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In This Issue:
- Highlights from Breakfast on the Farm, Tecumseh.
- Registration now open for Breakfast on the Farm ~ September 14, 2019
- Update on animal protection enforcement
- Media training workshop
- Toronto food influencer tour
- 4-H Leadership Camp
- Meet a member - Semex
- Welcome to new FFCO members
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Highlights from the Jobin family's Breakfast on the Farm
Rose, Phil and Paul Jobin and their families partnered with Farm & Food Care Ontario (FFCO) to host Breakfast on the Farm at their dairy farm in Tecumseh, Ontario on June 22.
Over 2300 guests from the surrounding community enjoyed a wagon ride, all-Ontario breakfast, tour of the dairy barn, and displays and exhibits featuring all walks of agriculture.
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Helping host were 130 volunteers. Many were local but some had come from hours away to help. As an example, one volunteer had even flown in from Australia to see how the program works in the hopes of bringing the event to her country. We appreciate each and every one of them.
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All-Ontario breakfast featuring pancakes, bacon, sausage, greenhouse vegetables, milk, apple cider, eggs, and maple syrup!
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Breakfast on the Farm guest getting comfortable in a tractor tire.
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Farm & Food Care Ontario would like to thank the volunteers (some of whom traveled long distances to help), our host family, and all of our event sponsors.
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Breakfast on the Farm host family and volunteers.
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The second of two Breakfast on the Farm events is taking place at
Barrie Hill Farms, a fruit and vegetable farm
in Springwater, ON.
Breakfast on the Farm provides a unique opportunity for non-farming Ontarians to visit a real, working farm and have their questions answered by real farmers.
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Guests attending the September 14 event will...
- Enjoy a tasty all-Ontario breakfast
- View dozens of agricultural displays and exhibits showcasing everything from farm animals to tractors to technology
- Take a wagon ride to the orchard and strawberry patch
- Meet farmers from across Ontario
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Update on animal protection enforcement in Ontario
On Friday June 28, the office of the Solicitor General announced a temporary model for animal protection enforcement. Paula Milne, a 25 year veteran of the OPP from Southern Bruce County, was appointed Chief Inspector. The 24/7 number to report animal welfare concerns is now 1-833-9ANIMAL (1-833-926-4625).
Until new legislation comes into place, a team of inspectors appointed by the Chief Inspector will be responsible for animal protection in the province. This team includes a network of inspectors from regional humane society affiliates, local police, and subject experts in livestock agriculture, horses, and zoos and aquariums. This is a temporary solution to fill the gap while Ontario transitions to a new model. Legislation to replace the Animal Protection Act is expected to be introduced in October and come into effect early in 2020.
This spring, Ontario’s livestock commodity groups, general farm organizations, and Farm & Food Care Ontario summarized guiding principles and recommendations about the future Animal Protection Act in a submission to government.
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Media Training Workshop
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
or
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
This day-long, interactive session to be held in Guelph will give the participants the understanding of the media, the tools needed to prepare to face the media and an interview process that will give each person real life interview experience.
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The program is useful for board members and staff at commodity associations who speak regularly about issues related to their sectors or any primary producer who is asked to give farm tours or speak on behalf of agriculture at municipal council meetings or other events.
The cost is $400 per person (less a 25% discount for FFCO members).
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Food influencers tour Sheldon Creek Dairy and K2 Milling
June 13, 2019
35 food influencers from the Toronto area participated in a Farm & Food Care Ontario tour in June, made possible by partnerships with Dairy Farmers of Ontario and SaskCanola.
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Two food influencers enjoying Sheldon Creek Dairy's farm store.
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The group visited Sheldon Creek Dairy, where Bonnie den Haan and her daughters, Marianne and Emily, walked the group through everything from robotic milkers to A2 milk production. The group was particularly impressed by the family's openness and transparency, not only about their product and operation, but also how outside activism/criticism affects them personally.
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The bloggers, writers and food influencers were then treated to a delicious local lunch at the Gibson Centre in Alliston which featured canola oil and real whipped cream made using cream from Sheldon Creek Dairy.
The second stop was K2 Milling, where Mark Hayhoe explained the properties of their unique flour selection and the milling process that sets K2 Milling apart from the rest.
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Tour attendees outside K2 Milling with owner Mark Hayhoe.
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Want to know what our guests had to say about the tour?
Additional tours are being planned this fall for registered dietitians and Ottawa food influencers.
Thank you to our event sponsors:
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Calling all Provincial 4-H Leadership Camp Alumni & Friends
Join 4-H Ontario in 2019 as it celebrates 60 years of Provincial 4-H Leadership Camp (PLC)! This is your chance to re-connect. They will be hosting an afternoon of activities and a special dinner and dance at the University of Guelph on Saturday, August 17, 2019.
For more information and to register visit:
or call Shannon Muir, Coordinator, Philanthropy, 4-H Ontario at:
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Meet a Member - Semex
Semex joined Farm & Food Care Ontario as a Gold level member in the spring of 2018. We asked Michael and Karen from Semex how an FFCO membership works for them!
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Why is Semex a member of Farm & Food Care Ontario?
"Semex is a partnership of Canadian-owned cattle breeding cooperatives. As we have grown, we’ve realized that we need to think beyond our immediate customer base (farmers) and begin thinking about how we present ourselves to the end consumer of dairy products. FFCO offered a ready-built network of farm organizations that was important for us to learn from and work with."
What is the value in the work we do together?
"FFCO was able to draw on the experience of working with other members to immediately guide us towards a more thoughtful and impactful public-facing communication strategy. This helped avoid some obvious missteps and prepare for upcoming challenges."
What would you tell someone about why they should join this movement?
"We would tell friends that agricultural businesses, regardless of where they sit in the supply chain, need to give careful thought to how we present ourselves to the consumer. With rapidly evolving food movements that are amplified by social media, never has this been more critical. Joining this network of forward thinking agriculturalists can provide invaluable insights and key contacts for navigating this new terrain."
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Dr. Michael Lohuis, Vice President, Research & Innovation
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Karen Twaddle, Vice President, People & Culture
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Gold:
• Nutrigroupe / Ontario Pride Eggs
Silver:
• Archer’s Poultry Farm
• Libro Credit Union
• South West Ontario Veterinary Services
• Ontario Goat
Supporter:
• Mitchell Vet Services
Individual:
• Sue Quirt
• Lois Turk
• Karl & Laura Terpstra
*as of June 12, 2019
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