Economic Development eNews | February 23, 2021
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Fair Sun Farm getting ready
for big season with seedlings, increased nursery options
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SPENCERVILLE - It's a blustery, snowy day around the Fair Sun Farm greenhouses but owners Marnie Chown and Patrick van der Berg are well in to prep mode.
The slogan at their certified organic farm is 'Growing with the sun, eating with the seasons' and they're anticipating a great growing season this year. The couple believes in harvesting the best food for their community while also caring for the health of the soil and ecosystem.
"We're really passionate about people being connected to their food," says Marnie, adding they want to educate people on how their food is grown and where it comes from. They also wish to empower people to grow their own food if they wish - which is why this year they're introducing more nursery starts of fruit and vegetable seedlings for purchase.
"We believe that fresh, local, organic veggies are the healthiest and best tasting veggies available," says Marnie, noting as a family with their young son Damian they also store and preserve their harvest to carry them through the winter.
"There are a lot of people staying closer to home with the pandemic and many seem to be trying more home gardening than in previous years," says Marnie, adding more people gardening caused some seed shortages last year. "We ordered ours much earlier this year to make sure we have enough of everything and a large variety."
A big part of their business is the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) veggie subscription program. In just a year, they doubled their CSA customers from 100 to 200.They were able to do this after expanding their operations, including the addition of two new greenhouses.
"We've dramatically increased our capacity," says Marnie, noting they've expanded the sizes of their gardens since buying the farm in 2017.
"We're determined and we realized there was demand. We also offer our members products from other local farms, such as eggs, honey and grain products alongside our veggies."
The couple returned home to this area after farming in rural Alberta for 10 years. "We saw an opportunity here to raise food for people in a regenerative and organic way and make it our full-time livelihood," says Marnie. Their County Road 21 farm, which they purchased from retiring organic farmers, also brought them closer to their extended family.
Like most businesses, the pandemic changed the way they did business in 2020. Marnie and Patrick offered more home delivery when traditional farmers' markets couldn't open. They have on-farm sales and pickup set up moving forward and they've delved into online sales.
"The farm is growing fast as lots of people see the benefits of local, fresh organic produce," says Patrick. They also like to keep things interesting by trying out new veggie varieties while expanding the number of crops that they grow.
Learn more about Fair Sun Farm, located on County Road 21 near Spencerville, by visiting their website, Facebook and Instagram pages. Give them a call at 613-914-5572.
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Top feature photo: Fair Sun Farm owners Patrick van der Berg and Marnie Chown with their three-year-old son Damian.
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Above photos from the top: Fair Sun Farm's fresh greens, tomatoes and an assortment of beets.
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Great News! Digital Service Squads continuing work until
the end of March
Five Digital Service Squads (DSS) have been working throughout Leeds Grenville since last October assisting businesses in implementing or improving their online presence. Their services have now been extended to reach more businesses in need.
Funding from Grenville Community Futures Development Corporation, in collaboration with 1000 Islands CDC and Valley Heartland CFDC, has made the extension possible for Leeds Grenville (Athens, Elizabethtown-Kitley, Front of Yonge, Merrickville-Wolford, Rideau Lakes, Westport) DSS, North Grenville DSS and Augusta/Edwardsburgh Cardinal/ Prescott DSS. The Brockville DSS and Gananoque/ Leeds and the Thousand Islands DSS will be continuing the program with remaining funds from the Ontario Business Improvement Association.
More than 500 businesses have already been assisted with free one-on-one support, which included assessment of online presence, creating Google My Business profiles, 360-degree photos, digital storefront set-up and social media presence. Although no longer available, over 70 Digital Transformation Grants of $2,500 for area business were approved to assist with digital transformations.
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Augusta, Edwardsburgh Cardinal, Prescott –
extended to March 31, 2021
Dana Valentyne, Economic Development Officer
Town of Prescott
T: 613-925-2812 x 6221
Gananoque & Leeds and the Thousand Islands – extended to March 26, 2021
McKenna Modler, Business Support & Marketing
Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands
T: 613-453-2656
Brockville - extended to March 12, 2021
Haley Veronyak, Executive Director
Downtown Brockville
T: 613-345-3269 x 101
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Westport, Merrickville-Wolford, Athens, Front of Yonge, Elizabethtown-Kitley, Rideau Lakes – extended to March 31, 2021
Jim Hutton, Business Development Officer
United Counties of Leeds and Grenville
T: 613-342-3840 x 5361
North Grenville – extended to March 31, 2021
Matt Gilmer, Economic Development Officer
Municipality of North Grenville
T: 613-258-9569 x 153
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Get help with COVID-19 Costs:
Ontario Small Business Support Grant
Leeds Grenville Economic Development is highly encouraging businesses to check their eligibility for this grant. The application deadline is March 31, 2021.
