Opportunities for Alternative Agriculture and Local Food Production in the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Region
Olwen Bennett Wendell Chan Krista Larsen Brianna Thompson
ENSC430 December 8th, 2010
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Table of Contents
Introduction ...... 3 Relationship to Sustainability ...... 4 The Scope of the Project ...... 5 Goal and Objectives ...... 6 Methods ...... 7 The Current System ...... 10 Local Food Programs & Organizations ...... 10 Farmer Support Programs ...... 11 Producers ...... 12 Retailers ...... 17 Consumers ...... 19 Challenges and Barriers to Local Food in the FAB ...... 21 Initiatives and Recommendations ...... 23 Recommendations for the FAB ...... 23 i. Food Co-operatives in the FAB ...... 23 ii. Local Food Retailer Map and Potential for New Outlets ...... 29 Educational Tools ...... 30 I. Consumer Awareness Pamphlet ...... 30 ii. Alternative Agricultural Practices Catalogue ...... 31 Recommendations for the ENSC 430 Group Next Year ...... 32 Conclusion ...... 33 References ...... 35 Appendix I (Alternative Agricultural Practices Catalogue) ...... 38 Appendix II (Local Food Group Workshop – Itinerary and Synopsis) ...... 40 Appendix III (Examples of Functioning Co-ops) ...... 46 Appendix IV (Consumer Awareness Pamphlet) ...... 52 Appendix V (Interviews) ...... 54
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Introduction
Large-scale conventional food production has contributed enormously to greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, soil degradation and energy consumption (Halburg et al, 2006). Furthermore, the Canadian globalized food market has created a dependency on foreign producers for cheap imports, eliminating the connection between consumers and local producers, and taking away consumer power to make informed food choices (Ibid.). This project adopts the definition for sustainable agriculture that is presented by The Food Project, which states that:
“Sustainable Agriculture is the practice of growing food in a way that preserves and enhances the environment, provides economic opportunity and good health for individuals and communities, and connects people to the land around them. It generally avoids chemical pesticides and long-distance travel” (The Food Project, 2010).
For the purpose of this project, sustainable agriculture is identified as the central goal in the food system and alternative agriculture encompasses the methods and processes used to achieve this goal. Since agricultural processes are essential for human survival in terms of food security, shifting to alternative means of food production can have an unprecedented impact on the sustainability of the environment, the economy and the society as a whole (Norse, 1994).
Biosphere reserves foster a positive space for the promotion and improvement in the local and alternative food sector. The three main functions, which are mutually inclusive, are conservation, development and logistics (Frontenac Arch Biosphere, 2010). The current agricultural sector could benefit from these functions. Conservation is required to ensure that agricultural lands are not degraded and can be sustained for future generations. Development needs to occur in a manner that promotes the economy in a way that is mutually supportive of culture and the environment. Logistically, the biosphere designation promotes further research and educational tools that would improve the health of the agricultural sector.
The Frontenac Arch Biosphere (FAB) was designated a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 2002. It is a region located in the south eastern portion of Ontario that extends approximately 2700 square kilometres. This area connects the Algonquin Park region in Ontario with the Adirondack Park region in New York State. It provides an important corridor connecting wildlife habitats. The area is made up of islands and inlets of the Saint Lawrence River which play an important role for the migration of plants and animals. There is a vast diversity of natural habitat here including deep
3 channels, rocky shoals, submerged cliffs, broad reed beds, shallow wetlands and various forest regions as well as a significant amount of biological diversity present. The role of the biosphere is to promote the link between nature conservation and sustainable economic development that positively benefits the local communities (UNESCO, 2010).
Specifically in the FAB region there is significant interest in the local food movement, due in part to a strong sense of community and environmental stewardship. It is because of this interest that there is large potential to expand the local food market and promote alternative farming practices over the long term throughout the FAB. The relationship between the FAB and the local food movement can be mutually beneficial, as the local food industry can be used as a tool to promote the identity of the region. The purpose of this project is to seek opportunities for promotion, improvement and expansion of the sustainability of the region through the agricultural sector and the local food movement.
Relationship to Sustainability
For the purpose of this project, “sustainability” will be defined in this way:
“At an absolute minimum sustainability involves looking at issues and making decisions in which environmental, economic, and socio-cultural factors are considered together; this does not imply, however, trading off between these three elements... To be sustainable something must be simultaneously economically, socially and environmentally sustainable” (Maxey, 2006).
Alternative agriculture can support environmental health, economic stability, and societal well- being. With growing population and increasing food demands, the need for global food security is vital (Ehrlich & Holdren, 1971). Self-sufficiency in food production can be both efficient and promote a strong sense of community, which contributes to the three pillars of sustainability (Feenstra, 1997). Local food production allows the consumer to regain their power of choice through increased awareness of the methods of production, and reduces the need for long distance transportation of food.
Expanding the local food movement and the use of sustainable agricultural practices allows for increased community involvement through interactions between producers and consumers. This can enable producers and consumers to engage in environmental stewardship initiatives. For consumers, this may entail frequenting the local farmers’ market and feeling empowered to 4 question farmers on their methods of production. For producers, environmental stewardship may include crop rotation, organic and/or integrated farming methods. The FAB’s mission is to become a model of successful, sustainable development and in ten years the FAB hopes to be completely self- sufficient in its food production (Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve, 2010). This project aims to contribute towards achieving this goal.
The Scope of the Project
Determining the scope of this project has not been a simple task. There is such an array of issues and topics that could have been the focus of this project that it was very difficult to narrow down the area of concentration. Since group members established from the onset that the approach would be community-based, it meant that this project’s conceptual scope could not be determined by brainstorming in a classroom at Queen’s University. The most effective direction for this project could not be determined until interviews had been conducted with community members involved in the local food and alternative farming scene in the FAB. It seemed as though after every interview with a prominent stakeholder of local food in the region, the scope of the project would be focused further.
For the conceptual scope of this project, it was initially assumed that increased consumer awareness could further expand the demand for local food. After interacting with stakeholders in the region, it became apparent that demand was not the issue. Rather, there is a disconnect between consumers and producers and the project aims to address this issue with the objectives. It was determined that focusing on consumer and producer awareness of alternative practices is a more effective way of influencing change. In the analysis of the current state of the local food system, it was determined to focus on the support programs currently available to farmers in the region so that, in developing the objectives, there would not be overlap with the efforts currently taking place.
There are some aspects of alternative agriculture and local food production that are not included in the scope of this project, due to time constraints. For instance, there is no assessment of the potential for incorporating material on local food into school curricula or the possibility of running workshops for adults on sustainable local food issues. This project also does not focus on local food availability in terms of cost, and the ability of lower income individuals to have access to food produced in the area. Other areas that were not focused on in depth include the biological analysis of the benefits of alternative means of agricultural production, and what the precise costs are of implementing these practices. Instead, a general overview of the social, economic and 5 environmental benefits that result from switching to alternative practices in agriculture were observed.
The spatial scope of the project focuses broadly on the FAB and surrounding areas that interact with, or benefit, the FAB community in regards to the local food movement. For instance, local food stakeholders in the city of Kingston were interviewed only if their role benefited the FAB community in some way (i.e. a Kingston restaurant owner may be interviewed because he/she sources a portion of the food they serve from producers in the FAB).
The temporal scope of the project focused primarily on the current state of the agricultural sector and local food movement in the FAB. The reason for this narrow temporal view was so that the study could explore new ideas for the local food movement in the region, rather than focusing on current initiatives that are already successful. There was also examination of provincial statistics from the most current survey conducted in 2006, on the types of farms in Ontario, (Statistics Canada, 2006).
Goals and Objectives
Based on community interviews, this project focused on four themes/issues within the agricultural sector and local food movement of the FAB and investigated/provided opportunities to help address these issues.
Issue 1: Need for increased consumer education about the importance of local food and the environmental impacts of alternative agriculture Opportunity: Created a consumer awareness pamphlet which contained: ○ Alternative agricultural practices used by farmers in the FAB region and their environmental benefits ○ Availability of produce throughout the year ○ Information about the MyPick™ Verified Local Farmer™ certification program
Issue 2: Need for increased awareness for farmers about the various alternative methods and support opportunities that are available Opportunity: Created an Alternative Agricultural Practices catalogue 6
○ Biographies of farms using alternative agricultural practices ○ Highlights the economic and environmental benefits these farms received ○ Information on funding and support programs available for farmers who are thinking of switching or starting farming using alternative methods
Issue 3: Areas for expansion in the local food movement Opportunity: Mapped local retailers with population densities in the Frontenac Arch ○ Determines effective locations for new retailers
Issue 4: Lack of integration of all parts of the food system causing a disconnect between consumers and producer Opportunity: Explored cooperatives (co-op) models to address issues of: ○ Consistency ○ Distribution ○ Storage ○ Marketing Note: Issue 2 and 4 were given the most importance as they were seen as having the potential to have the biggest impact.
Methods
In researching for this project, several sources were examined and a number of farmers, restaurant owners and stakeholders (an OMAFRA employee and a distributor) in the FAB region were interviewed. To gather and collect qualitative data for this research, the technique of semi- structured interviews was employed. For the purpose of this project, qualitative research is defined as data from direct fieldwork observations, in-depth and open-ended interviews, and written documents (Everitt & Patton, 2005). A semi-structured format in the interview process allowed for more flexibility than a structured interview or a survey, as emerging themes and topics that arose could be discussed further. This method provided qualitative analysis (ESDS Qualidata, 2007). An interview questionnaire, consisting of non-direct, open-ended questions was developed to help guide the conversation. The questions were designed to keep within the scope of the project.
