Welcome to FFCO's Ontario Fairs Newsletter, a new occasional publication to build awareness about how FFCO can work with your ag society to provide resources, support and opportunities to partner meaningfully to build trust in Ontario food and farming. 
Local Food Week with FFCO and Ontario Fairs
This past June, in celebration of Local Food Week, Farm & Food Care Ontario (FFCO) partnered with the Paris Agricultural Society for a walk-through version of our popular Breakfast from the Farm series.

We hosted over 500 guests and shared displays of farm equipment, livestock, educational exhibits and opportunities to ask working Ontario farmers questions about where their food comes from.
August 27th, FFCO will host breakfast in Elora with the Grand River Agricultural Society, and on the Saturday of Thanksgiving - October 3 - we’re pleased to bring the experience to downtown Milton alongside the Halton Agricultural Society.

Host an event with us in 2023 - contact Alicia Becker to find out how.
Welcome New Fair Members

FFCO's mission to build public trust and consumer confidence in our food and farming systems can help your agricultural society reach your goals. FFCO is pleased to welcome the following new Agricultural Society Members:
  • Fergus Agricultural Society
  • Paisley Agricultural Society
  • Perth & District Agricultural Society
  • Halton Agricultural Society

New members are approved as of June 14th. Members joining after June 14th will be submitted for approval at the August 11th FFCO Board Meeting.
Resources to support ag awareness at fairs

Find the resources you need to bring excellence in ag awareness to your fair this season!

Member and non-member resources are available on our website at the link below, including signage for ag exhibits, displays, Farm Food 360 kiosks, copies of The Real Dirt on Farming, children's activities and more.

Contact [email protected] to order or book FFCO displays for your fair.
FFCO needs your help in the garden

This spring, FFCO's Garden in a Box program shipped over 500 garden kits across Ontario to patio and plot gardeners alike. Box purchasers and other Ontario gardeners were invited to join us for a peer-to-peer, guided growing journey in the 2022 Farm & Food Care Garden Club on Facebook to learn and grow alongside the farming community. FFCO and our team of Garden Ambassadors have shared information and resources to support growers.
 
One priority of this program is to highlight other opportunities to connect meaningfully to the agricultural community in Ontario through learning opportunities. As such, we shared in the garden boxes the OAAS fair schedule for 2022 and a special postcard to invite gardeners to submit their produce to their local fair.
Your ag society can help as we continue to promote visiting local fairs this season- and consider getting involved. We are looking for support from:
 
  • Growers and distinguished prize winners in a giant vegetable growing category
  • Experienced fair judges in a Fruit and Vegetable category that would be willing to speak to about what makes a prize winning vegetable
 
Volunteers will be part of short video clips (1-3 minutes) or live stream events (15-30 minutes + a test) and should be able to speak confidently about their subject matter expertise to a non-farming audience. If you can provide a volunteer or resources for this project, please contact Christa Ormiston [email protected].
If you have any questions, or want to discuss what membership in FFCO can do for your fair, please feel free to contact me.
 
Yours in food and farming,
Alicia Becker
Community Engagement Manager