Funding is available for small businesses (including sole proprietors) with less than 100 employees, that were required to close or significantly restrict services under the provincial shutdown, that came into effect on December 26, 2020. At the launch of this fund, there were some technical glitches in the provincial online application system that has now been resolved.
Karen Quigley from Saltastic Salt Spa & Wellness Shop in Kemptville encourages other small businesses to apply with this video testimonial.
Additional resources available include:
For additional information and the application visit the provincial webpage. NEW – businesses can now check their Ontario Small Business Support application status at the bottom of this webpage.
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Canada United Small Business Relief Fund
This $14-million fund reopened on February 16th for grant applications of up to $5,000 for small businesses that have 75 or fewer employees.
The fund is to help small businesses offset the cost of expenses to open safely or adopt digital technologies to move more of their business online. The fund is open to all sectors, a company must have reported annual sales of $150,000 and not more than $3-million in the past fiscal year (2019). Eligible activities include PPE, renovation of space to adhere to re-opening guidelines, enhancement of website / developing e-commerce capability. Applications are processed on a first come first serve basis
The fund is managed by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce but you do not need to be a member to apply.
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Rideau Lakes Business Recognition Program looking for nominations
The Rideau Lakes Township Economic Development Committee is celebrating the successes of local businesses and recognizing their contributions to the community.
The public is invited to nominate businesses by Friday, March 5th. During the nomination period, the nomination form is available online or at local libraries and the Township office. Awards are being presented on Friday, April 2.
Nomination categories:
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Business Innovation: Acknowledges a company demonstrating innovation in enhancing the business and services. This may relate to implementing an "outside the box" system or rejuvenating its operations through new technologies and facility upgrades.
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Business of the Year: A business located in the Township demonstrating a commitment to the community and its residents while displaying strong ethics within the business and society.
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Young Entrepreneur: Honours the hard work demonstrated by a young entrepreneur (under 35) who either resides, operates an active business, or grew up primarily in the Township.
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Local input is being requested on labour market information and the Ontario Government programs. Please take a few minutes to complete the surveys below.
Eastern Workforce Innovation Board - EmployerOne Survey
Understanding local labour market demand (3-10 minutes)
Deadline February 26, 2021
Ontario Government is looking for input on shaping the Digital IT program
Deadline: February 26, 2021
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Celebrating Women Entrepreneurs event for International Women's Day
The theme is #Choose to Challenge for this year's annual International Women's Day event being held virtually. The guest speaker is Martina Ryan. She has held leadership roles for more than 20 years in the talent management industry helping organizations develop and fine tune human capital strategies. Martina will explore how we can challenge ourselves by applying both "Grit and Grace."
The event will feature "Grit and Grace" awards and a panel discussion featuring Janet Campbell, founder and owner of Mrs. McGarrigle's Fine Foods, Rhiannon V. Iles, Chief Operating Officer of HFI Pyrotechnics Inc., Cathy Sheppard, President and CEO of Sheppard and Associates and Corinna Smith-Gatcke, mortgage agent with The Mortgage Advisors and Mayor of the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands. The event is hosted by the Leeds Grenville Small Business Centre in partnership with BWB (Brockville Women in Business).
WHEN: Friday, March 5, 1-4 p.m.
COST: $40
Registration deadline Monday, March 1, 4 p.m.
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Workshops, Seminars and Webinar Library
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Workplace Mental Health: What Employers Need to Know
Workplace mental health challenges continue to rise, yet most organizations are at a loss as to what to do. Hosted by the Small Business Advisory Centre (Smiths Falls/Lanark County/Leeds Grenville).
Minimize risk associated with human rights complaints and litigation relating to workplace mental health and to promote well-being in their organizations. Learn answers to these and other questions:
- What can managers ask and what should they not ask their employees about mental health?
- How should they approach these difficult conversations?
- How can an employer accommodate an employee – working remotely or on-site – experiencing issues relating to mental health?