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Extensive notes were taken during all interviews by one group member while another group member posed the questions to the interviewee.
Interview respondents were selected based on their role in the agricultural sector and their ability to contribute to the research on alternative agriculture and local food within the FAB. These interviewees provided the perspectives for the research. Individuals are identified in the report according to the following category affiliations:
I. Farmers (FA); II. Retailers (RE); and III. Stakeholders (ST).
Selection criteria for the first group included farmers within the FAB region who were using production methods that could be described as alternative in order to understand the benefits and difficulties of using these practices. Selection criteria for the second group included outlets that were sourcing local food from within the FAB region such as restaurants, in order to determine their views on consumer interest in local food. Selection criteria for the third group included individuals that were considered to be relevant stakeholders connected directly to the local food movement within the FAB and surrounding region. These participants were selected in order to understand consumer interest and knowledge, and the state of affairs in the area. The snowball sampling technique, where existing study subjects refer the researchers to other potential study subjects (Babbie, 2007) was employed to identify potential interviewees. The interview details are provided in Table 1. Each interviewee is identified by a code and number (eg. Referring to Table 1: FA-2; RE-4; ST-1). The identification system employed has two purposes. The first purpose is to ensure the anonymity of all interviewees. The second is to provide a useful means of referencing interview data.
Table 1. Interview Number, Type of Data, Date of Interview and Affiliation
Interview Number Type of Data Date of Interview Affiliation
1 Notes October 25, 2010 ST
2 Notes November 10, 2010 FA
3 Notes November 16, 2010 ST
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4 Notes November 16, 2010 RE
5 Notes November 17, 2010 RE
6 Notes November 18, 2010 FA
7 Notes November 18, 2010 RE
8 Notes November 24, 2010 FA
9 Notes November 24, 2010 FA
Initially telephone or e-mail contact was made with each interviewee to see if they were interested in an interview and if so, to set up an appropriate time for an interview. Interested interviewees were interviewed at a place most convenient for them (usually either their home or work place). All interviewees were provided with and signed a consent permission form based on standard Queen’s University ethics procedures. Due to the short time frame of the project, the interviewees chosen are not necessarily representative of all individuals and opinions involved in alternative agriculture and local food within the FAB region and surrounding area. However, the interviewees chosen were able to contribute to the project by providing data based on their personal experiences and knowledge.
Online resources such as the Local Flavours website were consulted to obtain background knowledge on the FAB's local food movement. The Internet was also used to search for programs and initiatives in Ontario that could potentially be applied in the FAB. Using the OMAFRA website, past surveys targeting consumers were examined for data on consumer interest in food issues. By understanding consumer interest and knowledge of food issues, this project's recommendations can be tailored to community interests.
Queen’s University Library resources were also fully utilized to obtain more general data and statistics. Using the Library’s research database, journal articles on the benefits of sustainable farming practices with scientific evidence can be found. Through the Maps, Data & Government Information Centre, databases such as ODESI and Statistics Canada can be used to find census data. This provided information such as the number of farms in the FAB that are certified organic, and what consumers look for when purchasing their products.
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The local food retailer map was created by compiling a list of food retailers sourcing some of their products from local farmers within the FAB. The coordinates of the retailer locations were determined through the use of geocoding. Geographic information system (GIS) technology was then used to map out the locations of grocery stores and farmers’ markets and overlaid with the population density to determine food deserts within the FAB.
Using the research and interview materials, the present state of the sustainable food movement was assessed. The data collected were analyzed in a qualitative fashion, rather than quantitatively. The framework for data analysis based heavily on community interaction and communication. Therefore, this project's ideas are shaped and influenced by the desire and need of the FAB community.
The Current System
Local Food Programs & Organizations
Local Flavours
This program is a successful member-based network that links the consumer with producers, restaurants and outlets (such as restaurants, inns and local food grocers). This initiative encompasses areas within the FAB such as Leeds, Grenville, Lanark and Frontenac counties. This network was established in 2005 and has become one of Canada’s largest local food networks in six years, accumulating over 100 members and still growing. Local Flavours members are located in and around the FAB and the program is open to producers who use a variety of production methods ranging from conventional to certified organic and everything in between (Local Flavours, 2010).
The long-standing goal of the Local Flavours program is to enhance this biosphere region through increasing the sustainability of the local food supply and supporting local farmers. This program benefits the entire community by bringing together local producers and consumers, thus creating both an economic and social partnership. It is an excellent example of sustainable community development from which other regions could learn or use as a model. Local Flavours brings people interested in food issues together and gives them the information on where to purchase local food, reducing the environmental impact of transportation of food and improving the local economy (Local Flavours, 2010).
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Importance: This program is well established in the FAB, and provides helpful resources for interested residents to determine where local food is available. This project hopes to remove obstacles to the expansion of the local food movement by eliminating the present disconnect between consumers and retailers/producers. The program is, however, only a resource and does not provide a method of connecting groups for collaboration. The program is most useful as a tool for consumers to find retailers and producers, but does not serve to find ways of promoting collaboration between different groups in the local food system. Local Flavours also does not address issues of alternative production, and the environmental benefits of working towards sustainable practices in the FAB agricultural sector.
Wintergreen Studios
This is a non-profit organization that has a year round education and retreat centre located in the FAB region. They have a number of trails on their 204 acre property and provide various weekend workshops and courses. The building was designed using sustainable methods, being powered by solar and propane energy and using locally grown straw in the construction, as well as many recycled materials. Wintergreen provides workshops on domestic and culinary arts and as well as on sustainable development and the production of various local food products like maple syrup (Wintergreen Studios, 2010).
Importance: The studio demonstrates cooking with local food and creating value added commodities from local products. It provides awareness on local food issues and sustainable community development and gardening workshops for children. It is located in the North of the Frontenac Arch (near Westport). It might be beneficial to have one in the southern end as well.
Farmer Support Programs
For a description of funding and support programs available to farmers in the FAB, see the “Funding and Support Programs” section of the Alternative Agricultural Practices Catalogue (Appendix I)
MyPick™ Verified Local Farmer™
This Ontario-wide program works to identify local farmers at markets so that patrons may know when they are buying directly from a local producer. The verification program gives farmers a small sign with some information about their farm and the goods they produce. It also gives the
11 locations where the farmer sells their products. The benefits of buying from a MyPick™ Verified Local Farmer™ include:
○ Fresh food ○ Food bred for flavour, not uniform size or ability to travel long distances ○ Support local farmers ○ Support local economy ○ Reduce carbon footprint ○ Connect with local farmers
For farmers, one advantage of partaking in the MyPick™ Verified Local Farmer™ program is that it works to educate consumers on the benefits of buying locally grown produce. Also, the farm is listed on the MyPick website so that consumers can find the farm when searching for local producers in their area. Secondly, resellers are allowed to attend farmers markets and consumers often do not know if they are purchasing from a farmer or a reseller.
Importance: This program is currently not very well utilized among farmers in the FAB. Improving the awareness of this program could help its implementation, and ultimately improve consumer awareness about buying locally-grown food, as well as augment consumer demand for local food through the benefits written on the farmer cards.
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA)
The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) is an Ontario government ministry that is responsible for agriculture, food and the rural sectors within Ontario. OMAFRA works to build a more resilient agri-food sector through investing in innovative farming technologies, developing markets, retaining and attracting investment, providing effective risk management and providing regulatory oversight. OMAFRA provides individuals with several programs and resources that can benefit them in their agricultural endeavours (OMAFRA, 2010).
Importance: OMAFRA can be an important resource for farmers, however they are there as a support network and not for commencing initiatives. It is up to the farmers and farming groups to create initiatives that OMAFRA can then support.
National Farmers Union (NFU)
The NFU organization was founded in 1969 through the merger of the Saskatchewan Farmers Union, the Ontario Farmers Union, the Farmers Union of B.C. and the Manitoba Farmers Union. The 12 members believe that problems facing farmers are common and that farmers who produce diverse products need to work together in order to find effective solutions. The main goal of the NFU is to work toward the development of economic and social policies that will maintain the family farm as the primary food-producing unit in Canada. The objectives of the NFU as outlined in their constitution include:
1. To promote the betterment of farmers in the attainment of their economic and social goals 2. To conduct projects for the benefit of farmers in the development of markets for and the marketing of farm products 3. To achieve the reduction of costs and other measures designed to increase the economic benefits of farming 4. To conduct educational and research projects for the benefit of farmers 5. To promote and secure legislation and other forms of government action for the benefit of farmers 6. To promote a higher standard of community in agriculture 7. To provide services for its members consistent with its objectives and work jointly with any other persons or organizations for the attainment of its object
Importance: This organization focuses on broad issues in the Canadian food sector, such as protecting the Canadian Wheat Board, as opposed to local food issues within a community. For this reason, the NFU is not well suited to addressing the specific needs of the Frontenac Arch.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Within the FAB
The idea from CSAs sprouted from when people seeking safe food, and farmers seeking stable markets, banded together in economic partnerships. A CSA farm is one where a community of individuals join together to help support a farm. Generally, consumers will pay a set fee upfront before the beginning of the growing season for weekly vegetables from the farmer throughout the season. The consumer becomes a “shareholder”, and so receives shares of the farm’s bounty.
