In This Issue

• Strickland's Automart food bank fundraiser, December 6, 2025
• Highlights from 2025 Ontario Harvest Gala
• Ontario Dairy Council receives 2025 Paul Mistele Memorial Award
• The 2026 Farm & Food Care Men's and Women's Curling Ontario Championships
• Recap 2025 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair
• Virtual Food & Farm Field Trips
• Call for Breakfast on the Farm hosts
• Nominate a Food & Farming Champion
• Call for FFCO Board of Directors nominations
• Give the gift of FFCO this Christmas season
• FCC Launch - Empowering the next generation of farm leaders
• Member accolades
• FFCO holiday hours
• FFCO welcomes new members
• Culinary student tour testimonial

Strickland's Automart food bank fundraiser

FFCO, Strickland’s Automart, and Huron-Perth Dairy Cares are teaming up for a free, family-friendly Christmas celebration on December 6, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Strickland’s Automart in Stratford. Attendees can meet local farmers, enjoy festive activities, and support the Huron County Food Distribution Centre by bringing non-perishable food items or cash donation for a chance to win a 2026 Farm Experience. The event will feature photos with Santa, family activities, a money machine, farm-themed games, and more—all in support of families in need across Huron and Perth Counties.

Highlights from the 2025 Ontario Harvest Gala

Last Thursday, FFCO hosted its 18th annual Ontario Harvest Gala at the Delta Hotel in Guelph. Farmers, agribusiness leaders, and long-time supporters gathered to celebrate the strength, resilience, and innovation of Ontario’s agriculture and food sector. The evening also included greetings by Senator Rob Black and MPP Mike Schreiner.


The Ontario Harvest Gala serves as both a celebration and an important fundraiser, generating support for FFCO’s outreach, resources, and public trust initiatives. The evening featured highlights from FFCO’s 2025 programming and the presentation of the 2025 Paul Mistele Memorial Award by Feed Ontario to the Ontario Dairy Council.


Thank you to the presenting partners, donors, and supporters whose generosity helped make this year’s event a success.

Ontario Dairy Council receives 2025 Paul Mistele Memorial Award

Named for the late farm leader, the Paul Mistele Memorial Award recognizes agricultural partners who have shown a significant and enduring commitment to ending hunger in Ontario. The award was accepted by Valerie Smith of the Ontario Dairy Council (ODC). The organization was selected for its leadership in expanding the Ontario Milk Program within Feed Ontario’s network, ensuring greater access to nutritious dairy products for families across the province.

“On a monthly basis, with support from the Ontario Dairy Council, Dairy Farmers of Ontario and The Ontario Milk Transportation Association, Feed Ontario member food banks across the province will now receive 110,000L of donated milk. This increase contributes to an astounding 17 million litres of donated milk, since the program began over 30 years ago.” said Feed Ontario’s CEO, Carolyn Stewart. “As food banks work to address record-high demand, this support is making an incredible difference in our ability to ensure people and families across Ontario have access to nutritious dairy. Thank you to the Ontario Dairy Council for their partnership and generous support.”

Since 1996, Ontario Dairy Council has been a proud partner in the Ontario Food Bank Milk Program, alongside Dairy Farmers of Ontario and the Ontario Milk Transport Association, donating over 100,000 litres of milk each month to over 100 Ontario food banks,” said Christina Lewis, President of Ontario Dairy Council. “ODC is absolutely delighted to receive this award on behalf of the dairy product manufacturer participants - Lactalis Canada, Saputo Dairy Products, Agropur Co-operative, Kawartha Dairy, Reid’s Dairy, Gay Lea Foods, Organic Meadow and Farquhar Dairies. Collectively, we are committed to helping ensure that nutritious milk products are available to those in need in our communities.”

The 2026 Farm & Food Care Men's and Women's Curling Ontario Championships

FFCO is reaching new audiences with its title sponsorship of the 2026 Men’s and Women’s Curling Ontario Championships. In partnership with Curling Ontario, FFCO is bringing together two great Canadian traditions: sport and agriculture.


The Championships will be held in Elmira from January 4 to 11, 2026, at the Woolwich Memorial Centre.

Funding for this opportunity was made possible through the support of dozens of incredible partners. Through this event, FFCO will engage with more than 10,000 attendees, including students from local schools, and a broadcast television audience to share resources and put food and farming front and centre throughout the Championships. Additional funds generated through this program will also contribute to the significant fundraising needed for the seventh edition of The Real Dirt on Farming magazine in 2026, including new digital components geared toward a new generation of readers.


Visit FFCO on-site at a booth featuring interactive exhibits and FarmFood360° virtual tours. A pop-up Brunch & Brooms event, hosted by FFCO, will take place on Saturday, January 10, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., offering attendees and the greater Elmira community an opportunity to explore food and farming exhibits, experience a virtual farm tour, enjoy an all-Ontario breakfast, and connect directly with local farmers. This dedicated space is available for FFCO members and partners to engage with curling fans and the wider community.


Join us at the 2026 Farm & Food Care Men’s and Women’s Curling Ontario Championships and support FFCO’s work. Members and friends of FFCO receive 30% off any day pass or playoff day pass using code FFCO-30. Tickets are now on sale.

Recap of the 2025 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair

The 103rd Royal Agricultural Winter Fair was a great success for FFCO, with staff and volunteers engaging thousands of students and parents through a variety of interactive experiences.

