In This Issue

• Breakfast on the Farm - Norfolk County, August 23, 2025
• Volunteer for Breakfast on the Farm events for 2025
• Highlights from Local Food Week
• FFCO receives three-year provincial funding to expand outreach
• Innerkip Breakfast on the Farm recap
• ICYMI: FFCO hosts Toronto Food Industry Professionals tour
• FFCO Member Forum meeting summary
• Ontario Agricultural Communicators' Forum
• FFCO seeking staff for CNE booth
• Order your "If Found Please Return to the Farm" T-Shirt
• The Real Dirt on Farming exclusive case sale
• Resources and lending library
• Member accolades
• Breakfast on the Farm guest testimonial
• FFCO welcomes new members

Breakfast on the Farm - Norfolk County, August 23

Join us for Breakfast on the Farm, hosted by the Norfolk County Agricultural Society and Schooley Orchards/Apple Hill Lavender near Norfolk County.

This special event will bring together two proud local hosts — the Norfolk County Agricultural Society, a community institution since 1840, and the Schooley family on their family farm known for its blooming lavender fields and apple orchards. Together, they’re opening their gates to showcase the beauty, innovation, and community spirit of Ontario agriculture.

This event offers a unique opportunity for urban and suburban non-farming audiences to connect with life on the farm. Guests will explore a wide range of agricultural commodities, careers, and innovations in food production through interactive exhibits, livestock displays, farm equipment, and one-on-one conversations with farmers and agri-food experts.



Come see Ontario farming up close — meet the animals, explore the equipment and crops, and enjoy a delicious all-Ontario breakfast.

Volunteer with us – help bring Breakfast on the Farm to life in 2025

• August 23 - Two-stop event in Norfolk County; co-hosted by the Norfolk Agricultural Society and Schooley Orchards/Apple Hill Lavender
• October 10 - FARMtoberfest at Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest

Breakfast on the Farm events showcase the many different agricultural commodities, careers, opportunities, and advancements in modern farming and food production. Guests will enjoy interactive displays and exhibits highlighting the diversity of food produced in Ontario. Visitors can also get up close with different livestock displays, explore farm equipment, and have all their farming-related questions answered by farmers and industry experts. To get involved and support this important outreach event, contact FFCO to explore partnership opportunities and help bring the story of Ontario agriculture to a wider audience.

Volunteer registration is now open—sign up today!

Questions? Reach out to events@farmfoodcare.org

Highlights from Local Food Week across Ontario

During Local Food Week, Farm & Food Care Ontario (FFCO) partnered with AgScape and other industry members to host three engaging virtual food and farm field trips. These live tours gave students across the province a firsthand look at Ontario agriculture, including a visit to a water buffalo farm hosted by the Koskamp family, a behind-the-scenes look at how potatoes are turned into chips with the Vander Zaag family, and an exploration of urban agriculture at Zawadi Farm.

More than 3,500 students registered for the live events, and the recorded tours—still available for viewing—have reached an audience of over 5,000.

In support of Local Food Week, FFCO also developed a suite of social media graphics for industry partners. These assets were downloaded over 900 times, and related hashtags such as #loveONfood and #loveONTfood reached more than 6.6 million people through social media, helping amplify the celebration of Ontario-grown food.

FFCO receives three-year provincial funding to expand outreach

Farm & Food Care Ontario (FFCO) is pleased to announce a three-year, $597,000 funding agreement with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA). This support will help FFCO grow its outreach initiatives and connect more Ontarians with modern agriculture. The funding will bolster six key programs, including Breakfast on/from the Farm events, farm tours for culinary professionals, the More than a Migrant Worker project, public resource libraries, digital media assets, and communications training for farmers. FFCO extends its gratitude to Minister Trevor Jones and OMAFA and looks forward to continuing its mission of building public trust in Ontario’s food and farming systems.

Innerkip Breakfast on the Farm

On June 14th, Farm & Food Care Ontario (FFCO) launched its 2025 Breakfast on the Farm season at Hoenhorst Farms in Innerkip, Ontario—a fourth-generation dairy farm owned and operated by the Arriaga-Wensink family. The event drew an enthusiastic crowd of over 2,200 guests, with visitors traveling from as far as Toronto to experience a morning on the farm.

In celebration of the farm’s 100th anniversary, the event brought the local community together in a meaningful way. Guests enjoyed an all-Ontario breakfast, toured the host’s dairy barns, and connected with the people behind their food.

The farm grounds featured exhibits from 40 commodity groups, agricultural organizations, and exhibitors alongside impressive livestock and equipment displays.

Farm & Food Care Ontario extends its heartfelt thanks to the host family, volunteers, sponsors, and all participating partners for making this special centennial celebration a memorable and educational day for everyone involved.

