In This Issue

• Berry and dairy virtual reality tours added to FarmFood360.ca
• Recap of the 2023 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair
• Highlights from annual Harvest Gala
• Egg Farmers of Ontario receives 2023 Paul Mistele Award
• The 2023 edition of The Real Dirt on Farming is available now
• Celebrating the Legacy of Dr. Tim Henshaw fundraiser
• Nominate a Food & Farming Champion
• Call for Breakfast on the Farm hosts
• Give the gift of FFCO this Christmas
• FFCO holiday hours
• Farm stressors study
• Breakfast on the Farm partner testimonial

Berry and dairy virtual reality tours added to FarmFood360.ca

Two new Virtual Reality tours, filmed throughout 2023 on Ontario berry and dairy farms, have been added to the popular FarmFood360 website that attracts over one million visitors each year, joining the 26 farm and food processing tours already filmed and available for viewing. 

The tours were developed by Farm & Food Care Ontario (FFCO) in partnership with Berry Growers of Ontario (BGO), the Agricultural Adaptation Council (AAC) and Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO). The project was also funded, in part, through the AgriCompetitiveness program of the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal, provincial, territorial initiative.

Thank you to Nelson Dunk and the team at Skylight Productions and Project Manager Jess Campbell of Fresh Air Media for all their work on this year's 360 tours. 

The first of the new VR tours takes visitors to two Ontario berry farms: Howe Family Farms in Aylmer and Thames River Melons at Innerkip. In videos, the Howe family and grower Alex Chesney explain how strawberries, raspberries and blueberries are grown. This tour was funded in partnership with BGO and the AAC.

“So many people enjoy Ontario berries but haven’t had a chance to see how our farmers are able to get them from their fields to our tables,” said Victoria Eastman Buma from BGO. “We are excited to have had the opportunity to partner with FFCO and be able to offer that experience to Canadians.”

Peter Katona, Communications and Industry Relations Manager for AAC explained that the berry VR project was partially funded through AAC’s FarmFood360 program. The program supports up to half of the costs of completing a VR project for AAC member organizations. Said Katona, “The intent of the program is to apply the most innovative and current examples of transparency available, to help earn public trust in food and farming.” He added, “We’re just delighted that BGO used this funding to complete the new berry tour and hope other members will apply for similar funding in 2024.”

The second new virtual reality experience takes visitors to the Brown family’s dairy farm near Paris, Ontario. The tour showcases a dairy farm with milking robots that allow cows to choose when they want to be milked. Farmers Doug, Ashley and Steve Brown take visitors on a journey to learn more about their herd of dairy cows.

Hear from the Brown family stories about life on an Ontario dairy farm, from caring for their calves to managing their farm and to producing the high-quality milk Canadians enjoy every day. Ashley Brown also received FFCO’s Agri-Food Champions Award in 2022, which recognizes individuals who have taken the initiative to help engage consumers about agriculture in the province.

"We are thrilled to partner with Farm & Food Care Ontario to feature a local dairy farm and a farming family spanning three generations,” said Mark Hamel, Vice Chair at Dairy Farmers of Ontario and Board Member at Farm & Food Care Ontario. “The Brown family exemplifies the commitment it takes to be a dairy farming family through their advanced management methods and implementation of technologies. We hope this new content helps Canadians learn more about Ontario dairy farms and inspires the next generation of dairy farmers.”

Above: The Howe family of Howe Family Farm Market.

Above: The Chesney family of Thames River Melons.

Above: The Brown family of Browndale Farm.



Below: The team at Skylight Productions and Jess Campbell of Fresh Air Media filming at Browndale Farm.

Above: Chicken Farmers of Ontario representative chatting with kids from the school tours about the model chicken barn.

Above: Alice Van Vught (FFCO Member Forum co-chair) and Amy Rodenburg (Ontario berry grower) showcasing the FarmFood360 tours.

Farm & Food Care Ontario (FFCO) hosted the sixteenth annual Harvest Gala on November 16, in Milton. 225 farmers, agribusiness professionals and other FFCO supporters attended the event to celebrate Ontario food and farming and raise funds for the charity’s outreach activities. Highlights from the evening included the unveiling of sixth edition of The Real Dirt on Farming and the presentation of the 2023 Paul Mistele Memorial Award by Feed Ontario to Egg Farmers of Ontario.

Joining FFCO supporters was Parliamentary Assistant Trevor Jones, Member of Provincial Parliament for Chatham-Kent-Leamington. In addressing the crowd, PA Jones spoke about Farm & Food Care's important work on behalf of Ontario's entire agri-food industry.

"Ensuring that Ontarians have the facts on where their food comes from, how it grows, and how it is made is key to raising awareness and increasing public trust in our provincial food system," said Parliamentary Assistant Trevor Jones. "Through funding support of FFCO's activities including Breakfast on the Farm, farm tours for culinary students, and a large offering of digital consumer outreach activities highlighting the diversity of farms and food processing facilities to consumers, we stand alongside FFCO and its members to deliver these critical programs." 

All funds raised at the event will be put into future public trust initiatives. Anyone wishing to make a charitable gift to support FFCO’s work can visit www.FarmFoodCareON.org.

Parliamentary Assistant Trevor Jones, Member of Provincial Parliament for Chatham-Kent-Leamington addresses guests at the annual Harvest Gala.

Egg Farmers of Ontario receives 2023 Paul Mistele Award

Named for the late farm leader who founded Ontario Pork’s Donate-A-Hog program in 1998, 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 EFO Chair Scott Helps. EFO was chosen for its longstanding commitment to the Feed Ontario egg program.

“Egg Farmers of Ontario provided an incredible 110,000 dozen eggs to Feed Ontario member food banks across the province this year, and have provided an astounding 1.2 million dozen since the program began in 2014,” 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 protein. Thank you to the Egg Farmers of Ontario for their continued and generous support.”

“Egg Farmers of Ontario are committed to helping families and communities in Ontario to access healthy proteins - like eggs - through our donation program with Feed Ontario,” said Scott Helps, EFO Chair. “We are honoured to be the recipient of the Paul Mistele Memorial Award for 2023 for this program designed to make it easier for farmers and stakeholders to contribute fresh, high-quality eggs.”

Above: Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO) Chair Scott Helps and board member Sally Van Straaten accept the 2023 Paul Mistele Memorial award from The Honorable Senator Rob Black and Feed Ontario’s Adelaide Wimpenny.

The 2023 edition of The Real Dirt on Farming is now available

The Real Dirt on Farming is a nation-wide initiative designed to help Canadians connect with their food and the farmers that produce it – who they are, what they do, and why they do it. Using both stories and science, the 60 page publication addresses common questions and misconceptions about Canadian food and farming, as well as other subjects that the general public has indicated are important to them.

The sixth edition features farmer and researcher profiles from across the country – from the Yukon to Newfoundland and all points in between. It covers big topics being talked about currently in Canadian agriculture – from farmer mental health to the critical work done by seasonal agricultural workers; sustainability, food inflation, food insecurity and food waste, climate change, plant breeding, animal welfare and more.

The booklet is created through a partnership of the three Farm & Food Care organizations in Saskatchewan, Ontario and Prince Edwards Island and was written by freelance journalists Lilian Schaer and Matt McIntosh. An expert committee comprised of researchers, commodity and subject matter experts was also involved in reviewing and vetting content. 

The booklet is available in English and French. By early 2024, a digest version will be available as well a digital educator resource coming from Agriculture in the Classroom Canada and a new 4-H manual from 4-H Ontario. Distribution of the booklet will also begin in earnest in 2024 with plans for mainstream media inserts and mailings to politicians across Canada.

Champion level partners ($20,000 or more) included long time supporters Wallenstein Feed & Supply Ltd and Canada Beef.

Supporters at the Partner level ($10,000 or more) include: CropLife Canada, Ontario Agri Business Association, Farm Credit Canada.

A full list of project supporters can be seen on the website (www.RealDirtonFarming.ca) . 

The project was also funded, in part, through the AgriCompetitiveness program of the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal, provincial, territorial initiative.

Representing major project partners, Canada Beef representative Jack Chaffe (left) and Rick Martin of Wallenstein Feed & Supply Ltd. unveiled the cover of the 2023 edition of The Real Dirt on Farming at FFCO's annual Harvest Gala in November.

Celebrating the legacy of Dr. Tim Henshaw

EastGen hosted an event in late November to celebrate the legacy of the late Dr. Tim Henshaw, raising more than $30,000 to be divided equally between 4-H Ontario, Farm & Food Care Ontario, and the Elmvale & District Food Bank. A combination of monetary donations and donated auction items provided the fundraising sum divided between the three charities as chosen by Jane Henshaw, widow of Dr. Henshaw who passed away in April 2023. 

