In This Issue

• FFCO at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, November 3-12, 2023
• The Real Dirt on Farming Photo Contest winners announced
• Annual Harvest Gala, November 16, 2023
• Celebrating the Legacy of Dr. Tim Henshaw, November 21, 2023
• OFA / FFCO Speak Up Team training sessions, December 13 & 14, 2023
• Highlights from Breakfast on the Farm, Chatham-Kent
• Celebrating Ontario Agriculture Week
• More than a Migrant Worker program wins award
• Media training workshops open for members
• Recap: FFCO hosts Registered Dietitian and culinary school tours
• Call for Breakfast on the Farm hosts
• Livestock Emergency Training sessions update
• FFCO welcomes new members

The Real Dirt on Farming photo contest winners announced

Winners from FFCO's The Real Dirt on Farming photo contest were released earlier this month with $4000 in cash prizes available for winners.

This year’s contest drew entries from photo enthusiasts and farmers nation-wide. There were hundreds of entries submitted across six different categories all aimed at capturing the essence of Canadian agriculture. The six categories were: All about Animals, Canadian Farm Scenes, Crazy about Crops, Faces Behind Food & Farming, Farm to Plate and Farm Innovation.

Winning photos will be featured in Farm & Food Care’s sixth edition of The Real Dirt on Farming; a national publication that answers common questions about food and farming practices in Canada.

FFC would like to thank all the talented photographers that submitted entries to the contest and congratulate this year’s winners. 

Join us for an evening of celebration!

FFCO invites you to join us on November 16 for the Annual Farm & Food Care Ontario Harvest Gala at the Milton Banquet & Conference Centre. This event is always a night to remember, and this year we celebrate the launch of the sixth edition of The Real Dirt on Farming. This year has been filled with incredible opportunities to listen to the questions of Ontarians about the food they eat. We continue to respond and share the stories of the strength, resilience and integrity of Ontario’s agri-food sector.

Date: Thursday, November 16

Location: Milton Banquet & Conference Centre (new location)

3090 Steeles Ave W, Milton, ON



Schedule of events

5:30 pm - Registration and doors open

6:00 pm - Cocktails

7:00 pm - Plated dinner featuring Ontario's finest foods

8:00 pm - Paul Mistele Memorial Award, Tourism Auction, Entertainment and more.

Feeding the Human Spirit – Celebrating the legacy of Dr. Tim Henshaw

EastGen is hosting an event to celebrate the legacy of the late Dr. Tim Henshaw. A skilled veterinarian, educator and communicator, Dr. Tim was highly respected for his integrity and was widely known in the agricultural industry and beyond as a leader, mentor, and someone who inspired youth to challenge themselves. In addition, he was highly supportive of people throughout his community and beyond and recognized for his giving of self and generosity of spirit. The “Feeding the Human Spirit – Celebrating the Legacy of Dr. Tim Henshaw” event will be held Tuesday, November 21, 2023, at the Nottawasaga Inn, Alliston. Doors open, and socializing begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by a brief program set for 7:30 p.m.

In addition, fundraising will be available to support three charities, 4-H Ontario, Farm & Food Care Ontario, and the Elmvale & District Food Bank, who were selected by Tim’s wife Jane. A donations page is available now for those wishing to pay tribute to Dr. Tim and support these three charities. An online auction has also been organized and will conclude while the Feeding the Human Spirit Event takes place on November 21st. The funds raised from the online auction and donations will be divided equally between 4-H Ontario, Farm & Food Care Ontario, and the Elmvale & District Food Bank.

Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA)/ Farm & Food Care Ontario (FFCO) Speak Up Team training sessions

OFA is planning two Speak Up training sessions this December in partnership with FFCO. These in-person training sessions are designed to empower individuals to find their voice and effectively communicate their ideas.

December 13, 2023 – OFA head office, Guelph 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

December 14, 2023 – Salus Mutual Insurance office, Dutton 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Speak Up team concept was developed more than 15 years ago and has now expanded across the country with courses given to famers and others working in agriculture in every province. The training gives participants the ability to tell their stories, in an easy- to-understand and compelling manner. This could be of use in media interviews, in farm tours, at council meetings, to service club members, to school groups and more.

In this workshop, you’ll learn who your average Canadian is, how much they know or don’t know about food and farming and how to tell your farm story to a non- farming audience.

The sessions are free for OFA members; $25 for non-members. Lunch is provided.

Questions? Email [email protected]. 