Currently there are eight CSA programs in existence within the FAB. One CSA program is in South Frontenac county and is called Patchwork Gardens. The other seven CSA programs are located in the Leeds and Grenville county and include Ironwood Gardens, Roots Down Organic Farm, New Terra Farm, Knotty Bottoms Farm, Aubin Farm, Heritage Harvest Farm, and Upper Canada Heritage Farm (Agriculture and Food Indicators Group, 2009).
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Importance: Currently the Leeds and Grenville county is well represented with respect to CSAs. There is, however, room for improvement within the other counties in the FAB. The benefits of CSAs are that the consumer knows where their food is coming from and can have a connection with the farmer who grows their food, and the producer has a stable source of income for the season.
Local Food Group Workshop
This local food summit, organized by the County of Frontenac, brought together many prominent actors in the local food movement in the area. This day-long event at the end of November provided groups with the opportunity to meet others who are also interested in promoting local food production, retail and consumption in the area. It also opened the floor for communication between groups, and a sharing of ideas and opinions on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and barriers to the current local food system. (For a description of the itinerary and discussion at the event, see Appendix II).
Importance: This summit of different groups in the local food movement in the FAB could have significant potential for bringing people together to pool resources to achieve some wanted and needed objectives in the region. There is also the possibility of the formation of a council that would serve as an overarching resource and facilitator for projects and initiatives of collaboration between parties. This council could be especially valuable if some sort of food co-operative was able to start being formed, as the council could consist of people willing to do some of the background organization involved in running the co-op. The summit could also work to link producers and retailers who could mutually benefit from collaboration of their businesses.
Producers
Farm Methods
Within the FAB, there are several different types of farming methods that are used. There is a range of methods in the farms in this region, such as conventional methods, transitional methods and organic (both certified and non-certified).
The majority of farms in the FAB use conventional farming methods. Only 10.2% of the farms reported themselves as farms producing organic products (Statistics Canada, 2006). Among the farms practicing organic methods, 8.2% were certified organic in 2006, which grew from 5.8% in 2001 (Ibid.). The rest of the farms are registered as uncertified organic (92.1%) or transitional 14
(2.0%) (Ibid.). No data is available for non-certified organic farms from 2001 to make a comparison. However, stakeholders in the FAB state that more farms are converting from conventional methods to more sustainable practices (ST-1). There is approximately a 50/50 split between conventional farms and transitional/organic farms registered as members of Local Flavours within the FAB (Local Flavours, 2010). (See the Alternative Agricultural Practices catalogue and consumer awareness pamphlet for information on alternative methods used in the FAB)
Importance: Currently, Statistics Canada define “conventional farms” as consisting of methods that are not organic. This demonstrates the lack of awareness about other available alternative practices.
Farm Size and Income
While the number of farms in FAB has decreased between 2001 and 2006, there is an increasing number of farms reporting a larger farm area (Statistics Canada, 2006). This most likely resulted from producers buying up farmland from others who are exiting the agriculture business (ST-1; FA-2). Likewise, there were more farms reporting higher incomes of $350,000 and up in 2006 than in 2001 (Statistics Canada, 2006). The increased income positively correlates to the larger farm sizes in the FAB.
Importance: All interviewees held the opinion that it was becoming increasingly difficult for smaller scale farmers to be economically successful due to a lack of resources to meet demands of distribution and consistency (ST-1; FA-2; ST-3; RE-4; RE-5; FA-6; RE-7; FA-8; FA-9).
Producer Demographics
In the FAB, the farmer demographic consists predominantly of people aged over 35. In 2006, the percentage of farmers aged over 35 in the areas of the FAB ranged between 93 and 95 percent, which increased from 2001 when the percentage was between 91 and 94 percent (Agriculture and Food Indicators Group, 2009).
Importance: This data could be interpreted in a number of ways. It may be showing that there is a trend of declining interest in farming in today’s society. Alternatively, it could mean that farming is an attractive business later on in life and not a desirable lifestyle for adults in their twenties. Interviewees were concerned with the farm demographic and placed importance on addressing this trend and promoting the importance of helping new farmers (ST-1; FA-2; ST-3).
Types of Agricultural Products
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There are a variety of crops grown within the FAB region, with the most common being wheat, oats, barley, mixed grain and corn for grain. Producers involved in Local Flavours (a database with information on the specific goods produced by local farmers in the FAB) also produce a large variety of fruits and vegetables, maple syrup and honey (Local Flavours, 2010).
There is a variety of livestock raised on farms within the FAB region with the most common being poultry, cattle, dairy cows, pigs, sheep and lamb. Overall cattle raising is the most prominent within the FAB, followed by dairy cows, sheep and lamb, pigs, and finally poultry (Agriculture and Food Indicators Group, 2009). Eggs and dairy products are also produced in the region (Local Flavours, 2010).
Importance: The variety of crops and goods already being produced in the FAB region is a good indication that there is the potential for self-sufficiency in food production in the future.
Soil Classification in the Region
The Canadian Land Inventory is an initiative supported by OMAFRA and Agriculture and Agri- food Canada, that has produced soil maps in Ontario’s townships by categorizing soil capabilities into seven classes based on their growing and pastureland capacities. They are then sub-classified based on the limiting factor of the soil capacity (such as moisture deficiency). The FAB region is represented through the county of Frontenac township maps and Leeds county (Agriculture and Food Indicators Group, 2009). The most predominant soil class in FAB is a class 7, which is not arable land and therefore is unsuitable for agriculture or pastureland (Ibid.). Other large land areas include: Class 6; which is unsuitable as arable land but is capable as an unimproved pasture and Classes 1 and 2 where soils have moderate limitations to crop selection and will produce high yields with only moderate conservation practices required (Ibid.).
Importance: When creating the catalogue of the successful sustainable farming methods in the FAB, it will be important to link their practices with the classes of soil. This will allow other farmers to determine whether this practice will work on their farm based on their own soil capacities.
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Retailers
Wendy’s Mobile Market: A Distribution Retailer
Wendy’s Mobile Market is a delivery service that provides local food straight to your door. The service delivers throughout the entirety of the FAB region from Gananoque to Kemptville and includes areas outside of the FAB including Kingston and Prince Edward County. Orders can be made online where the form is arranged with a list of farms and the products they provide. The service supplies vegetables, fruit, various meat (beef, pork, chicken, etc.), artisan cheeses, maple syrup, honey and premade products like soups, spreads, lasagna etc. (Wendy’s Mobile Market, 2010)
Importance: Wendy’s is the only distributor in the area for small-scale farms. It helps close the gap between consumers and producers. Every retailers and farmers interviewed has mentioned this business as their distributor. As the demand for local food increases, distribution services in the region will need to increase concurrently.
Local Food Retailers & Population Density in the FAB
The purpose of the map below is to give an indication of the locations of current local food retailers in the FAB. “Local food retailer” refers to stores and farmers’ markets where locally produced food is sold. Currently there are eleven farmers’ markets operating within the FAB region. They are located in Athens, Brockville, Crosby, Verona, Gananoque, Kemptville, Kingston, Landsdowne, Merrickville, Prescott, Smiths Falls, and Westport (Local Flavours, 2010).
These locations generally do not sell exclusively local goods, but rather make an effort to supply some local food products at all times. In the map, the red line is the FAB boundary. The red dots are current local food retailers within the FAB region, and the other circles indicate population density in different areas of the region. The table indicates the name of the local food retailer on the map, organized by the number that corresponds to each retailer location on the map.
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Figure 1. A map containing the location of local retailers and major towns in the FAB region.
Table 2. Local food retailers in the FAB, addresses, and associated number from map.
# Name Address City
1 Lyndhurst Groceteria 427 Lyndhurst Road Lyndhurst
2 Gananoque Farmers' Market 30 Kings Street East Gananoque
3 Lansdowne Farmers' Market Agricultural Society Fairgrounds Lansdowne
4 Purcell's Freshmart 4 Quabbin Hill Road Mallorytown
5 Brockville Farmers' Market Market Street West Brockville
6 Real Canadian Superstore 1972 Parkedale Avenue Brockville
7 Kudrinko's Fresh Mart 22 Main Street Westport
8 Westport Farmers' Market 43 Bedford Street Westport
9 Local Family Farms 6674 Main Street Verona
10 Frontenac Farmers' Market 4504 Verona Sand Road Verona
11 Naish's Country Store 3814 Battersea Road Inverary
12 Wendy’s Country Market 408 Fortune Line Road Lyndhurst
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Importance: This map can help to give an indication of the areas in the FAB where the sale of local food is unrepresented. Since the demand for local food from the area is so high, and there are many agricultural producers, it seems that more retailers supplying local food to consumers would be beneficial for the local food system.
Restaurants Sourcing Local Food
There are 21 restaurants and inns registered on Local Flavours sourcing from Local Flavours producers, all but three are located within the FAB. The three not within the FAB are found in Kingston. There are two locally sourced restaurants in Lansdowne, two in Westport, three in Brockville and one in each of Kemptville, Gananoque and Lyndhurst. Four bakeries source from Local Flavours producers (from Brockville, Westport and Gananoque). For the purpose of this project, bed and breakfasts are not included, as restaurants and bakeries have to deal more with supply and demand issues (Local Flavours, 2010).
Importance: Although the number of restaurants and bakeries is significant, creating a self-sufficient food system will require that all restaurants source from local food suppliers. Secondly, food can play an important role in local identity, considering the slogan of Local Flavours is “Savour the Arch”. The number of locally sourced restaurants needs to be improved and this project aims to find out why other restaurants are not sourcing from local suppliers.
