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In This Issue FFCO's 2022 annual conference highlights 2022 Food & Farming Champion award winner announced OMAFRA announces funding for Farm & Food Care FFCO elects 2022 board of directors Garden in a Box orders Save the date: August 11 for FFCO member anniversary BBQ Tenth anniversary fundraising update Virtual Food & Farm Field Trip: Prepping for planting Breakfast From The Farm: Paris fairgrounds Meet a Platinum Member: Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Growers' Association

FFCO's 2022 annual conference highlights On April 13, 110 famers, processors and agriculture business representatives gathered in Elora for the first time since 2019 to participate in Farm & Food Care Ontario’s (FFCO) annual conference. Forty participants also joined FFCO virtually from across the province to listen to speakers like Tim May, known as Farmer Tim on social media, comedian Bill Carr and others. A panel discussion gave the perspectives of four FFCO members. Marianne Edward, Sheldon Creek Dairy; Mike Buis, Buis Beef and Bloomfield Feed Company; Kevin Snyder, Snyder Heritage Farms and Erin McLean, McLean Berry Farms talked about lessons learned during Covid - both the challenges that they faced and successes that they've experienced. Food & Farming Champion Award recipient Receiving the 2022 Food & Farming Champion award is long-time 4-H volunteer and agricultural advocate John Drummond. The award was presented at FFCO’s annual conference in Elora. Drummond is a Waterloo Region resident and an employee of Floradale Feed Mill Ltd. The Champion Award has been presented annually, since 1999, in recognition of an individual or group’s significant commitment to public outreach and support for Ontario’s farming community. Drummond was nominated by Anne and Kevin Snyder of Snyder Heritage Farms with letters of support submitted by colleague Angela Fairfield and by Christine Oldfield, Executive Director of 4-H Ontario. His award was presented by the Honourable Rob Black and FFCO Vice-Chair Crispin Colvin.

Panel presentation: Marianne Edward, Sheldon Creek Dairy; Kevin Snyder, Snyder Heritage Farms; Mike Buis, Buis Beef and Bloomfield Feed Company, and joining virtually Erin McLean, McLean Berry Farm. See event photos here Food & Farming Champion Award recipient, John Drummond.   Read the press release

OMAFRA announces public trust funding for FFCO OMAFRA Minister Lisa Thompson attended the FFCO conference to announce a funding agreement of up to $547,200 for FFCO outreach initiatives over the next three years.  The new funding will be put towards supporting five of the organization’s activities, all designed to raise awareness and appreciation of Ontario farmers and food producers. The funding will support: Interviews, photography and videography work showcasing the critical work that seasonal agricultural workers and temporary foreign workers do in Ontario for the More than a Migrant Worker initiative; FFCO’s Breakfast on/from the Farm events which provide a unique and personal experience for non-farming Ontarians to visit and explore agriculture with working farmers each year; Farm tours for culinary students which allow them to learn about raising livestock and horticultural products they prepare in the kitchen; The Garden in a Box program that connects home gardeners with Ontario farmers; Numerous digital consumer outreach activities including virtual field trips highlighting the diversity of farms and food processing facilities to consumers.  “Ensuring Ontarians have the facts on where their food comes from, how it grows, and how it is made is key to growing the next generation of leaders for Ontario’s agri-food sector,” said Lisa Thompson, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. “This important investment will empower Farm and Food Care Ontario to deliver these critical programs.”

FFCO Executive with Minister Lisa Thompson. Left to Right: John Taylor, Treasurer; Janelle Cardiff, Second-vice chair; Bonnie den Haan, Chair; Lisa Thompson, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA); Crispin Colvin, First-vice chair.