The Chatham-Kent community came together on Saturday, October 21 for FFCO's final Breakfast on the Farm of 2023. 550 guests, 100+ volunteers, partners and exhibitors joined the Laprise family at Canada's Largest Brussels sprouts farm Pain Court.

This event looked slightly different from previous breakfasts; attendees enjoyed a first-ever brunch format with Brussels sprouts front and centre on the menu. Most of this event occurred in the expansive greenhouse space, with food sampling stations scattered throughout the event that allowed guests to try local products while engaging with an impressive list of partner exhibitors. 

The Laprise family provided many opportunities for guests to learn about vegetable production and growing Brussels sprouts. Education areas showcased specialty farm machinery, seedlings and transplant production, Brussels sprouts harvesting and processing and a look at the expansive list of food produced in the Chatham-Kent area. This unique breakfast offered a complete farm-to-fork look at farming for an engaged audience, with visits to watch harvesting in the field straight through to processing.

Breakfast on the Farm – brunch edition was an incredible way to help connect local families and the urban community to horticulture. We are incredibly grateful for the support of our partners, who make events like this possible. 

To see a full list of our supporting partners, please visit: https://www.farmfoodcareon.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Chatham-sponsors-36x48-1.pdf



For Ontario Agriculture Week this year, FFCO and other commodity organizations across Ontario shared their reasons why they choose to purchase Ontario grown produce and why they #LoveOntFood.

FFCO and AgScape joined together to host five Virtual Food & Farm Tours from different farms in Ontario. These included a crabapple farm, hydroponic farm, feed mill, cherry farm, and dairy farm. Tours can be watched on the FFCO web page here: https://www.farmfoodcareon.org/fieldtrips/

More than a Migrant Worker program wins award

The More than a Migrant worker campaign took home a top award November 2 in the Canadian Agri-food Marketers Alliance Best of CAMA awards, winning for Best Blog.

The campaign, launched by the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers and Farm & Food Care in 2021, tells the stories of Ontario’s seasonal agricultural workers, in their own words. Since its inception, about 200 workers from across Ontario have been interviewed for the project with their stories featured in newspapers, on Facebook and Instagram, on Go transit ads, in advertisements and on the www.morethanamigrantworker.com website.

The blog can be viewed at https://www.morethanamigrantworker.ca/blog/ 

Media training sessions open for member registration

This November, FFCO will host a day-long, in-person media training session for its members. One session has been scheduled for Tuesday, November 28 in Guelph. 

The program is useful for board members and staff who speak regularly about issues related to their sectors. The day's agenda and topics will be geared towards the commodities represented by those participating.

The course will be co-facilitated by Kelly Daynard of FFCO, assisted by Jennifer MacTavish.

The cost is $400 per member ($500 for non members). Space is limited to 10 people per course. If the courses fill up, additional dates will be added in the spring. Private courses are also an option for members.



Questions or to book a space, email [email protected]

October tours: Farm tours lead to a deeper understanding of farming practices while cultivating connections

Several farm tours were organized this fall for key target audience guests including food influencers, Registered Dietitians and culinary students.

Registered Dietitian tour

This year's RD tour departed Whitby Go Station on October 3rd, with a group of 30 who enjoyed an unseasonably warm day east of Toronto. The Arnold family of Thunder Ridge Bison at Uxbridge hosted the first stop of the day. The group discussed the history of bison, the benefits of bison farming to the land, and the health benefits of including bison in a diet. The family sells to restaurants throughout the GTA, through an on-farm retail store and even to the Toronto Maple Leafs for use in team meals. A field side stop to view bison on pasture was a highlight of the day.

Wilmot Orchards opened their farm gates and new event space to host the group for lunch in Courtice, presentations and a tour of the apple orchard and blueberry fields. The day was rounded off by a fascinating demonstration about bird abatement by the orchard's falconer, Andrew, from Royal Canadian Falconry. Presentations throughout the day were provided by Jennifer Haley of Veal Farmers of Ontario and Stefan Larrass, Ben Murray and Deanna Vander Zaag from OFVGA, who highlighted the More than a Migrant Worker initiative and the role Seasonal Agricultural Workers play in Ontario agriculture. Wilmot Orchard's seasonal staff team from Jamaica joined the group for lunch, which featured a Caribbean-inspired veal dish.

Tour partners: Veal Farmers of Ontario, More than a Migrant Worker (OFVGA).