Consumers
Main Factors Consumers Consider when Purchasing Food
A research study was conducted by Foodland Ontario to determine what consumers look for when purchasing food. The research was conducted by surveying individual consumers on the Internet, in-store and in-restaurant. Questions pertained to the key considerations for their food choices, the importance of where their food came from and reasons why they would specifically buy Ontario foods (see Figures 2-4).
Importance: Local food and the way in which food is produced is not currently a priority to the majority of consumers. It is important that they understand the importance of these practices in building a sustainable community. The workshops created in this project aim to promote awareness about these issues in hopes that purchasing locally and sustainably will become a main consideration in consumer food choice. 19
Fig 2. The factors that influence consumers’ decision in buying Ontario-produced or processed foods. (Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, 2010)
Fig 3. The factors that strongly influence the consumer's decision for purchasing products. (Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, 2010).
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Fig 4. The number one factor that influences the consumer's purchasing decision in restaurants. (Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, 2010)
Population Demographics
Census data on the age demographics show an aging population in the FAB. Throughout 1996 to 2006, the percentage of people that are over 65 years old rose from 12.7% to 14.4% (Statistics Canada, 2006). On the other hand, the percentage of the population younger than 15 years of age have declined from 21.1% in 1996 to 16.2% in 2006 (Ibid.).
Importance: When addressing consumer awareness methods, it is important to recognize the demographics to discern what methods of education would be most valuable to the region.
Challenges and Barriers to Local Food in the FAB
Disconnect between Producers and Consumers: Challenges to the Local Food Movement
All interviewees and stakeholders who attended the Local Food Group Workshop (organized by the County of Frontenac) agreed that there is a 'disconnect' between producers and consumers (County of Frontenac, 2010). Small-scale local producers often do not have the resources or time to widely distribute and market their products. Secondly, they often lack sufficient supply to address the needs of retailers, such as restaurants. There can be issues with reliability as crop production is highly dependent on weather conditions (RA-7). Canadian winters are a specific concern for
21 restaurant owners who like to keep some regularity in menus, since many crops are unavailable in the winter and storage facilities are quite costly.
Most retailers are able to get products from large industrial companies who import their goods from other countries where seasonal temperature variances are not an issue . These products often come from farms utilizing monoculture production at an industrial scale, which provides a large supply to retailers (IDRC, 2005). The convenience of the global market has made it difficult for small-scale farms to compete, as they are unable to guarantee the large-scale, year round supply that imported goods can provide. Furthermore, they are in competition with large mechanized farms that are less labour intensive and thus have the resources to proficiently market and distribute their product (IDRC, 2005). These mechanized farms are often largely subsidized in their respective agri- food sectors in places like the U.S., resulting in deceptively low food costs (FA-2). For example, the cost of beef has not risen since 1999 and non subsidized Ontario cattle farmers have had to compete with the subsidized U.S. cattle industry, which has lower economic inputs for things like vaccines (in the U.S., they cost $1 and yet in Ontario, it costs $14) making U.S. producers more economically competitive (FA-2).
The last issue is the feasibility of creating value added food products as discussed in the Local Food Group Workshops (County of Frontenac, 2010). This practice is difficult for small-scale producers as it is usually not economically viable unless a large quantity is to be produced due to the high initial costs of creating the infrastructure for value added products, such as the cost of purchasing a mill or producing artisan cheeses (Organic Meadow, 2009).
These are the challenges specific to the FAB local food system that came up at the Local Food Groups Workshop (Frontenac County, 2010):
· Individual farms have difficulty marketing in the FAB due to limited resources and time.
· Lack of infrastructure in place to be able to efficiently and effectively store products (i.e. cold storage facilities), and process goods for value-added products.
· Lack of uniform packaging for goods produced in the area (e.g. meat products could be packaged in the same plant with the same label design, but with the name of the specific farm that produced the meat on the label).
· A retailer outlet is needed that involves members who pay a fee to help cover the cost of infrastructure and running the store.
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· There is a multitude of groups concerned with local food promotion and enhancing production in the area, but little collaboration occurs amongst the groups
· Individual farms, retailers and processors do not have the time or resources to develop their own answers to the problems which affect them the most.
Initiatives and Recommendations
Recommendations for the FAB
i. Food Co-operatives in the FAB
Disconnect in the Local Food System in the FAB
As was previously mentioned in the current state section of this report, there exists a 'disconnect' in the FAB’s local food system. Through the interviews with various stakeholders in the region, it became apparent that the biggest challenge to promoting local food in the area is food accessibility and customer appeal. It must be said that currently, Wendy’s Mobile Market does an effective job of helping to bridge the disconnect in the local food system by picking up local goods from producers and distributing them to retailers, such as restaurants and stores, as well as providing the delivery service and a store for consumers.
Many of the current challenges to the local food system, however, affect the ability of the business to attain the ultimate goal of making local food easily accessible and appealing to the consumer (e.g. the lack of uniform packaging – consumers do not necessarily know what farm the meat came from, making it difficult for consumer loyalty to form) (Local Food Group Workshops, 2010). Also, the business does not currently have much room to grow, as there is some reliance on volunteers (Miller, 2010).
In order to overcome these challenges, there will be a need for further integration and collaboration amongst groups and individuals interested in the health of the local food system (based on the number of people who attended the Local Food Group Workshops in November, there are many who are passionate about these issues in the FAB.). There is also the need for a pooling of resources, such as money and infrastructure, in order to expand the local food production, processing, marketing and distribution in the FAB. It is also of utmost importance that a solution be 23 created that will meet the needs of all groups involved, so that the collaboration benefits the producers, processors, retailers and consumers equally.
What is a Co-op?
According to the Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA), a co-operative is an organization that is owned by the members who use its services. It can be for-profit or non-profit, and provide its members with a values-based, community-owned and controlled alternative. Rather than having to focus on maximizing profits for shareholders, the co-operative can concentrate on meeting the common needs of its members. In this system, each member has one vote in controlling the enterprise, so people control the organization rather than the common one vote per share system where capital controls the enterprise. Profits are returned to the members based on how much they use the co-op, and often profits get reinvested into improving the services of the co-op for the members and enhancing the well being of the community (CCA, 2008).
CCA outlines seven guiding principles for co-ops, which are:
1. Voluntary and open membership
2. Democratic member control
3. Member economic participation
4. Autonomy and independence
5. Education, training, and information
6. Co-operation among co-operatives
7. Concern for community
Co-op systems comprehend the importance of allowing the people of the community to define their own needs and to work together to meet those needs. Decision-making power is put into the hands of the people who use the services, rather than having a single owner decide what the business needs and how it should change over time (CCA, 2008). This is a significant concept for sustainability, as it would seem as though an organization that reacts to the needs and wants of its dedicated members (producers and consumers) will experience longevity because it is the owners of the business that are making use of its services and keeping it running. Often farmers do not have 24 the time to work on marketing, or finding ways to process and distribute their products. Co-ops can provide improved access to packing, merchandising and marketing resources through a pooling of the resources of the members and collaboration with others wishing to meet the same goal (Ibid.). Ultimately, co-ops work to bridge the gap between local food producers and locally conscientious consumers.
Figure 5. A diagram on the basic structure of a cooperative (BCCA, n.d.).
Presented in Figure 5 is the basic structure of a co-op. As the figure suggests, the members of the co-op elect the Board of Directors. These people are in charge of setting the direction of the co- op and hiring senior management. The Board is accountable to the members, and report to them on issues and decisions related to the co-op. Senior Management are in charge of operating the co-op (hires staff, develops programs and business model, etc). The staff then supplies the members with the services that the co-op offers.
How to Start a Co-operative
Optimally, the development process of a co-operative is member-driven (ST-3). This is vital in order to ensure that the structure and purpose of the co-op meets the needs of the members. Creating a successful and effective co-op is challenging, but there are many resources and guides that have been created to help people get co-op initiatives off the ground. Below are some links for guides on how to start a co-op in Canada:
Canadian Co-operative Association – General Co-op Development Guides: http://www.coopscanada.coop/en/orphan/General-Co-op-Development-Guides
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The Co-operative Corporations Act is available on the Ontario Government website, E-Laws: http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/source/regs/english/2007/elaws_src_regs_r0741 4_e.htm
Benefits of Co-operatives
There are many benefits associated with agricultural co-operatives.
For farmers, co-ops are beneficial because they help family farms stay in business by providing fair compensation for the food produced, so that farmers can get fair value for their work. Also, it provides the opportunity to produce quality food for local people rather than producing huge volumes of commodities to transport elsewhere. The farmer can also benefit from the pooled resources of the members of the co-op because the initial capital investment for the business is divided among the members (Ottawa Valley Food Co-operative, 2010). Involving multiple farms allows for greater crop diversity for customers and the farmers receive benefits from economies of scale in marketing and distributing.
For consumers, co-ops can offer improved access to fresher, more nutritious, better tasting, higher quality food that has not been transported long distances. A co-op can provide a venue for consumers to support alternative farming practices being used on small to medium scale local farms, while getting to know more about the real price of food. Consumers may also have the opportunity to know which local farmer is producing the food they are eating (Ottawa Valley Food Co-operative, 2010).
For the community, co-ops can be a way to keep investment in the community, as they serve to support the local economy. They also work to build direct relationships between producers, consumers and neighbours, and provide education about the food system (such as how our food choices affect the community and the environment). Food co-ops can also work to enhance self- sufficiency in food production in the region. The co-op system also concentrates resources toward a sustainable food system that benefits the members, rather than aiming for increased profits for shareholders (Ottawa Valley Food Co-operative, 2010).