Highlights included the debut of several new FarmFood360° Virtual Tours, a new Ask-A-Farmer question submission mailbox, and an updated Farm Fact display that drew steady interest throughout the week.

Virtual Food & Farm Field Trips

In December, FFCO and AgScape are offering two new Virtual Food & Farm Field Trips, giving students and the public a behind-the-scenes look at Ontario food and flower production. These interactive livestreams allow viewers to join experts in exploring real farms and food processing, meet farmers, growers and ask questions in real time — all from the classroom or home.

Schedule of Virtual Field Trips:


Making Eggnog with Sheldon Creek Dairy: Friday, December 12 at 10:00 a.m. EST


Technology in a Greenhouse with Flowers Canada: Wednesday, December 17 at 10:00 a.m. EST

These virtual experiences are free for classrooms and viewers across the province and will also be streamed on FFCO’s Facebook and YouTube channels for on-demand viewing.

Call for Breakfast on the Farm hosts

Are you interested in participating in one of Ontario's largest agricultural outreach events? Consider hosting a Breakfast on the Farm in 2026 or beyond.

Farm & Food Care Ontario (FFCO) is seeking host farms and agricultural societies across the province. Our team will take the lead, collaborating with you and a local volunteer committee to ensure a successful and memorable event.

Interested in learning more? Contact the FFCO office to discuss your farm or organization and the role of a host. Call 519-837-1326, ext. 221, or email events@farmfoodcare.org with any questions. Applications are available for download and can be submitted directly to FFCO.

Applications will be accepted until January 30, 2026.

Nominate a Food & Farming Champion

Nominations are now open for FFCO's annual Champion Award. This prestigious award celebrates individuals, organizations, or businesses that go above and beyond to connect consumers with agriculture, share accurate information, and help the public better understand how food is grown and produced in our province.

Do you know someone who’s making a real impact in promoting Ontario agriculture? Submit your nomination by March 6, 2026 and help us recognize their outstanding contributions. Check out the nomination form and share the story of a true agri-food champion.

Pictured here is 2025 Food & Farming Champion Award winner Bruce Christie.

Call for FFCO Board of Director nominations

FFCO is accepting nominations for six (6) Director positions: two Crop/Horticulture, two Livestock, and two At-Large (general farm organization and agribusiness members). Crop/horticulture and livestock seats are designated for producer-based organizations.

Who can nominate/be nominated: Platinum, Gold, and Silver FFCO members in good standing.

Nomination limit: one nomination per voting member.

Timeline:

·        Nominee packages available: January 2026

·        Nominee packages due: March 20, 2026

Elections will take place at the April 9, 2026 AGM at the GrandWay Event Centre (prior to the annual conference)

Interested in being nominated? Contact kelly@farmfoodcare.org for more information on the role.

Give the gift of FFCO this Christmas season

Thanks to the support of our members, donors, and partners, 2025 was a year of meaningful progress in growing public confidence in food and farming across Ontario and Canada.

Together, we:

• Welcomed more than 6,931 Ontarians to in-person farm experiences.
• Reached 6.75 million Canadians through Faces Behind Food.
• Connected with 33,000+ students and viewers through 10 Virtual Field Trips.
• Hosted 231 culinary students and food industry professionals.
• Distributed 14,062 educational resources to schools, fairs, and community organizations.
• Delivered 25 training sessions for industry leaders.
• Provided thousands of FarmFood360 experiences at urban events.
• Filmed three new FarmFood360 tours — Apples, Grain Corn, and Field Tomatoes — expanding the library of farm experiences.

Your support helps us bridge the gap between farm gates and dinner plates, strengthening trust and understanding in how food is grown and raised. Help us continue this important work. Donate today at FarmFoodCareON.org/donate and make a tax-receipt-eligible contribution.

FCC Launch - Empowering the next generation of farm leaders

FCC Launch is a 12-week virtual learning program developed in partnership with the Ivey Business School to equip emerging farm leaders with essential business management skills. Through interactive sessions, real-world case studies, and peer collaboration, participants build the confidence needed to take on greater responsibility in their operations.

Designed for young farmers, junior partners, and successors preparing for leadership roles, the program fills a critical gap in farm business education. It strengthens financial literacy, strategic thinking, and leadership capacity — positioning participants as future CEOs of their farms.


Thanks to FCC’s investment in the next generation, this $3,500 program is offered for just $200. Registration is open until December 15, 2025, or until all 50 cohort spots are filled, with English and French cohorts beginning in January.

Register today to secure your place and invest in your future as a farm leader.

Member accolades

2025 Excellence in Agriculture Awards:

Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers wins Promotional Excellence Award

Congratulations to OGVG for receiving the Promotional Excellence Award.

Hillmanor Holsteins wins Education Excellence Award

Congratulations to the Louwagie Family of Hillmanor Holsteins for receiving the Education Excellence Award.

FFCO holiday hours

The team at Farm & Food Care Ontario wishes everyone a safe and joyful holiday season. The office will be closed from noon on December 24th and will re-open January 2nd, 2026.

FFCO welcomes new members

FFCO is pleased to welcome the following new member:

Gold member

• The Ontario Food Terminal

Thank you for your membership and support as we continue to educate and bring awareness of food and farming to consumers in Ontario and across Canada.

Algonquin College Culinary Student tour testimonial

“Your passion and knowledge and communication was great and allowed us to learn so many things. The samples at the end were great and so thoughtful!”

Algonquin College Culinary Skills student.

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.