This event also marked a significant milestone—FFCO’s 25th Breakfast on the Farm—a testament to the ongoing commitment to growing trust in food and farming by opening barn doors to the public.

You can use this link to see a full list of event partners: https://www.farmfoodcareon.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Innerkip-Sponsors-42x60-1-1-scaled.png

In case you missed it: FFCO hosts Toronto Food Industry Professionals tour

Farm & Food Care Ontario (FFCO) continues its commitment to expanding program reach by hosting a tour for food industry professionals on June 20th, welcoming 35 food chefs, dietitians, home economists, bloggers, cookbook authors and illustrators and others from the GTA to Perth County for a day of farm visits, expert insights, and local food tastings.

The tour began at Kampkreek Dairies, where guests toured the water buffalo and dairy cow farm and sampled cheeses courtesy of the Koskamp family. Lunch was hosted at Stratford’s Revival House.

The afternoon stop at Josh and Brad Boersen's family farm included a tour of their grain operations and a biosecure visit to an empty broiler chicken barn. Throughout the day, industry experts from CropLife Canada, Grain Farmers of Ontario, Chicken Farmers of Ontario, and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) provided updates and local agricultural perspectives during the bus rides.

The event was supported by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA), CropLife Canada, Grain Farmers of Ontario and Chicken Farmers of Ontario.

A second tour is planned for Ottawa this fall.

Guests at Boersen farms near Stratford

Touring Kampkreek Dairies water buffalo farm

FFCO member forum meeting summary

FFCO’s second Member Forum meeting of 2025 took place on June 18 at the Grandway in Elora. These meetings are open to representatives from FFCO's Platinum, Gold and Silver level membership groups. FFCO extends thanks to the Grand River Agricultural Society for providing the venue.

The June forum featured a lineup of industry speakers:

• Melanie Milczynski and Erin Donahue from Animal Welfare Services who provided updates on Ontario’s animal care legislation and recent enforcement efforts.
• Eric Olson of MNP explored today’s political landscape, production costs, risk management strategies, and supply chain dynamics from a microeconomic perspective.
• Kevin Vallier of Agritourism Ontario shared a forward-looking view on the growth and potential of Ontario’s agritourism sector.

Following the presentations, member organizations took part in a roundtable session to share updates on market conditions, events, promotional campaigns, and emerging issuesin their respective sectors.

Above left: Frank Hoftyzer, retiring Member Forum Co-Chair.

Above right: Melanie Milczynski and Erin Donahue from Animal Welfare Services provided updates on Ontario’s animal care legislation.

Above left: Eric Olson of MNP explored today’s political landscape.

Above right: Kevin Vallier of Agritourism Ontario shared a forward-looking view on the growth and potential of Ontario’s agritourism sector.

Member Forum Leadership Update

FFCO is pleased to welcome Dave Stanfield from The Clark Companies as the newly elected Member Forum Co-Chair, joining Alice Van Vught from The Commonwell Mutual Insurance Group.



FFCO also extends thanks to Frank Hoftyzer of the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario for his three years as member forum co-chair. His thoughtful leadership and ongoing commitment to collaboration have been deeply valued by the membership.

FFCO’s next Member Forum will take place on September 25, 2025, and is open to all Platinum, Gold, and Silver level members.

Ontario Agricultural Communicators' Forum

On June 4 and 5, Farm & Food Care Ontario (FFCO) welcomed communications professionals from voting-level member organizations and commodity groups for an in-person professional development event in Ottawa. The session brought together 26 communicators from 17 organizations for a full day of skills-building, idea-sharing, and collaboration.

Participants took part in a hands-on workshop led by Renée-Claude Goulet, Science Advisor at Ingenium, who brings extensive experience in agricultural education, public programming, and exhibit development at the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum.

The interactive session was tailored to communicators who work with science-based messaging in agriculture. Attendees explored the principles behind exhibit development and discussed how immersive, audience-focused experiences can positively shape public understanding of modern farming.



The day offered both valuable professional development and an opportunity to strengthen connections among Ontario’s agricultural communications community.

The group in front of the dairy barn at the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum.

Participants viewing the Sustainable Agriculture Gallery.

FFCO seeking staff for CNE booth

Farm & Food Care Ontario is seeking enthusiastic, outgoing individuals to help staff its booth in the Farm Building at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE).

Exhibit staff will help run the FarmFood360 theatre-style kiosk, engaging visitors and offering them virtual tours of 27 different types of farm and food processing facilities. This is a unique opportunity to connect with non-farming Ontarians in an urban setting to have their questions about food and farming answered while highlighting the importance of agriculture and food production in a fun, interactive setting.

