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In this issue

Breakfast on the Farm - Newburgh, September 26, 2026
Tickets on sale for 2026 Ontario Harvest Gala, November 26, 2026
Visit FFCO at Canada's Outdoor Farm Show
Recap FFCO at the CNE
FFC national communicators workshop
Ontario Agriculture Week, October 5 - 11, 2026
FFCO thanks Summer Student: Kate Lennon-Davey
Canadian Centre for Food Integrity, 2026 Public Trust Summit
FCC's national movement: Let's Grow Canada
Burnbrae Farms supports FFCO through annual golf tournament
Member accolades
Breakfast on the Farm guest testimonial

Breakfast on the Farm - Newburgh, September 26

Breakfast on the Farm Newburgh is just around the corner. Join Farm & Food Care Ontario on Saturday, September 26 at River Valley Cattle Co. in Newburgh for its final BOTF event of the year - visiting an Ontario beef farm.

Hosted by the Embury family, River Valley Cattle Co. is home to approximately 140 purebred Hereford cows and has earned national and international recognition for its award-winning genetics. Guests will have the opportunity to explore the farm, meet local farmers, learn how Ontario crops and livestock are raised, and discover the technology and care that go into producing high-quality food.

The event also features an all-Ontario breakfast, interactive exhibits, farm equipment displays, family-friendly activities, and the chance to connect with farmers and agri-food organizations from across the province.

Registration is now open for the Newburgh event. To reserve tickets, volunteer, or learn more about partnership opportunities, visit www.farmfoodcareon.org or contact events@farmfoodcare.org.

Get your tickets here

Tickets available now: 2026 Ontario Harvest Gala

Join FFCO's 2026 Ontario Harvest Gala on Thursday, November 26, 2026, at a new location, The Embassy Room at Bingemans, in Kitchener.

Get swept up in an Enchanted Evening celebrating the people, partnerships, and achievements that continue to strengthen Ontario agriculture. This elegant event will bring together farmers, industry leaders, and supporters from across the province to recognize excellence while celebrating the collective efforts that grow public trust in food and farming.

Guests will enjoy:

A cocktail reception & hors d’oeuvres
A buffet dinner featuring Ontario’s finest foods
Networking with leaders from across the agri-food sector
Presentation of the Paul Mistele Memorial Award

Under twinkling lights on this whimsical night, we will celebrate not only another remarkable year for Ontario agriculture, but look towards the future. Your participation helps FFCO continue creating meaningful opportunities for people to experience farming firsthand, discover trusted resources, and build lasting connections with the farmers who grow and raise our food.

FFCO is currently welcoming event partners, including general sponsors, cocktail hour hosts, and dinner sponsors. Your support will help make this memorable evening a success while advancing our shared mission of growing public trust in food and farming. To learn more about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Alicia at alicia@farmfoodcare.org.

Early bird rates available for a limited time.

Your tickets to an Enchanted Evening here

Visit FFCO at Canada's Outdoor Farm Show

It’s that time of year again! FFCO will be joining partners and friends at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show, September 15–17, 2026. You’ll find the FFCO booth in Federation House — be sure to stop by and say hello.

Visitors are invited to stop by and connect with FFCO board members and staff. The team will be available to chat about upcoming events, exciting initiatives and the many projects planned for the rest of the year.

FFCO members who visit the booth will also receive a coupon for a delicious treat! FFCO looks forward to connecting with members, partners and friends and sharing what’s ahead!

FFCO at the Canadian National Exhibition: Highlights so far

FFCO has once again joined members at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE). This year FFCO is showcasing six interactive resources and three print resources over the
18-day show.

Located in The Farm building, the team has had 3,000 viewers take an immersive FarmFood360 virtual reality experience. Thousands of additional guests have participated in other educational games and activities including the newly available Farmland Frenzy, Agriculture Careers Photo Pop-Up, Barnyard Buffet Bean Bag Toss and more.

With thousands of interactions already, the FFCO team still has another week ahead at the CNE —bringing even more opportunities for impactful conversations and meaningful connections.

All resources featured at the CNE are part of FFCO's updated Resource Guide and are available to rent for your next event at FarmFoodCareON.org.

Farm & Food Care national communicators workshop

Farm & Food Care is partnering with the Canadian Agri-Marketing Association (CAMA) to present a new Communications Workshop on Wednesday, November 18, 2026, in conjunction with the CAMA Level Up Conference in Calgary.

Designed for communications professionals working across Canada's agriculture and food sector, this interactive professional development workshop will explore practical approaches to building trust, engaging audiences, and communicating effectively in today's rapidly evolving communications landscape.

The afternoon will feature a keynote presentation by Isaiah Robinson, Deputy Chief Councillor and CEO of the Kitasoo Xai'xais Development Corporation, who will share how communication, public perception, and policy have shaped the future of aquaculture in his community. Attendees will also participate in an interactive workshop led by communications expert Matt Quin, focusing on creating authentic, audience-first messaging that cuts through the noise and builds meaningful connections.

