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An Evening with Temple Grandin
August 27
War Memorial Hall, University of Guelph
Guelph
Meat Plant & Animal Welfare Auditor Training
August 27 - 28
Guelph
Breakfast on the Farm
September 20
7325 Manning Rd
Tecumseh
Ontario Agriculture Week
October 4 - 10
Events in communities across Ontario
Farm & Food Care Foundation's annual Harvest Gala
October 29
Kitchener
Bingemans Park Conference Centre
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Ag Ambassador Tip
of the Month
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Do not overwhelm the person you are talking to. Remember, you live a life immersed in agriculture, but the other person does not. Streamline your message, and offer somewhere to go for more information or a follow-up conversation.
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New online resource addresses security issues on Ontario farms
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) and Farm & Food Care Ontario have jointly released "A practical guide to on-farm security" - a resource that address key concerns and questions relating to security on the farm.
The resource is divided into three main sections: "Securing your assets," "Visitors on the farm," and "When to call police." Sample forms such as a visitor log and incident report are available for download from www.ofa.on.ca.
Beef farmers of Ontario opens 2015 "Most Valuable Producer" contest
Beef Farmers of Ontario and Canada Beef are now accepting submissions for the 2015 Most Valuable Producer contest.
Beef farmers from across Ontario are invited to share their stories explaining what makes them the most valuable producer in Ontario's beef industry. Winners will recieve an all-expenses paid trip to an Ontario CFL game in either Hamilton, Toronto or Ottawa.
Three winners will be selected overall. Interested farmers can visit www.ontariobeef.com to apply and find more information about the prizes.
Dribble Bar manure applicator touring OntarioThe European-inspired dribble bar manure application technology is "spreading" across Ontario this summer. Demonstration dates and events are:
- July 14 -15, North American Manure Expo, Chambersburg Pennsylvania
- July 21, Eastern Diagnostic Days, Winchester ON
- Last week of July to mid-August, Maryland Farms, Lindsay ON
- August 16, OSCIA Summer Meeting, Embro ON
- August 25, Maitland Valley Conservation Authority Meeting, Parrish & Heimbecker Grain Elevator, Amberley ON
- September 9, Huron County OSCIA meeting, Clinton ON
- September 15 -17, Canada's Outdoor Farm Show, Woodstock ON
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Ontarions eat up Local Food Week 2015
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| Minister Leal with The Real Dirt on Farming display at the Queen's Park Farmers' Market
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This year's Local Food Week ran from June 1 to 7, and Ontarians came out in full force to support local food and the people who produce it.
Organizations, municipalities and other groups hosted events in many areas across the province. Farm & Food Care set up shop at the Picton Cheese Festival, Stratford Farmers' Market, Cookstown Wing Ding and the Queen's Park Farmers' Market - an event giving provincial policy makers and government employees a chance to sample what products Ontario's farmers have to offer.
To see photos from these and other events, visit Farm & Food Care Ontario's Flickr account.
The #loveONTfood contest
Along with local food events, Farm & Food Care recieved over 500 entries and awarded 42 prizes to different individuals as part of the "Show your love for #loveONTfood photo contest." For the contest, Farm & Food Care looked for Twitter and Instagram posts of all-Ontario meals, backyard gardens and other Ontario-food-focused images that used #loveONTfood. Prizes included local food t-shirts, sunglasses, aprons and apple slicers, plus one pair of tickets to a Blue Jays game in Toronto courtesy of Sportswood Printing.
Ottawa Food Writers' Tour
Farm & Food Care hosted the latest Ottawa-area Farm Food Writers' Tour on June 2, where 50 journalists and food writers left their desks for the St. Albert's Cheese Cooperative and Roots & Shoots Organic Farm. In between, attendees were treated to an all-Ontario lunch at the historic Watson's Mill in Manotick.
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Picture left: Tour guests with Robin Turner, owner of Roots and Shoots organic farm. Picture right: Tour attendees outside St. Albert's Cheese Cooperative.
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Breakfast on the Farm 2015 ~ Essex County
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On September 20, 2015, Breakfast on the Farm will be hosted at Hylander Farms in Tecumseh. It will be the third Breakfast on the Farm since 2013, and so far, over 6,000 people have been fed, entertained and engaged at the event.
Breakfast on the Farm provides a unique opportunity for farmers and non-farming Ontarians to have a conversation about food and farming. It gives Ontarians the chance to visit a real, working farm, provides a showcase for agriculture and gives non-farmers the opportunity to have their questions answered by real farmers.`
After being treated to an all-Ontario breakfast featuring eggs, pancakes, sausage and more, visitors will be able to see beef cattle and farm machinery, and will have the opportunity to have their questions answered by helpful farm experts. Interactive stops around the farm will include many displays, activities and exhibits that showcase other types of farms in Ontario.
Hylander Farms is a veal, beef and grain farm owned and operated by Brian Hyland, his wife Rina, son Matthew, and parents Walter and Muriel. Their beef cattle are raised for local buyers of all kinds.
The event will run from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. with breakfast being served until 11:30 a.m. The farm tours wrap up by 1:00 p.m. It is a free event, though preregistration is required; the first 2,000 visitors are guaranteed breakfast.
