential for these potatoes, including in the U.S.

ABOUT THE AWARDS PROGRAM

Awards – The five-year, $2.5 million Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence is now in its third year. The Premier’s Award can be up to $100,000; the Minister’s award can be up to $50,000. There are up to 55 regional awards, valued at $5,000 each.

Who is eligible? – A farmer, primary producer, groups of farmers, combination of agri-food businesses or an agri-food related organization are all eligible for recognition under this initiative. A farmer must be one of the applicants of any group. This program is not intended for the research community as there are other government recognition programs available to this sector. Applicant/nominees must reside in Ontario and be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada. Ontario public service staff and immediate family are not eligible to apply for this program.

Types of eligible innovations – Examples of innovations for this program include (but are not limited to) improved farm practices, responding to consumer demands, environmental stewardship, health and safety on the farm, energy innovations, education and marketing of agriculture to society, and promoting local food.

Jane Muegge
Regional Information Co-ordinator
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs

jane.muegge@ontario.ca

Business, features, Food, Sustainability, Your Contributions

Add to del.icio.us

Search blogs linking this post with Technorati

Want more on these topics ? Browse the archive of posts filed under Business, Features, Food, Sustainability, Your Contributions.

Energy Conservation Week May 17-23, 2009

Deb — Mon, 11 May 2009 18:45:19 +0000

2009 marks the 2nd year for Energy Conservation Week in Ontario. Throughout the week, Ontarians in towns and cities across the province will takes steps to conserve energy, saving them money and helping to reduce greenhouse gases through a var4iety of ways. This week is about us and what we can do.

There’s many ways each and every one of us can take part.

On April 7th, 2009, the City of Owen Sound issued a press release stating their intent to take part in this year’s event.

What are some of things we can do to take part?

As parents, we can teach our children good energy conservation habits and perhaps even reward our kids for good conservation habits. Turn off those lights! If you’re not in the room, you don’t need the lights on. Decide what to eat before opening the fridge. Turn off tv’s and computers when they’re not in use. These are just a few things… there’s so much more.

While travelling, we can put our water heater on the vacation setting. Choose a motel that is green-rated. So many things, we can do, but these a just a couple.

Schools, students and teachers… make energy conservation a classroom committment, take advantage of daylight, encourage to be good role models. Turn off those lights when they aren’t needed!

In the workplace, we can replace incandescent or fluorescent exit signs with Led Exit signs. Turn off those lights!! Especially at night when everyone has gone home for the day. Perhaps you can train employees to be Energy Conservation Officers.

At home we can do so much to help out. We can schedule an energy audit and act on the results. Have your furnace and A/C units serviced. Clean and replace furnace filters. Install a programmable thermostat. Invest in energy star windows and appliances. Oh yes, don’t forget… Turn off the lights!

We can all do our part to cut down and conserve energy. It should be part of our every day life.

owen sound, participation, Sustainability, the area, The Environment

Add to del.icio.us

Search blogs linking this post with Technorati

Want more on these topics ? Browse the archive of posts filed under Owen Sound, Participation, Sustainability, The Area, The Environment.

Earth Day

Jenna — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 22:31:48 +0000

Earth Day was first introduced in 1970, by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson. Nelson, along with millions of other people, lead protests and rallies to raise awareness of environmental issues. Nelson wanted to “shake up the political establishment and force this issue on the national agenda”. Today, millions of people around the world continue to participate in Earth Day to help promote a healthier, more sustainable environment. The more that communities become involved, the more the message will spread. On April 19, at 1:00 pm, Grey Roots is giving away free pine seedlings in honour of Earth Day. Locally, we need to get more involved and organize Earth Day events in our community. Celebrating Earth Day as a community will show our support for a great cause. Together we can make a difference.

Sustainability, the area, The Environment, theowen

Add to del.icio.us

Search blogs linking this post with Technorati

Want more on these topics ? Browse the archive of posts filed under Sustainability, The Area, The Environment, theOwen.

Vermicomposting

Jenna — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 23:37:58 +0000

Vermicomposting is a method of composting that we should really consider using in our area. During this process, red worms convert your organic waste into a usable, natural fertilizer. Vermicomposting is extremely easy and has many benefits.