For the planet, food co-ops can be an environmentally friendly way of incorporating the food system in the local economy. Fewer fossil fuels are used, resulting in reduced environmental pollution and less reliance on non-renewable resources. Food co-ops can choose to support alternative farming methods, which can help to limit the adverse environmental impacts that conventional farming can
26 cause. There is also the benefit of efficiency and economics of scale in a co-op setup, as combining the processes of packaging and distribution will reduce waste and fuel costs respectively (Ottawa Valley Food Co-operative, 2010).
Addressing the Disconnect in the Food System
At the Local Food Group Workshop, a local food summit hosted by the County of Frontenac, the idea of forming a food co-operative came up. There seemed to be unanimous consensus that the people involved in the food system would benefit from collaboration and pooling their resources.
Since the co-op system is inherently designed to meet the needs of the community, a food co- operative could work to effectively address the challenges in the FAB region that result in the disconnect of the current food system.
In the case of the FAB local food system, a co-op could be a method of pooling resources to invest in the infrastructure that is currently needed in the region, such as a cold storage facility, processing plant, an egg grading plant and/or a retail outlet that would be owned and run by the members of the co-op (Local Food Group Workshop, 2010). It could also be a way of collectively marketing, packaging, and distributing goods. A store owned by the members of the co-op could provide a way to reach consumers where the responsibilities and costs are shared amongst many people. This would also provide a method for collaboration between the groups that would work to combine the energies of everyone so that time can be used more effectively.
Types of Co-operatives
There are many examples of successful co-operatives in Ontario and other parts of Canada. Below are short descriptions of several types of co-operatives and corresponding biographies of currently functioning co-ops that could be used as models for a co-operative in the FAB region. (Note: In an effort to provide an objective look at these models, the benefits that result from the co- op services have not been included. This is because, upon implementing a certain type of co-op, the benefits would vary depending on the context within which the co-op system would occur. The challenges that these co-op models face were also not included because they were not specified on their websites, and interviews were not conducted with co-op members.)
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Marketing Co-operative
This is a business model where producers, who are members of the co-op, can combine their various products on one database. This is often online (called a virtual “farmers’ market”) so that consumer members can log on to shop for their weekly or bi-weekly groceries from the various producers of the co-op. The producer of each product is identified so that consumers can have a direct connection to the farmer that produced their food. The farmer members usually bring the food to a central location where consumers come to pick up their order. (For a marketing co-op example, see Appendix III, Case Study 1)
Retail Store Co-op
This is a retail store that is owned by its consumers and local producers (regional) and managed by a volunteer board of directors. Local producers bring their food into the store in which consumers then have the ability to come and purchase these products. This store business model allows access to conventional loans and capital provided for small businesses (Miller, 2010). (For a retailer store co-op example, see Appendix III, Case Study 2)
Processing Co-op
Created by a number of farmers each contributing a large initial monetary input for the creation of infrastructure that will allow for value added products. These products are then marketed together once a set of standards is agreed upon in farm production and returns are given after a deduction of the costs of production (Organic Meadow, 2009). (For a processing co-op example, see Appendix III, Case Study 3)
Distribution Co-op
A food distribution co-op functions by acting as the middle ground for the food distribution system. The co-op provides delivery and storage facilities for producers, and distributes produce to communities through markets or outlets. Distribution co-op helps connect the network of farmers to processors, restaurants and consumers in the region (Miller, 2010). (For a distribution co-op example, see Appendix III, Case Studies 4 and 5)
Land Co-op
This is a type of co-op wherein the community cooperatively manages a piece of farmland. The responsibility is not on one farmer for the maintenance of the farm but several who share in the
28 profit (Glen Valley Organic Co-operative, 2009). (For a land co-op example, see Appendix III, Case Study 6)
ii. Local Food Retailer Map and Potential for New Outlets
The local food retailer map explores the possibility of establishing a new local food outlet in the FAB. Food retailers in the FAB region were located using the online Yellow Pages. Whether or not retailers source their food locally was determined through phone contact. A “local food retailer” is considered to be any store that sources a variety of local food products, but not necessarily .exclusively. Using the addresses of the local food retailers, the coordinates of the store were determined through geocoding. The retailer locations were then overlaid on the map, along with the population densities of major towns in the FAB, county boundaries and the FAB boundary (Figure 1).
The next step was to determine areas for local food outlet expansion (Figure 6). A circle was drawn around all of the local food outlets and towns with a radius of five km. The distance was decided subjectively based on the time an individual might want to spend to drive to an outlet and the distance between the towns in the FAB. Areas of overlap between towns were coloured. The shade of colour indicates the amount of overlap of the circles surrounding the towns to establish areas where there is high population density. Red indicated areas of high overlap, whereas light blue indicated areas of low overlap. Overlap that occurs within the area of influence of established outlets were not coloured in. This map can be used to determine areas where future retailers could be established by locating gaps in retailer distribution as well as high township overlap, to benefit as many residents as possible.
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Figure 6. A map containing the locations of local retailers and major towns in the FAB. Areas of overlaps are coloured in. The level of overlap can be referred to the indicator on the bottom right side of the map.
Educational Tools i. Consumer Awareness Pamphlet
In an attempt to promote consumer awareness about alternative agriculture practices within the FAB region, a pamphlet was created. The pamphlet includes information on alternative agriculture methods, sustainable agricultural models (ex. organic farming) and their benefits, a seasonality guide that outlines when different types of fruits and vegetables will be available locally within the region, , and information on the MyPick™ Verified Local Farmer™ certification program. These pamphlets could be made available at local farmers’ markets throughout the area for consumers as an educational tool. It was thought that farmers’ markets would be a good location to have these pamphlets as these outlets allow consumers to talk directly with farmers about how their food was produced. Furthermore, frequent users of farmers’ markets often attend these outlets because they have an interest in how their food is produced, which makes this consumer base more likely to be receptive to the pamphlet.
The goal of this consumer awareness pamphlet is threefold. First, it seeks to educate consumers about alternative agricultural practices and the benefits they provide. Secondly, it was designed to encourage a dialogue between consumers and producers about the production methods used to
30 grow the food and seasonal food availability. Lastly, based on this dialogue consumers can make informed choices about the producers they choose to buy from based on production methods.
It was important to include information on alternative agricultural practices and the benefits they provide to help consumers differentiate between these practices and conventional ones. By including the benefits of these practices, it will help consumers to understand why purchasing their food from farmers who use alternative methods is better for the environment. Sustainable farm models were also included with the intention of increasing representation of forms of agriculture that are not widely recognized. The lack of recognition is evident on the Local Flavours website where producers are only classified as conventional, organic or non-certified organic.
The seasonal food availability guide was included in the pamphlet as an ‘easy reading’ approach to educate consumers about the availability of local food throughout the different seasons in the area. This information contributes to the movement towards catering individual diets to include “eating with the seasons”, an important aspect of the popularized “eating within a 100-km radius diet”. Information on the MyPick™ Verified Local Farmer™ certification program was included as a tool for consumers to identify local producers at farmers’ markets. Resellers are often present at farmers’ markets. They do not grow or produce the food they are selling, and may in fact be selling food that was not locally grown. This identification process is important as there are currently few farmers’ markets with regulations on whether resellers must source their products (FA-6).
(A copy of the pamphlet is included in Appendix IV)
ii. Alternative Agricultural Practices Catalogue
As part of this project, an Alternative Agricultural Practices catalogue was created as an educational tool for both new and existing farmers within the FAB region. As a group of students who have never farmed a day in their lives, it is unrealistic to try and tell farmers they need to switch to using alternative methods of production in order to be more sustainable. With this in mind, it was decided to create a collection of farm biographies highlighting the alternative methods of production they use and their success in doing so. This catalogue could be used as an initial resource for new farmers who want to start up a farming business by utilizing alternative methods that have been implemented successfully in the region. It can also be useful for existing farmers who are unaware of the alternative practices being used in the area, but would like to switch to using more environmentally friendly practices without compromising their economic viability. The 31 catalogue also includes information about funding and support programs, some of which may not be well known in the farming community.
Another section in this catalogue highlights some information on co-ops, and the environmental, social and economic benefits they can provide. Including information on co-ops was important because it is a possible recommendation for the FAB region to deal with issues of disconnect between consumer and producer, as well as with issues of supply and demand.
Finally, there is a section of the catalogue that highlights farms within the FAB region, along with contact information, that are currently using alternative agricultural methods of production that are experiencing financial success, as well as gaining significant benefits. By providing contact information for all of the farms highlighted in the catalogue, new farmers or existing farmers who want to try these practices can contact the farms utilizing them for help and support with respect to implementing these practices on their own farm. The goal of this catalogue is to promote a shift towards alternative practices in the FAB. Ideally, this will result in a more sustainable food system.
