Food and Farming across the Golden Horseshoe

Too Good To Go, a mobile app that connects customers to restaurants and stores that have surplus unsold food, has officially launched its services in the Hamilton area.

The Danish app first came to Canada in 2021, and already has a presence in Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, Edmonton, Quebec City, Calgary, and Montreal.

Now in the Golden Horseshoe, over 35 local businesses have already signed up with the app in Hamilton, including restaurants, cafés, and grocery stores.
Welcoming the International Public Markets Conference to Toronto!

The Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Alliance is thrilled that the City of Toronto has been selected to host the 11th International Public Markets Conference, which will take place at various locations throughout Toronto on June 8-10, 2023.

Public markets intersect food, culture, economic development, retail, climate action, community development and placemaking. We hope this conference builds bridges among market managers, regulators, academia and policymakers at the municipal, regional, provincial and federal level.

The GHFFA will be part of the organizing committee going forward, and are excited to sponsor a tour of farmers’ markets outside of the city. Please learn more on our blog!
Craft Brewing in Ontario
A recent study from the Trillium Network for Advanced Manufacturing has built on their previous work documenting the rapid growth of craft brewing in Ontario.

While the previous report focused specifically on the contributions of craft breweries to the provincial economy, the new report emphasizes the outsized contributions that craft brewers make to their local communities.

The report also examines the challenges to competitiveness and profitability that craft brewers face. Read more here.
Growing Agri-Food Durham Plan
Durham Regional Council recently endorsed the Growing Agri-Food Durham Plan (the Plan), a five-year economic development plan to grow the agri-food industry in Durham Region. The Plan was developed following consultation with industry partners including the Durham Region Federation of Agriculture, Durham Farm Fresh, Durham Farm Connections and others.

The Plan represents a direct and action-oriented approach to help farms and agri-food businesses grow and shines a spotlight on the importance of the agri-food industry to Durham Region’s economy. Learn more.
A New Learning Hub
The York Region Food Network (YRFN) is launching a new hub, The Compost Learning Hub, for York residents to learn about growing food, saving seeds, composting and conserving water.

“YFRN is committed to helping to ensure all York Region residents have access to food skills and education,” said Marissa Wilshire, director of operations at York Region Food Network, via press release. “We also believe that when people have opportunities to build respectful relationships with the land, we are better equipped to tackle climate change from both a personal and systematic level." Read more.
Adapting to a Changing Climate
Earlier this summer, CBC News highlighted, through a hot sauce shortage, how California's historic drought suggests Canada needs more tactics for growing food year-round. Knowable Magazine published an interesting story on how climate change is altering the chemistry of wine, and how researchers and producers are innovating to keep ahead. And new research has suggested that low-carbon eating isn’t quite as simple as a plant-based diet.

With a changing climate, we have a lot of learning and adapting to do. We don’t have all the answers, but we must stay engaged and willing to learn.
You'll notice below we've shared a list of food & farming reads, which will continue in future newsletters. The Alliance is not endorsing articles, studies or policies that might be shared in these lists — but simply hoping to spark discussion and food for thought!

If you have articles or research you'd like us to share in this newsletter, please get in touch.
Some more food news to chew on...







Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Alliance