McGuinty Government Ramps Up Support For Local Food Marketing
(Distributed by the office of Jeff Leal, M.P.P. Peterborough)
Ontario is boosting grassroots marketing efforts for Ontario foods and strengthening the economy in Peterborough area by encouraging more residents and businesses to buy locally grown food.
Total funding for this program will be $80,000 with a $40,000 commitment by the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Market Investment Fund.
This project will see the Greater Peterborough Area Economic Development Corporation (GPA EDC), though the “Kawartha Choice FarmFresh” brand, increase the local agriculture presence on the world wide web, increase media and promotions, create marketing materials, hold workshops, participation at trade shows and local fairs, and hold an Agricultural Summit. The project will also include various networking opportunities such as encouraging local farmers to participate in education days for schools to promote agriculture as a career and developing professional workshops for local farmers, restaurateurs, processors and consumers. The GPA EDC is focused on promoting the wide variety of agricultural products grown and produced in the Peterborough region.
The four-year Ontario Market Investment Fund program has invested more than $2.5 million in 46 projects to date. The program helps develop economic opportunities through trade events, marketing campaigns and industry research initiatives that foster partnerships and collaboration to promote Ontario foods. The program is part of the McGuinty government's enhanced investment in ‘buy local’ initiatives.
QUOTES
“This funding will provide the Peterborough area with the necessary tools it needs to produce and deliver locally grown food to our area, “said M.P.P. Jeff Leal. “Producing and using locally grown foods is a large step forward towards making Peterborough and Ontario a more sustainable place to live. With this funding the Peterborough and surrounding areas will be able to develop effective ways to deliver home grown products.”
“We are bringing together local food networks including producers, processors, retailers and individuals dedicated to selling the fresh foods that are grown and made right here in Ontario,” said Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Leona Dombrowsky.
"Agriculture is an important, sustainable and growing business sector in the Greater Peterborough Area," stated Renato Romanin, Senior Vice President & Deputy CEO and Director of Agriculture & Rural Development at the GPA EDC. "We are excited to begin using these dollars and working with local Farmers to assist growth in this industry. The OMIF funding will help us explore innovative ways to bring locally grown products into new or expanding markets."
QUICK FACTS
- The Foodland Ontario program has expanded to include meat, dairy and eggs.
- The agri-food industry contributes more than $33 billion to the Ontario economy and employs about 700,000 people.
- The Ontario government is investing $24 million over three years to develop the logistics to get more Ontario-grown food into the province's schools, hospitals, food service companies and other institutions.