(A copy of the catalogue is included in Appendix I)
Recommendations for ENSC 430 Group Next Year i. Feasibility Study for Food Co-operatives in the FAB
Due to time constraints, it was not possible to assess the feasibility of applying one of the co-op models to the FAB. It is recommended that the Alternative Agriculture and Local Food Group for next year first compile an inventory of the agricultural resources (abattoirs, processing plants, packaging plants, etc.) and businesses in the different regions of the FAB to determine areas where certain processing/distribution/retail services are lacking. This would contribute to a feasibility study on co-ops in the FAB, and suggest co-op models that would address the current lack in infrastructure, and that have the potential to be successful in different areas of the FAB region. ii. Add information to the Alternative Agricultural Practices Catalogue
Since the Alternative Agricultural Practices Catalogue is an educational tool it is important to keep the information up to date. Therefore, it is recommended that the Alternative Agriculture and Local Food Group for next year include more biographies of farms into the catalogue, as well as new funding and support programs made available to the region. A section on the soil composition of
32 each of the farm biographies in the area is recommended to illustrate the conditions within which the alternate practices were successful. It is also hoped that they will expand the catalogue to include information on the types of co-ops and successful case studies. Co-op biographies would be valuable based on key stakeholder interviews to determine the benefits and challenges of running the co-op, and the context of its emergence.
Conclusion
Through the course of developing this research project, there have been many adaptations to the primary focus and initiatives to be developed. For instance, some of the ideas that were explored included a consumer awareness workshop on sustainable agriculture, as well as an annual farmers’ forum to promote communication between new and established farmers. These initiatives were reconsidered when it became apparent that community members involved in the local food movement do not necessarily have the time to devote to running workshops. There are also events that currently take place that are similar to the forum initiative that was first developed.
The original aims of this project were based on a narrow understanding of the agricultural system, as it was initially assumed that increased consumer demand for sustainably produced goods would stimulate production to provide the supply needed to meet demands. After research and some consultation with a key stakeholder in the local food system, it was clear that the factors that affect shifts in supply or demand are much more complicated (e.g. a lack of infrastructure can inhibit the supply from responding to demand). It was through the process of interviewing community members that the project was able to take a form that would better address and reflect the challenges and barriers to the local food system in the FAB.
One interviewee made a thoughtful remark - there is no point in working to create a local food system if the result will be that the agricultural process damages and degrades the local environment (RE-4). This report has gone into great detail about the present disconnect between the various sections of the local food system. An important aspect of overcoming this problem is determining how to strive for self-sufficiency in food production, while fostering agricultural production that does not compromise the health and biodiversity of the environment.
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In the Frontenac Arch region, there are a huge variety of groups that are concerned with improving the success and viability of local food production in and around the FAB. It is perceived that these groups hold great potential in working to address the local food challenges that this report identifies. It is the aim and hope of this project that the proposed opportunities and recommendations will contribute to achieving a desirable, sustainable food system that meets the needs of the Frontenac Arch community.
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REFERENCES
Babbie, Earl. The Practice of Social Research. Belmont, CA: Thompson & Wadsworth, 2007. Bane, Gwen. “It‟s Worth Paying More: The Benefits of Alternative Agriculture.” Journal of Pesticide Reform. 1991. Web. 2 Nov. 2010.
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Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve. “Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve.” FABR. 2010. Web. 9 Nov. 2010.
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Niagara Local Food Co-op. “Mission.” Niagara Agri-Tourism Centre 2008. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. < http://www.niagaralocalfoodcoop.ca/index.php> Norse, David. "Multiple Threats to Regional Food Production: Environment, Economy, Population?" Food Policy 19.2 (1994): 133-48. Print. Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association. “Canada-Ontario Farm Stewardship Program (COFSP).” Government of Canada 2010. Web. 20 Nov. 2010. < http://www.ontariosoilcrop.org/docs/cofspbrochuresept_10.pdf> Ontario CSA Directory. “Community Supported Agriculture: Ontario Directory.” Ontario CSA Directory 2010. Web. 29 Nov. 2010.
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APPENDIX I
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APPENDIX II
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Local Food Group Workshops – Itinerary and Synopsis
9:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Registration, Welcome, introductions, review of agenda
10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Local food groups’ profiles - Each person introduced themselves and described the group that they were representing and the programs that they are currently running. There were a variety of groups represented, such as government agencies, culinary tourism groups, farmers,
10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Barriers – Each person was given a card, upon which they were to write the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and barriers to the local food system in the region. The facilitator opened the floor to have people give their thoughts on each category. There was some disagreement, but overall there was consensus on many of the points. The ideas that emerged were as follows:
Strengths Opportunities - Producers with innovative ideas - Farmers working together to pool genetics - Strong community and networking (for consistency) occurring - Educate the consumer - Passion - Add value to products - Good market for products - Edible Kingston (and area) Magazine - Growing scope and quality - Food co-operatives - Independent spirit - Contract production - Location - More cooperation - Institutional buyers - More local food = more viable farms
Weaknesses Barriers - Difficult to get access to local food in short - Coordination between provincial and notice federal requirements - Education/marketing - Number of abattoirs - Demand is outstripping supply - Government regulations - Media accessibility - Packaging consistency for distributors - Consistent supply (label with farm name) - Vulnerability of farmland to development - Lack of income for existing and beginning - Duplicated efforts farmers - Lack of processing (e.g. poultry abattoirs) - Difficult to provide electricity to the grid - Institutional aggregation (Hydro) - Cold storage - Health regulations (especially eggs and - Balance between wholesale and direct sale chicken)
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to consumers - Purchasing policies of large organizations - Decrease in farm population - Education – getting information out - Costs aren’t externalized requires planning ahead - Lack of cooperative distribution - Definition of “local” - Excess of certain products - Consumer mindset – difficult to change - Central commercial kitchen for processing consumer lifestyle needed - Waste disposal - More government support of electricity producers - Communication - Lack of freezer/food storage infrastructure
11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Break-out Session – The people attending the workshop were divided into four groups, where discussion took place concerning opportunities for expansion and improvement of the local food system.
12:45 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Presentation by Katie Nolan, OMAFRA – “Local Food: Where have we been and where are we going?” – This talk presented the programs and trends in the current local food systems in Ontario. The main message is that it is important to build on the strengths of the community and use the resources that currently exist. It seems as though OMAFRA is able to support some programs if an application is submitted for funding.
1:30 p.m. – 2:10 p.m. Discussion, Q&A, Connections to morning discussions’ suggested strategies for increasing capacity and self-sufficiency – This discussion involved the facilitator leading the group in assessing the difficulty and plausibility of the opportunities that came up in the morning discussions. People then broke off into groups based on interest to discuss the possibility of initiating the opportunities. This discussion seemed to spark debates over what direction should be taken.
2:10 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Next steps, Evaluation of the day, Wrap-up – At the end of the workshop day, many people continued to discuss in the groups. Hopefully there has been some follow up collaboration and discussion about how to move forward, and what the next steps will be in order to start to work towards the opportunities that arose during the workshop.
Reflections on the Day
This day-long event was a very important opportunity for the collaboration of groups who all had a vested interest in the local food movement. It was a unique event in that there were a variety of groups that contribute to the movement in different ways (some target consumers, others
43 producers) and possess varying perspectives. Even though this project aimed to discover all of the local food initiatives available in the area, there were initiatives and community organizations present that had never been encountered in researching the FAB. There seemed to be a number of overlapping initiatives such as culinary tours in which these ventures might be more successful through collaboration. Many representatives noted the importance of providing a setting in which group can learn about the various local food events taking place in the region in order to enable expansion of existing initiatives and avoid repetition. No new initiatives were decided upon by the end of the day, which was partly due to an encircling debate about whether the first step should be to decide on an initiative or to decide on what kind of collaborative group should be formed. Although no council/group was formally established, hopefully continued collaboration will result in a well thought out plan of action.
It was very inspiring to see so many people who are enthused about the local food movement and are willing to share their knowledge. The group was very receptive to various opinions and a comprehensive list of opportunities for addressing the barriers in the local food system were explored.
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APPENDIX III
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Examples of Functioning Co-ops
Marketing Co-operative Example:
Case Study 1: Niagara Local Food Co-op Location: Thorold, Niagara Regional Municipality, Ontario
This co-operative is a non-profit marketing and distribution system for local farmers, local food processors and consumers. It is an economic development mechanism to include employment, income creation, and fiscal improvement (Niagara Local Food Co-op, 2008).
The Niagara Local Food Co-op markets members’ products through what they call a “virtual farmers’ market”, wherein consumer members can log on to the website and shop for local food. The consumer can find a description of the farm and their farming practices on the website, along with a list of the products that the producer has that week. The consumer chooses the products they want to buy from the different producers, and submits their order online once every two weeks. Payments are made online, with a 5% fee added to consumer orders and a 10% fee for producer sales (to cover operation costs). The producer gets notified of the order, and reserves the items for the consumer. Farmers and other producers (processors, creators of local food value-added goods) bring the items to a central location, and consumers come to pick up their items that were ordered the week prior (Niagara Local Food Co-op, 2008).
The co-op sells shares to consumer and producer members, which makes them part owners of the enterprise. For a lifetime membership, the fee is $50 for consumers and $100 for producers. This fee allows consumers to buy products, and allows producers to buy and sell products on the website. Each household can own one share of the co-op (Niagara Local Food Co-op, 2008).
Retail Store Co-operative Example:
Case Study: Eat Local Sudbury Location: Sudbury, Ontario
Eat Local Sudbury is a co-op store of local food with joint ownership between consumers and producers. It is run by a volunteer board of directors and relies on volunteers to run the store. It sources from within 150 miles of Sudbury and runs several workshops on local food education by hosting events like “Meet your Local Farmer”, sampling and a restaurant forum on local food. The co-op has over 400 consumer members and 10 producers. The membership fees help cover the costs and uses of the co-op get a return based on how much they use the co-op (percentage back from purchasing).
