January 2020
Food & Farming across the Golden Horseshoe
After closing down in December 2018, Toronto's Food Starter incubator has been revived and taken over by Arlene Dickinson's District Ventures. The incubator will continue helping food companies scale their business by offering access to a commercial kitchen, as well as other services like marketing assistance.

“Access to commercials kitchens like this is rare and difficult in this city and across the country, so keeping this alive was a big mandate for us,” said Dickinson. “We are very excited about what this means for our ability to really make a difference in agri-food. We talk a lot about diversifying our economy, and to me, agriculture and the development of food products and food innovation is incredibly important to our nation’s future.”

Read more from the Canadian Grocer here .
Thanks to Abacus Data for letting us share their interesting article on our blog that explores Canadian consumer attitudes and behaviours toward plant-based alternatives.

"Almost all Canadians eat meat. But many Canadians report either reducing the amount they eat or are thinking about reducing the amount of meat they eat (51% total). We estimate that about 1.5 million Canadian adults have reduced the amount of meat they ate the past year, according to self-reporting."

Ecosource and York University are offering an exciting Advanced Teacher Training certificate course for educators in the GTA! 

With new modules developed for 2020, the course will provide hands-on learning and professional development to educators interested in the latest tools and strategies for environmental education. 

There are four modules:

  • Food Systems & Gardening for the Curriculum
  • Nature Play & Fostering Outdoor Connection
  • Water, Green Infrastructure & Water-Based Learning
  • Reducing Your Ecological Footprint Through Youth Advocacy


Take a look at this picturesque video on Agriculture across Lambton County , highlighting the diversity of farms and farmers that contribute to our everyday lives in a number of ways!

Check out Wayne Robert's recent article in the Toronto Star, How a man on a mission built Toronto’s ChocoSol into one of the quirkiest, most socially responsible chocolate producers in the city.
Tickets are on sale for Ontario Farmland Trust's 2020 Forum, The Shifting Landscapes of Farmland Protection , taking place on Thursday, March 26, at the Grand Banquet & Event Centre in Guelph. The forum offers a day full of presentations and panel discussions, with the opportunity to share, network and explore policy and land-use planning innovation for the changing landscapes of farming and farmland protection in Ontario.
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