Whether you work in communications, marketing, member engagement, or public outreach, this workshop offers valuable insights and practical tools that can be applied immediately within your organization.

More information here

Ontario Agriculture Week, October 5 - 11, 2026

Ontario Agriculture Week provides an opportunity to recognize and appreciate the bounty produced by Ontario’s farmers, the hardworking people behind the scenes in our agriculture industry, and the vibrant rural communities that thrive because of local food production.

To make it easy to get involved, FFCO has created ready-to-use social media graphics to help spread the word, celebrate Ontario agriculture and recognize the important contributions of local farmers and food producers.

Show your support for Ontario agriculture by sharing posts and stories on social media throughout the week using #ONTAgWeek and #LoveONFood.

Ontario Ag Week Graphics Here

FFCO thanks Summer Student: Kate Lennon-Davey

Kate joined the FFCO team at the beginning of July in a summer student role. Since her first day with the team, Kate has jumped into every project she's been tasked and has been an incredible asset assisting with Breakfast on the Farm, social media and is currently helping manage FFCO’s busy booth at the CNE.

The FFCO team wishes her the very best of luck, as she begins her studies at the University of Guelph as an OAC "Aggie".

CCFI 2026 Public Trust Summit

Conversations shape trust, and trust shapes the future of Canada's food system.

That's why Farm & Food Care is pleased to support the 2026 #PublicTrustSummit, hosted by the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity. The event will bring together industry leaders, researchers, and communicators to explore the ideas and strategies needed to lead in an era of

scrutiny.

October 6-7, 2026 | Toronto

#TrustUnderPressure

FCC's national movement: Let's Grow Canada

Farm Credit Canada has launched a new campaign titled Let's Grow Canada.

Let’s Grow Canada is a national movement celebrating the food, land, and people who grow Canada’s future.

Rooted in care and driven by ingenuity, it celebrates everyone behind Canadian food who nourishes our country and the world.

To learn more about the movement visit

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lets.grow.canada/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LetsGrowCanada

Burnbrae Farms supports FFCO through annual golf tournament

FFCO would like to extend a sincere thank you to the Burnbrae Farms team for choosing to support our work through its annual golf tournament in August.

Thanks to the generosity of Burnbrae Farms, participating egg farmers, and agribusiness staff, an incredible $2,200 was raised in support of FFCO's initiatives.

This ongoing partnership and continued commitment to strengthening Ontario’s agriculture community is critical to FFCO's success.

Member accolades

Results from the 2026 Nationals – Winery of the Year

The WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada recently announced Tawse Winery of Niagara has won Winery of the Year honours in 2026, its fifth win in the Awards’ 26-year history. Tawse earned this honour with a stellar showing from three outstanding 2023 chardonnays – one Platinum with a 93+ score and two Golds with scores of 91 points or higher. Their chardonnay-based 25th Anniversary Spark also earned Gold, as did their Quarry Road Riesling 2024.

Vineyard Manager for Tawse Winery is none other than FFCO Director Augusta Van Muyen, nominated by Grape Growers of Ontario. Congratulations Augusta.

2026 Inductees to the Peterborough Ag Wall of Fame

Longtime FFCO supporters Julia (Rekker) & Frank Hoftyzer have been recognized for their deep commitment to their commodity organizations. The Hoftyzers have taken on numerous local and provincial leadership roles within the Christian Farmers Federation, Farm & Food Care Ontario and the dairy, beef, goat and cropping sectors.

As supporters of on-farm research and agricultural awareness,

they have hosted many farm tours and were instrumental in the publication of the

Peterborough County Agri-Notes newsletter.

Celebrating 60 Years of SAWP

For 60 years, thousands of seasonal agricultural workers have travelled to Ontario to work on fruit and vegetable farms, helping support their families and create opportunities in their home countries. To mark the 60th anniversary of the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP), the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association (OFVGA) organized a celebration hosted by Strawberry Tyme Farms in Simcoe.

The event brought together farm employers, government representatives and, most importantly, Jamaican and Mexican workers who have played an integral role in Ontario agriculture throughout the program’s six-decade history.

Breakfast on the Farm guest testimonial

"I really enjoyed the event and would like to thank everyone who helped make it a success. The breakfast sandwich was delicious, and I appreciated all the free swag, samples, ice cream and information available from the various booths. I also enjoyed learning more about modern farming practices, seeing the animals up close and the big farming equipment and speaking with the farmers and volunteers. I'm especially grateful that the event was affordable, well organized, and welcoming to visitors of all ages. Thank you for providing such an enjoyable and educational experience—I look forward to attending again in the future."

BOTF Brussels attendee