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Processing Co-operative Example:
Case Study 3: Organic Meadow Location: Durham, Ontario
Organic Meadow co-operative is a for-profit marketing and processing co-op that was formed between local organic producers. Since its conception it has grown immensely to become a popular company that provides organic eggs, grain and dairy products to its consumers across Canada.
In 1989, a local organic grain elevator was going out of business which was going to leave a number of producers without a storage facility. Organic Meadow was formed through a collaborative effort by a handful of organic farmers who each contributed $2000 to lease the elevator and hire a mill operator. The members brought in their grains at harvest and Organic Meadow stored and marketed them and deducted the operational costs and then paid out the balance to the growers (Ibid.).The co-op is managed by a volunteer board of directors and eventually expanded into the organic egg and dairy industry where they created the brand: Country Meadow Cheese, Milk and Ice cream. A professional marketing manager was hired to manage the branding and selling of the Organic dairy brand which resulted in several contracts with large retailers. professional marketing manager and guaranteed a premium on all of their milk. This co-op now has over 100 producers across Canada, providing farmers with access to several local mills. Farmers get advice on when to market their crops. They abide by three principles of open membership, democratic control and economic participation contributed in an equitable fashion. Part of the money goes towards running the co-op. Organic meadow provides strict guidelines for how cattle must be raised (pasture fed) and how hens should be raised by feeding 100% organic feed, free run with 2 square feet per bird indoors and no usage of antibiotics or hormones. (Zettel, 2010)
Distribution Co-operative Examples:
Case Study 4: Intervale Food Hub Location: Burlington, Vermont
Intervale Local Food Hub is a distribution co-op that creates local food baskets from a number of farms and delivers them to individuals at their place of business (Intervale Food Hub, 2009).
The Local Food Hub was started as a research project by the Intervale center to identify barriers and opportunities for increasing local food production in Burlington Vermont. Based on farm and market interest the Intervale Food farmer aggregate was formed. A Multi-Farm CSA was created where produce from 20 farms are combined to create weekly shares for customers (Intervale Food Hub, 2009).
The members who get weekly food shares are not shareholders of the farms, they do not share in the bounty or the scarcity of the various crops but receive a fair price for their basket of food delivered each week to their places of business. A number of share options are available including student shares available at the local college and University. They also have a wholesale distributor that serves local restaurants, caterers, company cafes, grocers and institutions (Intervale Food Hub, 2009). 49
Case Study 5: FoodRoots Distribution Location: Victoria, British Columbia
Farmers are very busy with maintaining crops and/or livestock and do not have the time to be at the market everyday to sell their goods. FoodRoots provides a solution to this problem by acting as a middle ground for producers and consumers. FoodRoots is a non-profit co-op distributor for locally and organically grown produce and processed food. The organization purchases food at an organic wholesale rate from the farmer. The co-op works by offering goods and products to be ordered online each week. Every Saturday, all of the food is picked up by FoodRoots from the farms and placed in a central location where buyers come and pick up their products. In this way, all of the products are marketed together. FoodRoots also started a Pocket Market program during 2005 for small-scale community markets. The Pocket Market is essentially a miniature farmers' market held weekly that is run by either FoodRoots volunteers or community members, with an open invitation for attendance by farmers, community members and urban gardeners. These distribution facilities offered by FoodRoots allow small-scale farmers and processors to make their goods more accessible to consumers.
Another important aspect of FoodRoots is education. Once a month, FoodRoots holds an event called “Sustainable Feast” in which a four-course gourmet meal is prepared using local ingredients and workshops are conducted about sustainable farming.
Land Co-operative Example:
Case Study 6: Glen Valley Organic Farm Co-operative Location: Abbotsford, British Columbia
A 50-acre organic farm was to be sold in the Glen Valley area in 1992 and potential buyers were not interested in keeping the farmland organic. To ensure that it remained an organic farm, a group of community members created a farm co-operative where each shareholder was required to purchase a $5000 share to cover the mortgage of the farm. In 1997, a farm team was created who then leased the land from the co-op and were given the responsibility of farming the land. These team members are also be shareholders in the co-op. The farm produces fruit, vegetables and eggs. The shareholders are involved in the decision-making process within the co-operative, attending monthly meetings and belonging to subcommittees that focus on various aspects of the farm business, such as financing, maintenance, and communications. The shares are “par value” meaning that they do not increase if the co-op business is doing well to ensure that no one tries to sell the farm to gain capital. The board of directors are known as farm stewards, they are in charge of creating and fine-tuning business proposals that the shareholders then vote upon.
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APPENDIX IV
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APPENDIX V
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PRODUCER INTERVIEW – Alternative Agriculture and Local Food Production
1. What do you grow or raise on your farm?
2. How big is your farm?
3. What types of farming methods do you use?
4. How do you raise your livestock? - What aspects of cattle raising are the most costly?
5. Have you considered converting to alternative agriculture?
[6. What are the benefits of growing sustainably?]
[7. What are some of the challenges or obstacles associated with starting a sustainable farm or converting to sustainable methods?]
[8. Is your farm ‘certified’ organic? Why or why not?]
9. How do you feel about WWOOFing or C.R.A.F.T. internships?
10. Have you ever had any WWOOF volunteers or C.R.A.F.T. interns on your farm?
11. How would you feel about an online support network for farmers getting into sustainable agriculture? - Would you have benefitted from a forum such as this when you were starting your farm? - Do you think that you would be interested in contributing to a forum where you could provide insights, tips, information, etc to farmers starting sustainable operations?
12. Do you know of any niche cropping currently taking place in this region? - Is there interest for other niche crops that you know of?
13. Have you run into any problems of supply and demand since starting your farming practice?
RETAILER INTERVIEW – Alternative Agriculture and Local Food Production
1. How long have you been running your food retailing business or restaurant?
2. How do you supply your store or business?
3. Do you stock any local food? Why or why not?
4. Do you experience any issues with supply or demand?
5. Is it cost effective for you to stock the products of local producers?
PRODUCER INTERVIEWS – Alternative Agriculture and Local Food Production (FA-2) 56
1. What do you grow or raise on your farm? - Cattle, 200 mum cows, calves—raise calves all the way to the end of production
2. How big is your farm? - 1600 acres, 800 acres is rented—not arable for growing crops, except grass crops, which are perennials - Full time business
3. What types of farming methods do you use? N/A
4. How do you raise your livestock? - Grass farmers, hay in the winter, rotational pasture raise the cattle - Keep water containers in various remote areas, pump water by using energy from installed solar panels this leaves nutrients in area where they graze (from manure) and puts less stress on moving cattle to one central spot for water, now in various areas - 5 Solar Panelling watering systems: Buggy with solar panels—Scott tank fed by creek then put on a buggy and is moved away from streams, cattle no longer enter stream to get water which results in less erosion from cattle walking to stream - Permanent tanks: motion censored bowl—pump fills up with motion censing—when they leave it shuts it down (winter system) - Reseed grass by putting seeds on the back of the buggy on the four-wheeler when moving hay - After cows excrete hay, the seeds remain (clover seeds and legume seeds can withstand going through the Roomba, most economical way to reseed pasture because these seeds act as natural nitrogen - The grass feeds on the legume root system and germinates, cows won’t eat where they excrete so the grass has a chance to grow - Bought farm from Husband’s family no fertilizer had ever been used
5. What are the benefits of growing sustainably? - Almost 4 times as much production on an acre of land of perennial grasses - Nitrogen costs $1000 a tonne: save so much with the legumes and clovers however they need some fertilizer as it is not all provided but significantly reduced - Must take soil samples to ensure proper nutrients are provided - Grazing season getting longer, used to run out of grass in September, this year around November and 6 months of feeding from hay that was harvested over summer, gained another 45 days of grazing—due to the nurturing of the ground growth is longer, the tiniest rain allows for growth - Soils are quite thin to the solid bedrock which means they dry out quickly, the healthier they are the better they withstand dry weather - Since they are raising calves from infancy to when they sell the meat; they end up seeling animals every week to a wholesaler restaurant in Kingston resulting in more cashflow - Perth grocery store sought them out—will sell for more since they use more expensive practices
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6. What are some of the challenges or obstacles associated with starting a sustainable farm or converting to sustainable methods? - Initial cost: 500$ per paddock—creating the subdivisions is expensive in terms of fencing - Time intensive: go out every three days to move cattle which takes time away from other work - Can lose calves to coyotes, they created a neighbour watch, they have been lucky and only lost 2 calves - Cost recovery margins are so slim of being successful -1% of pop in Canada is farming, their forefathers were 40% - Same prices as in 1999 for cattle - Cattle farms had to get bigger, the tractor made it more efficient, mechanization makes it easier to make more feed for more cattle - Time constraints: Any kind of agriculture requires a huge commitment—no time off - Younger people don’t like the thought of that; want weekends off, some come back eventually enjoying lifestyle, working a lot for not much return - Budgeting: Takes a lot of money between feeding the calfs until they are full grown two years later - Using less hormones meaning less meat to sell so it has to be made up somehow (higher price)
Inpromptu Question: What do you think about Farm Co-ops? - 5000 animals near Owen Sound, get all their vaccines from the same veterinarian, same tags, getting discount in buying mass -Fitzroy Meat co-op: 16 producers working together to produce beef for the Ottawa market—small producers: share in marketing costs (which is expensive)