Interested? Contact us today to learn more events@farmfoodcare.org

Farm proud? Wear it loud! Order your 2025 FFCO t-shirt today

These exclusive "If Found, Please Return to the Farm" t-shirts, designed for FFCO, are now available for $25. Show your love for the farm life and support for FFCO with these stylish, comfortable tees. Orders can be picked up at no cost from the Guelph office or shipped for a flat rate of $5

Order yours today and bring the farm vibes wherever you go.

The Real Dirt on Farming exclusive sale

FFCO is offering a special discount on cases of the sixth edition of The Real Dirt on Farming. This award-winning booklet answers the top questions Canadians have about food and farming in a simple, easy-to-understand format.

This edition dives deep into the roots of Canadian agriculture, featuring farmer and researcher profiles from across the country—from the Yukon to Newfoundland and everywhere in between. Available in both English and French, the booklet comes in two versions: full and digest.

Order today and choose pick-up to receive a FREE cardboard tabletop stand with your purchase! Shipping is also available if you prefer. Payment can be made by cheque, e-transfer, or credit card.

Resources and lending library

If you're organizing an event, fair, or agricultural awareness activity this fall, Farm & Food Care Ontario (FFCO) has a range of resources available to support your outreach efforts.

FFCO offers information sheets with practical tips on everything from setting up educational livestock displays to ensuring your key messages are clear and engaging.

Members at the Supporter level and above also have access to a library of lendable resources designed to enhance ag education displays.

These include:

• Eye-catching farm fact signs
• Interactive speech bubbles for photo ops
• Professionally designed ag education signage
• And more!

These materials are perfect for drawing attention, starting conversations, and promoting accurate farm and food information in a fun, approachable way.

Supporting meaningful outreach - thanks to the Halton-Wentworth Growers' Association

FFCO Executive Director Kelly Daynard accepts a cheque for $4073.65 from Kenny Forth, president of the Halton-Wentworth Growers’ Association. The funds will be used to further work done on the More than a Migrant Worker outreach initiative. This is an initiative that FFCO works on in partnership with the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association.

Member accolades:

France Lacasse, Burnbrae Farms, and Elizabeth Mackay, Maple Leaf Foods, named Shining-Level Stars in Canadian Grocer's 2025 Star Women in Grocery Award Winner

Congratulations to France Lacasse, Senior Director, Research and Development, Burnbrae Farms, and Elizabeth Mackay, Director, Customer Development, Maple Leaf Foods on their awards as a 2025 Shining-Level Star Women in Grocery.

Above: France France Lacasse, Senior Director, Research and Development, Burnbrae Farms.

Below: Elizabeth Mackay, Director, Customer Development, Maple Leaf Foods

Craig Hunter and Ken Forth inducted into Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame

Congratulations to longtime FFCO supporters Craig Hunter and Ken Forth on being inducted into the Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame (OAHF) on June 8th.

Craig was recognized for his decades-long dedication to strengthening and modernizing Ontario’s egg and pullet sectors. A key part of his career was spent as Vice President of Grading and Poultry Operations at Burnbrae Farms, where his leadership left a lasting impact on the industry.

Ken, past president of the Foreign Agricultural Resource Management Services (F.A.R.M.S.), ensured essential workers could cross borders and work on Ontario farms. A fifth-generation broccoli farmer from Lynden, Ken has dedicated his career to advancing Ontario's horticulture industry.

Above: Craig Hunter unveiling his portrait at the OAHF ceremony with Nick Whyte, OAHF board member.

Below: Ken Forth with his portrait at the OAHF ceremony.

Joe Hudson, Dennis Laycraft, and Dr. Peter Sikkema selected to join Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame for 2025

FFCO would like to extend congratulations to the Hudson family on the announcement that the late Joe Hudson will enter the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame (CAHFA). Joe was nominated by Egg Farmers of Canada and was instrumental in shaping Canada's egg industry as founder and CEO of Burnbrae Farms for nearly 60 years.

Joe was selected to join the CAHFA alongside Dennis Laycraft of the Canadian Cattle Association and Dr. Peter Sikkema nominated by Grain Farmers of Ontario.

Breakfast on the Farm guest testimonial

"Thank you so much for hosting such a wonderful event! Everything was so well organized, and it was a fun and educational experience for the whole family. I was so happy to be there—everything from the animals to the food and activities was amazing. I had visitors with me from other countries, and they were also very happy with the event. You did a great job, and I’m really looking forward to coming again next year."

BOTF Innerkip guest

FFCO welcomes new members

FFCO welcomes the following new members:

Gold member

• The Greenbelt Foundation

Supporter member

• Bayfield Agricultural Society
• Spencerville Agricultural Society
• Arthur Agricultural Society

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.

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.