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In This Issue

  • Save the Date - FFCO Virtual Conference and Speakers' Program
  • Nominations open for 2021 Food & Farming Champion Award
  • Breakfast from the Farm announcement
  • Timing Matters Animation
  • Meet a Member - Ottawa Valley Seed Growers Association
Last spring, a disappointing but necessary decision was made to cancel the Annual Conference and Speakers' Program. But Farm & Food Care Ontario is pleased to invite you to mark your calendar for a Virtual Conference and Speakers' Program taking place on Tuesday, April 6, 2021.

A member-only annual business meeting and board of director elections will be held later that week.

For the first time ever, the meeting will be free to attendees. Registration will open on February 1, 2021.

FFCO is proud to welcome two keynote speakers:
Peace, Love & Fibre

Mairlyn Smith is the only P.H.Ec. in Canada who is also an alumnus of the Second City Comedy Troupe, making her the self-proclaimed funniest P.H.Ec. in the entire world. A popular media personality, MC and keynote speaker Mairlyn is also a regular guest expert on the award-winning national daytime television show Cityline as well as a regular on Toronto’s Breakfast TV. Mairlyn’s forte is her ability to mix learning with laughter. She’s the author of seven award-winning cookbooks. Cookbook number eight - Peace, Love and Fibre: Over 100 Fibre-Rich Recipes for the Whole Family (appetite by Random House) made the bestseller lists at The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, Amazon.ca and Chapters Indigo. Check out her website www.mairlynsmith.com or follow her on Twitter and Instagram @MairlynSmith or Facebook @mairlyn.smith
Generational Change and the Future of Food in Canada

David Coletto delivers strategic advice and research design expertise to many of Canada’s foremost corporations, advocacy groups, and political leaders. A leader in online research methodologies, public affairs research, corporate and organizational reputation studies, and youth research, Coletto has led projects for top-tier companies in many sectors including pharmaceutical, transportation, financial services, educational, natural resource, telecommunications, media, arts and cultural, tourism, and retail. He is an outspoken proponent of transparency in the polling industry and is regularly called upon by media and organizations alike to provide expert analyses of public opinion and research methodologies.
Do you know a food and farming champion?

Submit your nomination for the Food & Farming Champion Award.

This annual award is presented to individuals, organizations or businesses who have taken the initiative to help engage consumers about agriculture in our province. 

Nominees must have used their skills to help inform Canadians or correct misinformation about production practices, and have done a measurable job of promoting agriculture. 

Nominations must be submitted to FFCO by March 20, 2021.

A selection committee will choose a winner from the nominations, and the award recipient will be honoured at the Virtual Conference and Speakers Program on April 6, 2021.
  • Nominations are open to any who have taken an active role in getting the message out about agriculture.
  • A nominated individual or group does not have to be a member of Farm & Food Care Ontario to be eligible.
  • Nominations will be accepted from all Farm & Food Care Ontario members, as well as the current board of directors. Board members themselves, however, are not eligible for nomination.
  • Members may nominate more than one individual, organization or business.
  • A panel will select the award winner(s).

Nomination form available here.

Breakfast from the Farm

As we plan for another year of uncertainty, we are excited to share some new and re-imagined programs and initiatives that will allow FFCO to connect meaningfully and safely with our target audiences.

Three drive-through Breakfast from the Farm events will be hosted with our members in three different areas of the province in 2021, including one in Eastern Ontario. FFCO is pleased to announce that it will be partnering with the Ottawa Valley Seed Growers Association, a Silver Member of FFCO, to host the first of such events during Local Food Week in June.

Stay tuned for more details, as well as volunteer and sponsorship opportunities.
FFCO, along with Ontario's general farm organizations and several livestock commodity groups, comprise an ongoing working group called Timing Matters which supports good manure stewardship practices through educational activities. Specific efforts are made to raise awareness of the risk of nutrient loss if manure is applied on the frozen or snow-covered ground.
FFCO takes the lead on Timing Matters communications efforts. In 2020, a short animation was created to highlight the risks of manure spreading at the "wrong" time and strategies for good manure management. Watch it here.
Meet a Member - Ottawa Valley Seed Growers Association

The Ottawa Valley Seed Growers Association traces back to 1927, after the first World War, when a group of Ottawa Valley Farmers banded together with the aim to help each other merchandise their crops. 94 years later, OVSGA thrives as a not-for-profit group of farmer and agribusiness volunteers dedicated to engaging and supporting the agricultural community. Through agricultural research initiatives, seed shows, training and leadership programs, ag education, 4-H and youth scholarships, we connect with our community. Our Ottawa Valley Championship Seed, Feed and Forage Show showcases exhibitors and entries from the Eastern 12 Counties and our auction enables annual donations to the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario. We also host the Ottawa Valley Farm Show, Ontario’s longest-running agricultural trade show, where 360+ exhibitors and 12,000 visitors come together annually in March.
 
Joining Farm and Food Care was a natural fit for us. With common objectives and a shared vision, we are excited to partner and host projects such as Breakfast on the Farm, Speak Up for Agriculture and more. Farm & Food Care shares to the general public so very well on behalf of our entire agricultural community. We look forward to continuing to share, grow and work together!

Robert Dessaint, President, Ottawa Valley Seed Growers Association