Click here to obtain your free tickets or to learn more about volunteering or sponsoring the event.
The event is supported by many national, provincial and regional farm organizations and agri-businesses, as well as many dedicated community volunteers.
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Environment E-Newsletter ~ July 2015
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 The latest Environment E-Newsletter is now available on Farm & Food Care Ontario's website.
Topics covered in the newsletter include Ontario's new neonicotinoid regulations, tour dates for the new Dribble Bar manure applicator technology, growth and new developments with the Ontario Environmental Farm Plan, and much more.
The newletter can be viewed here.
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| The 2015 Farm Creativity Contest
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 The annual Farm Creativity Contest is a province-wide drawing contest sponsored by Farm & Food Care; it provides children with the opportunity to share what they have learned about food and farming after attending an agriculture education event or fair, a farm-related school visit or studying a unit in their classroom. Children up to Grade 8 can draw a picture and write about it on the official entry postcard. The entries must be mailed in and received by December 1, 2015 to be eligible for the calendar year contest. Prizes: There are three prizes for each of the three age categories. Prizes include digital cameras, magazine subscriptions and passes to Ontario attractions and events. Teachers: Each class set submitted is eligible for a random draw for one of three $200 prizes to go towards supplies for your classroom. Farm & Food Care has sets of the postcards available for teachers, agriculture educators, fair boards and event organizers. You can find the order form here. Looking for other resources to help with your own event or display? Visit Farm & Food Care Ontario's Online Resources page. |
 Ontario Pork Congress
Farm & Food Care set up shop at the Ontario Pork Congress in Stratford on June 17 and 18. Staff showcased the Innovative Management and Practical Animal Care Training (IMPACT) program's pilot resources on swine handling, piglet processing procedures and Swine Code of Practice.
Farm & Food Care Ontario also hosted an educational session that took attendees through the new suite of online modules and print resources; those resources are available through www.farmimpact.ca.
Dairy stockmanship workshops come to a close
200 Ontario dairy farmers took to the barns last month to improve their knowledge of animal behaviour, and learn how to better apply that knowledge when handling cattle.
Called "Dairy Stockmanship for Better Production" and facilitated by Dr. Don Hoglund - a professor of large animal behaviour and dairy stockmanship at North Carolina State and Virginia Tech University - the workshops showed producers how to incorporate animal instincts into "low-energy" handling techniques.
In total, there were 13 workshops at different farms around the province, each with a classroom and in-barn practical training session. The workshops were organized between May 25 and June 15 by Farm & Food Care Ontario.
For other upcoming training opportunities and resources, keep checking the IMPACT website.
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| | Dr. Hoglund working with dairy calves during an in-barn training session. |
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| Meat Plant Welfare Auiditor training course ~ August 27 & 28
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 The Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization, Inc. (PAACO) will hold a two-day Meat Plant Welfare Auditor Training Course on Aug. 27-28 in Guelph. Cooperating organizations include Farm & Food Care Ontario and its Innovative Management and Practical Animal Care Training (IMPACT) program, Cargill, Conestoga Meats, the Ontario Government and Growing Forward 2.
The training, which is the first step toward becoming a PAACO-certified meat plant welfare auditor, will include both classroom instruction at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Farm & Rural Affairs (OMAFRA)building, as well as on-site demonstrations and hands-on experience at Conestoga Meats (swine) and Cargill Foods (cattle).
Noted industry experts will serve as instructors for the course: Dr. Temple Grandin, PhD, president of Grandin Livestock Handling Systems; Penny Lawlis, MS, humane standards office, OMAFRA; Mike Siemens, PhD, leader of animal welfare and husbandry, Cargill; and Jennifer Woods, MS, J. Woods Livestock Services.
For further information visit the IMPACT website, or contact: - Mike Simpson, course coordinator, PAACO: 402-403-0104, mike@animalauditor.org
- Sara Brien, Farm & Food Care Ontario: 519-837-1326, impact@farmfoodcare.org
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| Farm & Food Care Canada presents:
An Evening with Temple Grandin
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On August 27, join Farm & Food Care Canada - the national partner of Farm & Food Care Ontario - in welcoming Dr. Temple Grandin to Guelph. Dr. Grandin is a famed animal behaviorist, author, professor of animal science at Colorado State University and autism awareness advocate.
A world-renowned inspiration to people with autism for her work as an animal behaviorist, Dr. Grandin has both developed humane livestock handling systems, and worked as a consultant to the livestock handling industry on animal care standards. She has, in addition, designed processing facilities in which half the cattle in the United States are handled while working for Burger King, McDonalds, Swift and others.
Event details:- August 27, 2015
- 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
- War Memorial Hall, University of Guelph
Tickets are $50 each (includes a $20 charitable receipt) or $30 for students. Free parking will also be provided. Tickets can be ordered online here, or by phone at 519-837-1326.
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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 202 Guelph, ON N1G 5L3 519-837-1326 www.farmfoodcare.org Twitter: @farmfoodcare Email: info@farmfoodcare.org |
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