Algonquin College culinary student tour

A tour for 30 culinary students from Algonquin College left Ottawa on October 4 for a tour to three facilities west of the city. Sheep farmers Chris Moore and Lyndsey Smith of Shady Creek Lamb Co. shared their experience farming using "agrivoltaics" — the marrying of power generation via solar with food production on the same land. They work with a solar panel company and are paid to have their sheep graze the site to manage the vegetation and keep the panels clear of plant material that would cause shading. Bruce Hill at Hilltone Farms welcomed students to his third generation dairy, grain and beef farm on the second stop of the day. The day wrapped up with students learning how barley goes from the field to the mill, and is processed at Ottawa Valley Grain Products in Carp. 

Tour partners: Ottawa Valley Seed Growers, Ottawa Federation of Agriculture and Ontario government through the Grassroots Growth Initiative fund.

Georgian College culinary student tour

Grain farmer Steve Kell welcomed students from the Georgian College Culinary Skills and Management program to his farm and grain elevator on the first stop of the day-long tour on October 13. Students experienced the fast pace of harvest season first-hand, with trucks loading for delivery to the port of Hamilton for export to Europe later that day. 

The den Haan family of Haanview Holsteins and owners of Sheldon Creek Dairy then opened the doors of their dairy barns and processing plant. Marianne, Bonnie and Emily shared their passion for dairy farming and how they made their dream of producing and bottling milk on the farm a reality. Students saw the production processes and learned about the variety of products available through the dairy. 

When students arrived at the last stop of the day, Morris Gervais of Barrie Hill Farms greeted students with an offer to hop on the "people mover" wagon and head to the apple orchard. Students engaged in a lively Q&A session with him about apple varieties, crop protection and what it takes to grow and keep up with the demand at his popular farm market location in Barrie. 

Tour partners: Good in Every Grain, Ontario Apple Growers and the Ontario government through the Grassroots Growth Initiative fund.

Steve Kell engaging with Georgian College Culinary Arts students at his grain elevator

and farm in Gilford.

Registered Dietitians enjoy a fascinating demonstration about bird abatement at

Wilmot Orchards by Andrew,

Royal Canadian Falconry

Algonquin students learn about soybean harvest at Hilltone farms

Call for Breakfast on the Farm hosts

Are you interested in helping with one of Ontario's biggest agricultural outreach activities? Why not consider hosting a Breakfast on the Farm in 2024?

FFCO is looking for host farms (in different parts of Ontario) who would be willing to host. FFCO staff will take the lead, working with you and a local volunteer committee to ensure that the event is a success.  

Interested in knowing more? Feel free to contact the office to talk about your farm and what's required of a host family. Call 519-837-1326, extension 221 or email [email protected] with your questions. Applications can be downloaded and then submitted to Farm & Food Care.

2024 entries will be received until January 30, 2024.

Livestock Emergency Training sessions update

On September 20, first responders from Milton and Oakville fire departments attended an in-person session at the Oakville Fire Training Center. The day was sponsored by Beef Farmers of Ontario. Milton and Oakville firefighters are no strangers to livestock truck accidents, as each has responded to many incidents on the 401 and routes to nearby processing plants. It was an excellent opportunity to discuss with experienced responders what they had learned from those past events and to receive valuable input for future sessions.

On October 17, staff FFCO hosted two in-person sessions for Lambton County first responders in Wyoming. Attended by fire, police and county personnel, 45 participated in the two sessions. The fee-for-service session was held in collaboration with BFO whose staff attended to support the training. Thanks to FFCO member Zantingh Direct from Wyoming for supplying both a pot trailer and gooseneck for the walk-through aspect of the training.

This year's program has had a great mix of sponsored sessions by BFO, Northern Producer Animal Health Network, Heartland Farm Mutual, Commonwell Mutual, Farm Credit Canada and fee-for-service sessions.

FFCO welcomes new members

FFCO is pleased to welcome the following new members:

Silver member

• Hensall District Co-operative Inc.

Supporter member

• Horizon Seeds
• Moore Agricultural Society / Brigden Fair

Individual members

• Brenda Trask
• Rebecca Hannam

Thank you for your membership and support as we continue to educate and bring awareness of food and farming to consumers in Ontario and across Canada.

Become a Member

Did you know?

• You, your farm or your business can become a member of FFCO
• Your support in membership makes FFCO's work possible
• Corporate members ($1800+) can access free training and workshops

Not a member yet? Learn why others have joined FFCO.