ISSUE 2014-07 |  July, 2014
July 2014 E-News
IN THIS ISSUE
SAVE THE DATES
August 28 - Holland Marsh
  
Breakfast on the Farm - August 2 Stanlee Farms, Avonmore, ON

Ontario's Harvest Gala - October 30
Bingeman Park, Kitchener

10th anniversary

Toronto food writer tour highlights

The group at the Schaus Land & Cattle feedlot
The Burnett family
Farm & Food Care's 10th annual Toronto food writer farm tour was held on June 5.
  
Thank you to Foodland Ontario, Canada Beef Inc., Beef Farmers of Ontario, Grain Farmers of Ontario, the Ontario Corn Fed Beef Program and the Ontario Craft Cider Association for their support of the sold out event. 
  
  
  
FIND US ONLINE
Corporate website:
www.farmfoodcare.org

For consumers:
www.facesoffarming.ca
Ag Ambassador Tip
of the Month

Pay close attention to the words you use when you are talking to the public. It is easy to start using the either industry terms which the general public does not fully understand or activist terms which are prevalent in the media today.  

 

Take some time to think about the words you are using and decide if there is another term which is more appropriate when talking to the public.
Anti-spam legislation update

 

Monthly, Farm & Food Care Ontario distributes this electronic newsletter to its membership, supporters and to the donors of the Farm & Food Care Foundation. 

 

With the new anti-spam legislation coming into effect on July 1, 2014, we would like to remind you that you can unsubscribe from this newsletter at any time by simply clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the email.

 

If you have any feedback on the newsletter or if you have any questions please send us an email: info@farmfoodcare.org. 

Holland Marsh Tour planned for August 28

 

Staff from all levels of government and associated agricultural agribusinesses are encouraged to attend Farm & Food Care's upcoming Farm Innovation Tours.

These tours showcase farms and agribusinesses and their innovations in animal welfare and environmental practices.  Two tours are planned for the coming months.

 

Upcoming tours will be held August 28 in the Holland Marsh area and a September 2014 tour featuring aquaculture and cranberries near Parry Sound, departing from Guelph.
  
The August 28 tour will feature:  
  
  • Sheldon Creek Dairy (Loretto)
  • Dingo Farms (Bradford)
  • Goodyear Farm (Queensville)
  • Smith Gardens (Keswick)
  • Holland Marsh Wineries (Newmarket)

 

The cost for the tours is $40 per person (free for OMAF staff), and includes a full day's program, transportation and lunch.  For details on all of the stops or to register, visit this link: Register here. 

2014 Ontario Pesticide Survey underway

 

Every Ontario farmer who grows any field crop, tender fruit, vegetable or other specialty crops is asked to fill out a confidential survey of crop protection products used during 2014. This confidential survey is being conducted by Farm & Food Care on behalf of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). This 2014 initiative is an extension of the 2013 survey. 
 

Surveys have been conducted every five years since 1973. OMAFRA relies on this data to identify and quantify pesticide usage in Ontario and to be able to better explain to the public how and why pesticides are used.
 

Those who contribute their data to the survey are helping to improve Ontario agriculture. It is in the interest of both farmers and the government to work together towards safer products for all farms, farmers, and the environment.
 

The survey is anonymous. Only a respondent's county, crop type, crop protection products used, acres applied and also acres where no pesticides are applied or organic practices are used are entered in the data base. You can fill in data periodically throughout the growing season as products are used on a field or enter data one time at the end of the season.
 

The 2014 survey template is available in an online format at www.ontariopesticidesurvey.ca. Farm & Food Care will also accept mail-in, fax or email returns of the survey.

 

Breakfast on the Farm - August 2 in Avonmore
BOTF   

Farm & Food Care is partnering with Stanlee Farms of Avonmore, Dairy Farmers of Ontario, Egg Farmers of Ontario and L.H. Gray to host Ontario's second annual Breakfast on the Farm. The event will be held on August 2, 2014 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

 

Stanlee Farms is a fifth generation dairy farm owned by Jim and Nancy Wert, and their four sons. In 2014 they are celebrating 150 years of the farm being in their family.  

 

Visitors to the farm will receive a complimentary all-Ontario breakfast and farm tour. Guests will be able to meet the farm family, visit and interact with young calves and cows, handle the milking equipment and learn more about farming in Ontario. As well as dairy cows and calves, there will be interactive exhibits from many other farm organizations with features including live chicks, farm equipment and much more. The event is supported by many national, provincial and regional farm organizations and agribusinesses.

 

After a successful inaugural Breakfast on the Farm event in New Dundee last year which attracted more than 2,000 visitors, the program is being expanded to Eastern Ontario, giving more Ontarians the opportunity to enjoy a complimentary breakfast, tour a farm and meet local farmers. This family-friendly event gives visitors a glimpse of what farming is all about.

  

Jim Wert said that his family is excited to be hosting this event. Said Wert, "We are so proud of this farm and its history and are excited to open up our farm up to visitors for the morning." He added, "We look forward to celebrating our farm anniversary with those in our community."

 

The event is free to attendees although visitors must reserve their breakfasts by visiting www.farmfoodcare.org to obtain complimentary tickets. Breakfast will be provided for the first 2,000 registrations. 

The Wert family - hosts of the 2014 Breakfast on the Farm
Farm & Food Care Foundation News:
Ontario's Harvest Gala

Farm & Food Care Foundation News:
Celebrating Farm Families

 

Foundation directors at the performance included (from left) vice chair Ian McKillop, director Carolynne Griffith and chair Bruce Christie.

 

Farm & Food Care Foundation director Carolynne Griffith sponsored "Fiddler on the Loose 2" at Victoria Playhouse in Petrolia.  The show ran from June 10 to 29.  To commemorate 2014 being named the International Year of Family Farming by the World Rural Forum, Carolynne took the opportunity to promote family farming and the Farm & Food Care Foundation with displays in the theatre's reception area.  Egg Farmers of Ontario sponsored the opening night gala.

 

If you've misplaced a copy of the newsletter or want to check an item from a past issue, they're all archived on our website under the Media Centre section.

We encourage you to forward this newsletter to other members of your company or organization who might be interested. They can also subscribe directly by emailing info@farmfoodcare.org.

100 Stone Road West, Suite 106
Guelph, ON
N1G 5L3
519-837-1326
www.farmfoodcare.org
Twitter: @farmfoodcare
Email: info@farmfoodcare.org
© Farm Food Care Ontario
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest