In This Issue

• FFCO at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, November 1-10, 2024
• Last chance for tickets to Ontario's Harvest Gala, November 28
• An evening with Temple Grandin, December 4, 2024
• Celebrating Ontario Agriculture Week
• ICYMI: FFCO hosts food industry and culinary school tours
• FFCO celebrates 100 tour milestone
• Call for Breakfast on the Farm hosts
• Resources and lending library survey
• Nominate a Food & Farming Champion
• Livestock Emergency Training sessions update
• FFCO welcomes new member
• Culinary student tour guest testimonial

FFCO at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair

Get ready to celebrate 102 years of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair from November 1 to 10, 2024.

Bring your friends and family to the Farm to Table Discovery Zone, where FFCO staff and volunteers will showcase several newly released FarmFood360 Virtual Reality Tours on egg and sheep farming. Stop by Booth 4009 in Hall B to experience these immersive tours, leave questions for Ontario farmers at the Ask-a-Farmer kiosk, and connect with the team to learn more about the food and farming in Ontario.

Celebrate the season at Ontario's Harvest Gala – limited tickets available for November 28

Tickets are nearly sold out for FFCO's annual Harvest Gala, November 28, 2024, in Guelph. The evening will celebrate the harvest and excellence across all sectors of Ontario agriculture.

The annual Farm & Food Care Ontario Harvest Gala brings individuals from all areas of agriculture together in one room to celebrate shared successes.

The night will include:

• Cocktail reception & hors d’oeuvres
• Buffet dinner featuring Ontario’s finest foods
• Program featuring the presentation of the annual Paul Mistele Memorial Award

This year’s theme, Boots & Bows, invites guests to celebrate the harvest season in style by donning their favorite boots and most fashionable bows or bow ties.

An Evening with Dr. Temple Grandin, December 4

Farm & Food Care Ontario is pleased to announce a special evening event featuring Dr. Temple Grandin on December 4th at the Grandway Events Centre in Elora. Dr. Grandin is a Distinguished Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University and a renowned author in the field of animal behaviour.

She is also an influential advocate for individuals with autism, recognized by Time Magazine as one of the “100 Most Influential People in the World.” This event promises to provide valuable insights into animal welfare and the intersection of science and advocacy.

Please note that this is a ticketed event, and tickets must be purchased using the link below. Doors will open at 6:30 PM.

Farm & Food Care Ontario reserves the right to limit entry to this event to individuals who are supportive of Dr. Grandin’s work and FFCO’s objectives.

Celebrating Ontario Agriculture Week 2024

From October 7 - 13, 2024, Farm & Food Care Ontario (FFCO) celebrated Ontario Agriculture Week, highlighting the incredible array of fresh, locally grown, high-quality food and products that our province has to offer.

In partnership with AgScape, FFCO offered four Virtual Food and Farm Field Trips, providing an engaging way for participants to learn about agriculture and food production.

Support for Ontario’s food sector was shown through the use of the hashtags #ONTAgWeek and #LoveONFood across social media platforms. Participants were encouraged to check out and utilize the graphics from FFCO's Ontario Agriculture Week social media library to amplify their messages and celebrate the amazing contributions of our local farmers.

In case you missed it: FFCO hosts tours

As the 2024 tour season comes to a close, this fall has been highly impactful, taking hundreds of culinary and food industry professionals to Ontario farms and food processing facilities.

October 3 – Toronto Food Industry Professional Tour

Attendees included 37 participants from diverse sectors including food bloggers, Registered Dietitians, public health employees, media, and professional home economists. The tour visited Piccioni Bros mushroom farm and the Roy-A-Lea dairy and beef farm, home of the Spoelstra family.

Attendees also heard presentations by Jennifer Kyle from Beef Farmers of Ontario, Pete Overdevest from Dairy Farmers of Ontario and Marianne Muth from Mushrooms Canada.

Toronto Food Industry Professional tour attendees at the Piccioni Bros. Mushroom Farm.

Tour attendees taking photos of the robotic feeder at Roy-A-Lea Farms.

October 4 – Fanshawe College Tour

On this day, 37 students from Fanshawe College’s Culinary Skills and Culinary Management programs participated in a tour of three farms in the London area including Whitecrest Innovations (mushrooms), a Nortera-hosted stop to see kidney beans harvested and Mistyglen Creamery to explore the barns and processing facility.

Fanshawe culinary students at Mistyglen Creamery.

Students listening to Nortera staff as they talk about harvesting their crops.

FFCO celebrates 100 tours

Farm & Food Care Ontario proudly celebrates its 100th tour in 20 years on October 4th.

Since September, 2004, 258 farms, processing facilities, and agri-businesses have been showcased across Ontario . Thousands of guests, including food writers, registered dietitians, and government staff, have joined along the way. Thank you to all of the hosts for being an essential part of this remarkable journey.

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 2025.

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

Applications will be accepted until January 30, 2025.

Resources and lending library survey

Have you borrowed or purchased items from FFCO's resource catalogue this past year?

We want to hear from you! 

Share photos of your agriculture education areas featuring farm fact signs, the FarmFood360 kiosk, or other FFCO provided materials. Your feedback on their impact and suggestions for future resources are welcome to support ongoing improvements and program development.

Anyone that submits photos and feedback by November 15th, 2024 will be entered for a chance to win a “Life is Better on the Farm” t-shirt.

Nominate a Food & Farming Champion

FFCO is now accepting nominations for its annual Champion Award. This award recognizes individuals, organizations, or businesses that have actively engaged consumers about agriculture in our province. Nominees should have demonstrated their ability to inform the public or correct misconceptions about agricultural practices, while effectively promoting our industry.

Please submit your nominations by March 7, 2025. If you know someone deserving of this recognition, we encourage you to review the nomination form.

Pictured here is 2024 Food & Farming Champion Award winner Henry Swierenga.

Livestock Emergency Training sessions update

On October 4, first responders from Newcastle participated in two in-person sessions hosted by FFCO, supported by Beef Farmers of Ontario. These sessions provide a valuable opportunity to discuss their experiences with livestock truck incidents on local highways and routes to processing plants.

On October 28, FFCO held a session for Central Huron for 35 participants in Clinton, featuring both classroom instruction and hands-on demonstrations with real trucks and trailers. Responders were able to view videos and explore the decks of actual livestock trucks. Special thanks to Jamie Marquis Trucking for providing the livestock trailer in Newcastle and to Tyler Jutzi from Brussels Livestock Transport for the trailer used in Clinton.

This course is delivered by large animal rescue expert Victor MacPherson and FFCO's Bruce Kelly. It is specially designed for first responders and emergency personnel, covering critical factors for decision-making in accidents involving livestock trailers, including trailer design, implications for extrication points, animal behavior, laws and regulations, and how to develop local response resources.

Livestock Transportation Emergencies Resource Kits and fact sheets are available at:

https://www.farmfoodcareon.org/livestock-emergencies/

FFCO appreciates the support from Beef Farmers of Ontario and other FFCO members for their assistance on this project.

FFCO welcomes new member

FFCO is pleased to welcome the following new member:

Silver member

• Farm Credit Canada

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.

Culinary student tour feedback

"My impression of Ontario farms has improved after the tour. Seeing the sustainable practices and dedication of local farmers firsthand gave me a deeper appreciation for the quality and effort behind Ontario’s agriculture."

"The tour provided valuable insights into the challenges and efforts of Ontario farmers. I have a deeper appreciation for their hard work."

Fanshawe Culinary Student Tour feedback

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.