A crowd of friends, family and former colleagues and customers gathered for the “Feeding the Human Spirit – Celebrating the Legacy of Dr. Tim Henshaw” event on November 21st at the Nottawasaga Inn, Alliston, Ont. In addition to the online fundraising auction, a highlight of the evening was the presentation of the inaugural Feeding the Human Spirit Leadership Award created to recognize a leader/mentor of agricultural youth who emulates the qualities of Dr. Henshaw. The award was presented to John Drummond of Smiths Falls, Ont., who spent much of his agricultural career in Waterloo Region. John’s spirit, volunteerism, and long-time support of youth in agriculture has earned him the nickname “Mr. 4-H”. During his acceptance of the award from EastGen President Amanda Jeffs, Drummond expressed his gratitude. “Thank you to the Henshaw family, EastGen, all of this evening’s volunteers, and above all, Dr. Tim Henshaw for your kindness, generosity and spirit. You’ll always be in our hearts.”

A skilled veterinarian, educator and communicator, Dr. Henshaw was highly respected for his integrity and widely known in the agricultural industry and beyond as a leader, mentor, and someone who inspired youth to challenge themselves. He was highly supportive of people throughout his community and recognized for his giving of self and generosity of spirit.

Representatives from Farm & Food Care Ontario accepted a donation of $10,000 from the Henshaw family. (L-R): FFCO Executive Director Kelly Daynard, FFCO Community Engagement Manager Alicia Becker, FFCO Past Chair Bonnie den Haan, Dr. Tim's widow Jane Henshaw, his sister Martha Henshaw, his son Jarrett Henshaw and FFCO Communications Manager Christa Ormiston.

FFCO is accepting nominations for its annual Champion Award. The award is presented to individuals, organizations or businesses who have taken initiative to help engage consumers about agriculture in our province. Nominees have used their skills to help inform consumers or correct misinformation about production practices, and done a measurable job of promoting our industry.

Nominations are to be submitted by March 8, 2024. If you know someone you think should be honoured, please review the nomination form.

Pictured here is 2023 Food & Farming Champion Award winner Jean Sullivan.

Call for Breakfast on the Farm hosts

Are you interested in helping with one of Ontario's biggest agricultural outreach activities? Why not consider hosting a Breakfast on the Farm in 2024?

FFCO is looking for host farms (in different parts of Ontario) who would be willing to host. FFCO staff will take the lead, working with you and a local volunteer committee to ensure that the event is a success.  

Interested in knowing more? Feel free to contact the office to talk about your farm and what's required of a host family. Call 519-837-1326, extension 221 or email events@farmfoodcare.org with your questions. Applications can be downloaded and then submitted to Farm & Food Care.

2024 entries will be received until January 30, 2024.

Give the gift of FFCO this Christmas

This holiday season, Farm & Food Care Ontario invites you to support agriculture awareness and appreciation through a donation to our work. Whether you’re a farmer looking for resources or someone curious about how their food is produced, FFCO is here to help.

FFCO is a registered Canadian charity and a whole-sector coalition made up of representatives from all farming types and associated businesses working to build trust in Ontario food and farming. Your support makes FFCO’s work possible.

Visit FarmFoodCareON.org/donate/ to make a tax-receipt eligible donation today.

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 22nd and will re-open January 2nd, 2024.

Colleagues at Northumbria University in the United Kingdom (UK) are conducting a study to develop a new / improved survey tool to measure farm stressors and is expanding to add input from Canadian farmers.

The survey takes five minutes to complete and can be found below:

Breakfast on the Farm partner testimonial

"Breakfast on the Farm is a great opportunity to meet people from all walks of life. You truly never know who you’re going to run into. At BOTF events I’ve met politicians and senators, while also running into old friends I haven’t seen in years. For the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (OFVGA) and the More than a Migrant Worker (MTAMW) project it’s a perfect place to introduce people to the fruit and vegetable industry. It’s also a great experience for myself to learn about other agriculture sectors I may not be as familiar with. There’s always growers willing to share their stories making it the perfect place to learn about agriculture in a friendly environment.

It is always amazing to see so many different types of Ontario agriculture be highlighted in one event. I always enjoy seeing the excited looks of kids seeing the big machinery for the first time or the conversations with retired farmers who are so thrilled to see the younger generation engaged in the industry. All with the extra bonus of getting to enjoy the best breakfast sandwiches you will ever have!"

Ben Murray, OFVGA