One major incentive to start vermicomposting is that it will help reduce the amount of garbage in landfill sites. It is estimated that each year in Canada “1/2 to 1/3 of household waste [found in landfills] is organic matter” (Cathy’s Crawly Composters, 2008). Imagine just how much waste we could keep out of landfills if more people started vermicomposting! If we all chipped in, we could be making our world a cleaner, better place.

Another advantage to vermicomposting is that organic matter is decomposed quicker than it is with regular composting. This is because the worms used for vermicomposting, known as ‘Red Wigglers’ (Eisenia foetida), “speed up the process of decomposition to produce a richer end product” (Resource Conservation Manitoba, 2008). Red Wigglers tend to stay close to the surface when they eat, which is why they are preferred for this composting process. Also, because they eat a lot, red worms can spend the majority of the day feeding and as a result can process organic waste faster.

Vermicomposting can be done indoors and outdoors, making it easy to keep up all-year round. During the summer months you may opt to keep your vermicomposter outside, as long as the worms are getting air and the temperature is fairly warm (Resource Conservation Manitoba, 2008). When winter comes along, your vermicomposter needs to be moved indoors, otherwise the Red Wigglers will not survive. Vermicomposting doesn’t produce any unpleasant odours, so moving your container of Red Wigglers indoors isn’t a problem. Vermicomposters are also extremely portable, so there is no hassle in moving it.

Before beginning your own vermicomposter, there are a few things you need to know to get you started. First, put a thin layer of bedding along the bottom of the container. Mulched paper, mulched leaves, sawdust and grass clippings all make excellent beddings and help provide the worms with an adequate living environment (Soni Cochran, 2008). Make sure to add a small amount of water to ensure that the bedding is kept moist (not drenched!). When establishing the vermicomposter, start slowly and “gradually increase the amount of food as the bin becomes established” (Soni Cochran, 2008). Most foods including vegetables and fruits can be vermicomposted. “Citrus peels, coffee grounds, and tomatoes can be added, but only in moderation, as they can acidify the bedding” (Resource Conservation Manitoba, 2008). For more information about vermicomposting, go to:

All in all, vermicomposting is something everyone should seriously consider bringing into their home. With the help of vericomposting we can save money and help reduce the amount of garbage in landfills.

Gardening, Sustainability, theowen

Add to del.icio.us

Search blogs linking this post with Technorati

Want more on these topics ? Browse the archive of posts filed under Gardening, Sustainability, theOwen.

Buy Local Day

Jenna — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 23:29:13 +0000

Buy Local Day was first introduced by the American Independent Business Alliance in 2006. Buy Local Day can take place on any day of the year, as organized by your community, and encourages people to buy locally. Though this event isn’t very well known, it is a great concept that should be introduced into communities. By organizing and taking part in Buy Local Day, you can support your community and help local businesses thrive. Buying locally is also beneficial to the environment, as it reduces the amount of pollution normally produced from transporting goods over long distances.

Now, more than ever, Big Box and Chain stores are becoming more appealing to consumers, who want to finish all their shopping needs in one trip. But with these stores rising in popularity, many small local stores have been put out of business. By planning a Buy Local Day in your community, you can prevent local stores from being forced to close down. If we don’t act soon, we may lose the local businesses that make up our community. Show your support for your community and participate in a Buy Local Day. Any support you can give will help preserve the local businesses in your area.

For people in the area, The Annual Fine Craft Sale at the Tom Thomson Art Gallery presents a great opportunity to purchase local goods. This event features a variety of local art including jewelry, paintings, pottery, hand-blown glass, accessories for the home and garden and much more. Show your support for these local artists and come to the Annual Fine Craft Sale, which takes place Friday, November 21, 5 to 9 pm, Saturday, November 22, 10 am to 5 pm, and Sunday, November 23, 12 to 5 pm. Admission is two dollars.

community, Sustainability, the area, theowen

Add to del.icio.us

Search blogs linking this post with Technorati

Want more on these topics ? Browse the archive of posts filed under Community, Sustainability, The Area, theOwen.