See the full press release here

FFCO elects 2022 Board of Directors Election of FFCO's 2022-2023 board and executive took place in a member-wide annual meeting and subsequent board meeting on April 20. Newly elected or re-elected directors in the board’s Livestock, Crop/Horticultural and At Large categories include: Crispin Colvin, Ontario Federation of Agriculture (re-elected) Bonnie den Haan, Sheldon Creek Dairy (re-elected) Mark Hamel, Dairy Farmers of Ontario Steve Lake, Grain Farmers of Ontario Andrea Veldhuizen, Chicken Farmers of Ontario Returning members to the Board of Directors include: Janelle Cardiff, Egg Farmers of Ontario Joe Hickson, Ontario Seed Growers’ Association Brian Gilroy, Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Growers’ Association Quintin McEwen, Ontario Sheep Farmers Holly McGill, Wallenstein Feed & Supply Ltd. Jennifer Mitchell, Mushrooms Canada John Taylor, Ontario Mutual Insurance Association Jason Leblond, Beef Farmers of Ontario (Ex Officio)  Retiring directors Richard Blyleven, Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario; Josh Boersen, Grain Farmers of Ontario; Jordan Fois, Chicken Farmers of Ontario were thanked for their years of service and commitment to the organization. Election of FFCO’s executive also took place. Bonnie den Haan has been re-elected chair of the board for a third one-year term. Crispin Colvin, nominated by the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, will serve as first vice chair, and Janelle Cardiff, nominated by Egg Farmers of Ontario will serve as second vice chair. John Taylor, nominated by the Ontario Mutual Insurance Association, has been re-elected as treasurer.

Read press release here

Order your 2022 Garden in a Box It's not too late to garden with us! Pick up your kit for $45 - save 10% using code: GrowWithFFCO Your Garden box is growing more than just a garden! Proceeds from the sales of Garden kits will provide 15,000 meals to Ontarians in need and plant 750 trees this year! Buy a garden plot pack and join FFCO's Facebook Garden Club where we'll be cultivating knowledge, sharing the experience and learning together as we join #Plant2022 with gardeners across Ontario!

Order your box here

Tenth anniversary fundraising campaign continues This year marks an exciting milestone for FFCO. In celebration of its ten year anniversary, FFCO is inviting members, partners and friends to join in anniversary events and campaigns throughout 2022. Show your support by donating a minimum of $10/month or $100 in 2022 to be part of the10th anniversary donors' circle. Donations over $20 will receive a charitable tax receipt. Ways to celebrate with us  Become a member or renew your individual membership Donate $10/month for 10 months Volunteer at a Farm & Food Care Ontario event, like Breakfast from the Farm Tell your story and help build public trust in food and farming Host an FFCO speaker or training session in your community Attend the summer celebration barbecue August 11 Celebrate Ontario Agriculture Week - October 3-9, 2022 Invite a friend to attend the 2022 Gala celebration

Donate 10 for 10 today!

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Virtual Food & Farm Field Trip: Prepping for planting Join FFCO to take a tour with Steve Sickle when he will walk visitors through his planting process at Sickle Farm, May 4th at 2 p.m.  Sickle Farm is a member of Grain Farmers of Ontario and a third generation grain operation. The tour will show Steve's efforts to plant sustainably through continually improving his equipment when new technology becomes available. Steve has completed courses with the Environmental Farm Plan and is first vice president on the Ontario Soil & Crop Improvement Association board of directors. Sickle Farm won the Ontario Environmental Stewardship Award in 2019 and was also named the Brant Farm Family of the Year in 2016 from the Brant County Federation of Agriculture. Join the tour

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Meet a Platinum Member: Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Growers' Association "The Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Growers’ Association (OFVGA) is a long-time Farm & Food Care Ontario supporter and proud to be a platinum member of the organization. In fact, OFVGA’s involvement dates back to the early days of AgCare, one of Farm & Food Care’s two legacy organizations. Over the years, we’ve had many close collaborations related to crop protection and environmental issues, which continue to this day with one of our staff members chairing Farm & Food Care’s Farm Environment Advisory Council. We are proud to support and participate in Farm & Food Care’s many different public trust and outreach activities – but perhaps our most impactful partnership is the More than a Migrant Worker project. Since the fall of 2020, Farm & Food Care has been an integral part of our team, photographing and interviewing workers on Ontario farms for stories that have been featured in social media, as well as in the National Post and the Toronto Star. This tremendous project is giving a voice to the foreign workers who come to Canada to work on fruit and vegetable farms and play such vital roles in producing the fresh produce we all love, and we are proud to work together with Farm & Food Care Ontario ensure our industry’s perspectives on labour are part of the broader discussion around temporary foreign workers." Charles Stevens Chair, OFVGA

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