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In This Issue


  • Volunteers wanted for Breakfast on the Farm: Napanee, August 26, 2023
  • FFCO's Ask-A-Farmer kiosk returns to the CNE
  • Save the date: Annual Harvest Gala, November 16, 2023
  • New FarmFood360 virtual reality tour coming this fall
  • Faces Behind Food
  • Fair resources and lending library
  • Livestock emergency training update

Volunteers wanted for Breakfast on the Farm: Napanee, August 26, 2023

Farm & Food Care Ontario is seeking volunteers to help at the Breakfast on the Farm event in Napanee. This family-friendly event will be a great way to educate the public on the importance of agriculture in Ontario. Outgoing and friendly volunteers are needed to welcome visitors and set the tone from the moment they arrive on farm.


Ripplebrook Farm is home to 280 animals and a lot of heart. Their herd of 130 milking cows is milked three times daily in a modern free-stall dairy barn. The farm is also home to seven show-winning quarter horses. Crops on the farm are grown on over 900 acres of land and include alfalfa, barley, wheat, corn and soybeans.


The MacLean family is looking forward to opening their farm gates to provide an opportunity for you to chat with the public and educate them on the importance of agriculture in Ontario.

Register to volunteer

FFCO's Ask-A-Farmer kiosk at the Canadian National Exhibition


Are you headed down to the CNE with the family this summer?


Stop by "The Farm" building and find FFCO's Ask-A-Farmer kiosk. The kiosk is a video recording booth- like "Speakers' Corner"- allowing visitors to record themselves asking questions about food and farming. FFCO will collect answers from Canadian farmers and post "Ask-A-Farmer" video updates via FFCO's social media following the CNE.


Visit us between August 18 - September 4, 2023, near the Dairy Farmers of Ontario exhibit. 

Save the date: Annual Harvest Gala

Join Farm & Food Care for an event celebrating the harvest and

excellence across all sectors of Ontario agriculture.


Save November 16, 2023, to join the celebration!


All net proceeds support the continued work of Farm & Food Care Ontario.


The night will include:


  • Cocktail reception & hors d’ourves
  • Three-course plated dinner featuring Ontario’s finest foods
  • Program featuring the presentation of the annual Paul Mistele Memorial Award


Tickets will go on sale in September at www.FarmFoodCareON.org

New FarmFood360 virtual reality tour coming this fall

Filming for a new FarmFood360 tour took place at two farm locations last month for the new virtual reality tour with Ontario Berries featuring strawberries, blueberries and raspberries.


A full day was spent at the Howe Family Farm in Aylmer, capturing 360 footage and phenomenal interviews with brothers Rick, Ryan and Kevin Howe, who brought strawberry and raspberry farming to life for the project.


Day two of filming took place at Thames River Melons in Innerkip, focusing on blueberries. With blueberries now in season, owner Alex Chesney was the farmer's voice on behalf of the family.  


FFCO and Berry Growers of Ontario are planning to launch the new 360 video and four interview style videos at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair this November.

Faces Behind Food

Food unites us, but how much do we know about the people who work hard day-in and day-out to ensure Canadians have access to fresh, safe, nutritious, and delicious food? Faces Behind Food shares the passion behind the food that we love, one person at a time. Follow along to hear stories from farmers and food processors to researchers, veterinarians, transporters, seasonal agricultural workers and more. 


Since 2018, more than 400 farmers have shared their stories. Just this year, a master butcher explained how his job has become part of who he is, a bison farmer told the story of how he got into the business, a grain farmer talked about how he became a glider pilot, and a retired dairy farmer shared how she immigrated to Canada, plus many more.


You can help this project by following along on Facebook or Instagram, and when a story touches you, share it with your friends. 

 

Do you know someone who would be a great feature in Faces Behind Food?

Share your story with FFCO

Fair resources and lending library

Do you have an event coming up this fall? FFCO has Ag Ambassador resources for those promoting agricultural awareness through events, fairs, etc.


Information sheets cover topics ranging from educational livestock displays to making sure important messages are displayed.


A library of lendable or custom resources is available for FFCO members at a supporter level or above. These include Farm Fact Signs, Speech bubbles, Ag education signage, FarmFood360 kiosk and access to FarmFood360 videos.


Send in your completed form to info@farmfoodcare.org

Ag Ambassador Resources

Livestock Emergency Training update

FFCO's livestock emergency training program has been a popular resource in 2023, with 14 sessions and over 250 first responders trained. In June, FFCO hosted six sessions for staff in the Kawartha Lakes districts and had representation across their departments. 


The program continues to mature in content and presentation; with each new accident, there are new lessons to learn and photos and videos to build the case study library of Ontario incidents. FFCO is looking for industry sponsors to help with an updated livestock emergency promotional video for use on the website and training sessions.


Feedback has been excellent, and future sessions planned for the fall include in-person training with livestock trucks on site. Upcoming sessions include the Oakville Training Centre on September 20 and Wyoming (Lambton County) Region Fire Center on October 16.


This training is possible because of the support of the following session sponsors: Northern Producer Animal Health Network, Ontario Mutual Insurance Association, Beef Farmers of Ontario, Commonwell Mutual Insurance, and Farm Credit 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.

Join FFCO Today
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