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In This Issue

  • Happy New Year from FFCO
  • Three new virtual reality tours to FarmFood360.ca
  • Canada's Agriculture Day: February 15, 2023
  • Nominate a Food & Farming Champion
  • Call for Breakfast On/From the Farm hosts
  • Thank you for 10 years of FFCO
  • Platinum member testimonial: Chicken Farmers of Ontario
  • Now is the time to re-new your membership!
Happy New Year from FFCO!

Happy New Year from the Board of Directors and staff at Farm & Food Care Ontario. We hope you've had a chance to celebrate the season with those you hold most dear. Best wishes for a successful 2023.
Three new virtual reality tours added to www.FarmFood360.ca

The new Virtual Reality Tours, filmed throughout 2022 on bean and potato farms and processors, as well as on a broiler breeder poultry farm and hatchery, have been added to the popular website that attracts almost a million visitors each year, joining the 22 farm and food processing tours already filmed and available for viewing. 

The tours were developed by Farm & Food Care Ontario (FFCO) in partnership with the Ontario Bean Growers, the Ontario Potato Board and the Ontario Broiler Chicken Hatching Egg Producers' Association. The project was also funded, in part, through the AgriCompetitiveness program of the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal, provincial, territorial initiative.

Thank you to Nelson Dunk and the team at Skylight Productions and Project Manager Jess Campbell of Fresh Air Media for all their work on this year's 360 tours. 
Using 360 cameras and virtual reality technology, the award-winning FarmFood360° website gives Canadians the chance to tour real, working farms and food processing plants, all without putting on boots or biosecurity clothing.

The dry bean tour visited Dave and Amy Arand’s farm near Atwood, Ontario where they grow white pea beans (also known as navy beans). The tour also takes the viewer through the processing of the beans before they get to tables across Canada. Said Jennifer Mitchell of the Ontario Bean Growers, “Our growers take a great deal of pride in growing good, nutritious food for Canadians to enjoy and it is always wonderful to teach people how this effort reaches them at their grocery store. We loved being a part of this project so that Canadians across the country can see our work first hand.”

The second tour starts at the Alliston area potato farm of the Vander Zaag family and then visits an Ontario company turning potatoes into potato chips. Kevin Brubacher, General Manager of the Ontario Potato Board said, “It’s wonderful to showcase the hard work and delight that comes from planting and harvesting a successful crop, and to know that so many Canadians will have a chance to take our tour.”

The third tour takes Canadians through a broiler breeder farm and a broiler hatchery. This tour will show the process of raising hens and roosters together, collecting fertilized eggs and 2 hatching the chicks that are raised for meat. Melissa Sinnige of the Ontario Broiler Chicken Hatching Egg Producers Association (OBCHEPA) hosted the filming on her farm and said that her board was excited to be part of this project. “This is a part of the sector that not a lot of people think about, but is vital to making sure great quality, healthy chicken is available in grocery stores and restaurants.
Above: The Arand family in their bean field.
Above: The Vander Zaag family in their potato field.
Above: The broiler breeder chickens inside the barn at the Sinniges' farm.
Canada's Agriculture Day: February 15, 2023
It's official: Canada’s Ag Day 2023 will be celebrated on February 15. Mark your calendars to raise your fork and acknowledge the ongoing effort and commitment made by farmers and producers across the country.

Follow FFCO on social media to engage in conversations about food and agriculture and get the word out across Canada with #CdnAgDay. And get ready by gathering your best photos and videos to share this February.
2023 Champion Award: Call for nominees

FFCO is accepting nominations for its annual Champion Award. The award is presented to individuals, organizations or businesses who have taken initiative to help engage consumers about agriculture in our province. Nominees have used their skills to help inform consumers or correct misinformation about production practices, and done a measurable job of promoting our industry.

Nominations are to be submitted by March 11, 2023. If you know someone you think should be honoured, please review the nomination form.

Pictured: 2022 Food & Farming Champion Award winner John Drummond.
Call for Breakfast On/From the Farm hosts

This year, FFCO ran three successful Breakfast from the Farm events across Ontario. These events help connect urban and suburban neighbours with the people who make their food.

In 2023, FFCO is planning to return to Breakfast on the Farm events and is in need of potential farm hosts. FFCO will also consider applications from ag societies for Breakfast from the Farm in 2023.

If your farm or your ag society are interested in hosting, please review the information provided in the application forms.

The deadline for applications is January 7, 2023.
Thank you for 10 years of FFCO

Thank you for celebrating FFCO's 10th anniversary with us in 2022. We have achieved a lot together in the 10 years since the Ontario Farm Animal Council (OFAC) and Agricultural Groups Concerned about Resources and the Environment (AGCare) merged to create the first FFC organization in Canada.

Thank you for your support for FFCO and we look forward to working with you for the next 10.
Meet a Platinum Member: Chicken Farmers of Ontario

"Chicken Farmers of Ontario (CFO) represents more than 1,300 family-run farms across the province. Our ongoing partnership and collaborative efforts with Farm and Food Care Ontario (FFCO) support mutual goals to advocate for our industry.

FFCO works alongside CFO to help showcase our sector’s significant contribution to the economy and our dedication to food safety, animal care, and building and maintaining public trust. We look forward to continuing our successful partnership into 2023 and beyond."

Pictured: Murray Opsteen, CFO Chair and Andrea Veldhuizen, CFO Board Director & FFCO Director volunteer at Breakfast from the Farm in October 2022.  
Renew your membership for 2023

It's time to renew your FFCO membership for 2023. Individual and supporter members can visit the link below to renew your membership. Continue your support of the important work for Farm & Food Care Ontario and help build public trust and shared understanding of agriculture in Ontario.