May 2020
Food & Farming across the Golden Horseshoe
Clean Works, last year’s winner of the the Food Safety Innovation Award, has been approved by Health Canada to sanitize N95 masks for healthcare workers.

The company has invented a novel system to rid produce of pathogens, moulds and viruses without using water, and has recently adapted its production facility in Niagara to build equipment specifically for the masks.

“We have been using the technology for the past four years in the agri-food industry and are the only company with this level of experience,” says Mark VanderVeen, president of Clean Works. “These units are efficient and cost-effective and mobile for use in-house and on-site.”

Read more from Food in Canada here .
This year's Local Food Week takes place from June 1st - 6th , and it's an important time as ever to support local! Celebrate the first week of June by making a special effort to buy local, support local businesses, and thank our hard-working producers across the province.

Look for the Foodland Ontario logo (see what's in season ), and check to see if your local farmers' market is open or selling products online!
The Greenbelt Foundation and Green Infrastructure Ontario have released a new report,  Economic Impact Assessment of the Green Infrastructure Sector in Ontario , the first-ever assessment of the full scope of the green infrastructure sector.

According to the report, in 2018 the Green Infrastructure sector was responsible for more than 120,000 jobs and nearly $8.33 billion in GDP — given its direct, indirect, and induced impacts.
Hamilton's Farm Crawl is moving online this year, with a virtual farm crawl on May 30th from 2 - 4 p.m. Learn about what your local farmers are up to and a bit about farming through interactive tours, Q&A's, and workshops. Check out the itinerary and register here .
The Rural Ontario Institute has released data on business counts in rural Ontario, including number of businesses by sector and change in number of businesses. There's also a special issue on COVID-19’s impact on rural employment. Access the facts sheet here .
While our plans for an in-person “Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Summit” had to change as a result of COVID-19, we are pleased to be hosting a webinar on June 23rd from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m .

We have continued to conduct research on issues and trends related to the food and farming sector within the Golden Horseshoe and we have enjoyed talking to members of the working group and board over the phone and online. We are also resuming our outreach to key stakeholders across the value chain for interviews to further inform the updated GHFFA Action Plan. 

How can you get involved? 
✔ If you or someone you know would like to be included as an external interviewee, please contact Bronwynne Wilton at bronwynne@wiltongroup.ca  
✔ To join the conversation and hear about how the Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming sector can play a leadership role in the path to resilience, reserve your spot for the June 23rd webinar
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