WHEN: Thursday, February 25, 10 a.m.
COST: Free
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E-Commerce Retailing for Local Merchants
Small retailer or artisan? This webinar with Scott Maybe will help you learn the basics of selling online with Shopify, how to get products to your customers, and ways of leveraging both social media and traditional promotional marketing to create integrated e-commerce retail strategies that support your customers and future-proof your business
WHEN: Friday, February 26, 9-10 a.m.
COST: Free
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BDC Economic Outlook: What to Expect in 2021?
Join Pierre Cléroux, Vice-President, Research and Chief Economist of BDC for an overview of the economic situation and the outlook for 2021, including entrepreneurs' investment intentions. Discover how the COVID-19 pandemic is changing the habits of Canadians and what are the priorities of small and medium-sized businesses in this new context. Presented by the Brockville and District Chamber of Commerce.
WHEN: Wednesday, March 3, 9-11 a.m. (end time is flexible as the session will remain open until all questions have been answered.)
COST: $20 HST included/Chamber Members
$25.00 HST included/Non-Members.
Registration closes at 4 p.m. on March 2.
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Instagram: Creating Stories & Highlights
This webinar featuring Jennifer Baker is designed for individuals with existing Instagram accounts. Participants will be guided through creating stories – content that exists for 24 hours – including photos, videos, buttons, stickers, gifs, polls and more! Participants will be encouraged to create and share at least one story during the webinar. In addition, participants will learn how to create story highlights, including customizing the name and cover. Presented by the Small Business Advisory Centre (Smiths Falls / Lanark County / Leeds Grenville).
WHEN: Wednesday, March 3 10-11 a.m. (part two of a three-part series)
COST: Free
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Instagram: Building an Engaging Community
Designed for individuals with existing Instagram accounts – and those who have participated in the previous two Jennifer Baker webinars. Stuck for ideas? We’ve got you covered. Participants will be introduced to content marketing ideas for feed posts, stories, and reels. In addition, participants will learn how to interact and engage with their potential audience across Instagram to build a flourishing community.
WHEN: Tuesday, March 9, 10-11 a.m. (Part three of a three-part series)
COST: Free
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COVID-19 Tourism Adaptation Fund: Find out if your Business is Eligible for up to $20.000
The Tourism Adaptation fund is designed to assist tourism businesses that have incurred additional costs to protect the health and safety of their staff and customers due to COVID-19. It is a non-repayable grant up to a maximum of $20,000, which could include costs for PPE, cleaning supplies, digital tools, and health and safety protocols.
Join RTO 9's Executive Director Bonnie Ruddock as she discusses the process, eligible partners, and eligible expenses
WHEN: Thursday, March 11, 9 a.m. Zoom call
COST: Free
To register call Employment + Education Centre's Teanne Larocque at 613-498-2111, ext. 365, or Brockville and District Chamber of Commerce's Pam Robertson at 613-342-6553.
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Profit from technology: Digital tools to drive efficiency and revenue
This BDC on-demand webinar featuring Pierre Cléroux, Vice President, Research and Chief Economist; and Senior Business Advisors Jonathan Pastrikos and Josh Ramsbottom, is for Canadian entrepreneurs who want to use technology to create a more competitive business now and in the post-pandemic economy.
You’ll discover:
- How the right digital tools can help solve your operational pain points
- Two foundational tech solutions to make your business leaner and more agile
- An easy three-step method for selecting the best systems for your business
- An update on the economic situation as the pandemic evolves
The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session with our experts.
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COVID-19 Information for Businesses: New information will continue to be posted on the dedicated business COVID-19 webpage at www.investleedsgrenville.com/covid19. To ensure you don’t miss anything, go to the bottom of the webpage to subscribe and you will receive updates as they are posted. For additional business assistance call 613-342-3840 ext. 5365 or email.
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Leeds Grenville eNews Deadlines for submitting information:
If you have an upcoming workshop, seminar, or business-related event, please email it to us in advance.
- Submissions for the March 9th edition should be received by Monday, March 1st, 2021.
- Submissions for the March 23rd edition should be received by Monday, March 15, 2021.
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Ann Weir
Economic Development Manager
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Deanna Clark
Economic Development Officer
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Joanne Poll
Administration / Communications Support
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Jim Hutton
Business Development Officer
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32 Wall Street, Suite 300, Brockville, ON K6V 4R9
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