9. How do you feel about WWOOFing or C.R.A.F.T. internships? See question 10
10. Have you ever had any WWOOF volunteers or C.R.A.F.T. interns on your farm? - No, due to liability issues—if you are not from a farm, it’s easy to get hurt—examples animals (bulls, machinery). - It is easier in horticulture whereas live animals are unpredictable, don’t behave the same way with strangers—they become more difficult and more unmanageable - Moving cattle is partially instinct and cannot be taught to volunteers
11. What is your opinion on the farmers network, FarmLINK, and its effectiveness in sharing agricultural knowledge? Are you apart of it? If not would you be interested? - Don’t use it— not enough people with a lot of time to add it - If there was more money in the farming industry then you could afford more people to do these things
12. Have you heard of Local Food Plus certification program? Would you be interested in getting certified? -Farm food safety - CFIA come and do the auditing for various—if they are going to spend money on certification they want to know that it would mean somewhere else in the world 58
14. What venues do you sell your products at? - Harpers—Supply all of their ground beef, currently looking into a grocer in Perth
15. Have you run into any problems of supply and demand since starting your farming practice? - Grocers can’t get other things if they source locally—canned goods etc. - Grocery stores only take from a federally certified plants—can’t move between provinces— provincially inspection doesn’t cut it - Large grocery stores can buy all their beef products from Alberta or US (Cattle industry heavily subsidized)—buyer gets a hold of grocer—they can get as much as they want and immediately - Toronto has a labeling law for meat: law says in grocery stores meat should be separated from US, however it is not enforced - Ontario used to be the biggest feeding province—when the Crow rate left that subsidized trains, they moved the packing to feedlots in Alberta -- Farming wages haven’t kept up due to Free Trade agreements and accepting meat in from other countries - US subsidizes corn and grass industry - 600 000 cattle fed in this province - Price based on US dollar- US subsidizes way farming more, it is better for farmers when Canadian dollar sitting at much lower than US - Inputs for cattle farming are lower in the US ex: Vaccines: $1 in the US for cattle and $14 in Canada - Several People in the commodity chain of the Cattle industry: - Seeders, Cow-Calf people (Calf people who take care of them) then when grown they go to the feedlot, then packer, then sell it to the grocer -Eighth line is closing this gap and going from producer to consumer (raise calfs) -- People have to be willing to pay for the actual price of food - Hard to know if your investment will pay off—its like a stock market--- it deters people from wanting to join - Most agricultural products are sold in the stock market—which dictates what it will be—Chicago sets 95% of prices for Canadian Agricultural prices--- no fixed prices - Selling meat directly allows them to miss the stock market issues -Having problems creating a website: - Whispering Meadows has a website they want—tied into their inventory system
16. How big of a role does tourism play into your farm business? - They conduct tours but for educational purposes only - Tours have been from other farmers, veterinarians from around the world, Panama stakeholders, municipalities, Kemptville college, University of Guelph 4-5 tours a year -Commercial cattle as opposed to registered cattle (fair)—that is who they buy their bulls from who have long chains of genetics that do what they want— can predict the size of the rib eye
17. Where do you see the local food movement going in the next twenty years?
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- Depends on the growth of the economy, however minimum wage people will not be able to afford the local food—need to shop at places like Walmart - Their Son loves farming, love to stay at home—goal is to be apart of the operation—raised meat hens as well, more diversified—requires local food movement to want it—affluence of society - If everybody in Canada and US were paid only 5 cents more for their meat then the industry would blossom
18. In what areas do you think consumer awareness is lacking? - Lack of knowledge of farming - NO agriculture taught in the classroom—milk doesn’t come in a carton--- back in the day, kids had to know types of cows - Books like Michael Pollan’s Omnivores dilemma, Food Inc are half truths that don’t pertain to Canadian Agriculture or American Agriculture---- there are regulations
Impromptu Question, tell us about the Environmental Stewardship Award you won: - Environmental Stewardship group nominated them from the Leeds county, chosen amongst the 19,000 beef producers - Went to Alberta for the national competition - It generated a lot of publicity—which has helped them with their new endeavours - Environmental initiatives didn’t have economic benefits but they did it because it was the right thing to do, wanted sustainability for future generations.
PRODUCER INTERVIEW – Alternative Agriculture and Local Food Production Second Interview with FA-2 (FA-2 Presentation) - Photos represent farm diversity - Neighbours perception= helps to accept farming practices - 2 watersheds: Cataraqui and Rideau of two directions, also 2 conservation authorities and access to grant money Reasonable records kept on land - ie. how much manure used etc. - Kept in a book- mapping of entire area - Fields are combo of grazing and grassland, 800 acres are used for rotational grazing - Used to grown corn on marginal land- too expensive for the value you get out - Therefore switched to growing grass, less expensive and easiest to grow - Now have nice quality grasslands for grazing cattle o Grazing season has been increased through good up keep of grasslands Solar Powered Watering System - Used to chop hole in ice for cattle to drink from o Cattle fight, push each other and don’t like walking on the ice - Therefore altered the area and added dugout with barrel and solar powered system to bring water from the stream- keeps cattle away to keep from contaminating the stream - Saskatchewan company to fund technology, has worked perfectly for past 12 years - System cost $4000 and $2000 to build dugout, plus labour time put in 60
- Funding through environmental farm plan o Everyone should know about this program, been running in Canada for about 30 years o Max funding is $30,000 over 5 years. For example, if you spend $10, you get $5 in government funding. Cash flow can be an issue doing these programs - Ministry of oceans and fisheries can come in and find farms and fine them for letting cattle drink from nearby streams/creeks - In US, farms are paid every year for their good environmental actions - ie. New York, protecting water sources vs. treating it - In Europe, paid with an environment cheque - Green Belt - originally created to protect farming but instead has shut down many farming operations in this area, therefore dismally failed, very politically-influenced - Board wall fences as a wind break to protect cattle during calving period in March o Funding through environmental farm plan for this - Each day cattle moved to a new spot for grazing o Spreads nutrients o Created awesome grasslands for cattle o Babies sleep in bushes where they are protected or sleep in left over hay for the day before - Stop feeding hay when grass gets to a good depth or when cattle start to refuse the hay - Barn completely open to the south - Enviro funding to repair wooden bridge connecting two pasture lands - Cattle can erode banks near water/creeks and can lose land o Vegetation was put in by an environmental science class to stop erosion o Included nannyberries, maple, ash, hardwoods, conifers - Downsides to solar water pumps o Time consuming to move water pumps around
PRODUCER INTERVIEW – Alternative Agriculture and Local Food Production (FA-6) 1. What do you grow or raise on your farm? -Every temperate vegetable: ex Beets, beans, carrots, lettuce, squash, zucchini, onions, garlic, buckwheat, rye
2. How big is your farm? - 50 acres, rent another 25 and crop 12-15 acres
3. What types of farming methods do you use? - Certified organic following Canadian regulations—no synthetic pesticide herbicides - Derive compost from cow manure from other farms - Supplement potassium with sulpo-mag, potassium sulfate - Nutrients from alfalfa, legumes provide nutrients - Weed control: by hand, organic/natural herbicides (vinegar based), mechanical by hoes or tractor based cultivators - Pest control: hand picking them off, shop vacs to get rid of cucumber beetles, beat off potato beetle, pesticides with BT derived compounds, pinacid—some are contact, some are ingested 61
4. How do you raise your livestock? - N/A
5. What are the benefits of growing sustainably? - maintains biodiversity of area, amphibians are protected from chemical usage
6. What are some of the challenges or obstacles associated with starting a sustainable farm or converting to sustainable methods?] - More labour intensive, not many resources only a few through the government or university
7. How do you feel about WWOOFing or C.R.A.F.T. internships? - WWOOFing is for hobby farming, takes too long to train, love CRAFT however part time workers as opposed to the full time staff are less consistent, takes awhile to re-integrate into the work, lag time, issue with balancing teaching and getting work done—skewed to vegetable growers at the moment
8. Have you ever had any WWOOF volunteers or C.R.A.F.T. interns on your farm? - 4 full time CRAFT interns
9. What venues do you sell your products at? - 3 farmers’ markets: Kingston, Ottawa and Main, they use CSAs - Wholesale through Wendy’s Mobile market (takes to restaurants in Ganonoque), Tara Natural Foods and Old Farm Fine Foods
10. Have you run into any problems of supply and demand since starting your farming practice? - Huge demand for local and organic, smaller farms aren’t currently capable of wholesale level, not structure to make a profit unless demand is less for farmers - Producers can’t meet demand in Ottawa - The demand in Kingston can’t meet supply = “plugged” - For small farms need direct relationship with consumers
11. How big of a role does tourism play into your farm business? - Small portion to restaurants - Contrary to popular belief, Kingston food markets lots of tourists but most don’t actually buy anything - The Prince Edward County Food Trail is a good idea for this area
12. Where do you see the local food movement going in the next twenty years? - Depends on oil prices and the cost of transportation - Earth unable to deal with the “disgusting” fumigation, and the abundance of irrigation - Global export agriculture relies on crazy unsustainable resource use and practices - Need more regulations for offshore worker programs - When they started 5 years ago there weren’t many organic farms, many more today - Depends on the Global Market and whether prices stay so unreasonable low 62
- the issue with shipping it is lacks taste and nutrition unlike local—will work in local food favour
13. In what areas do you think consumer awareness is lacking? Issue 1: Especially in Kingston Markets- there are resellers and people believe that they are buying from farmers - Example Kingston market resellers buy raspberries from food basics, put in baskets and sell at market - Ottawa has producer only markets, it is well policed - The biggest only farmers’ market is in Lansdowne in all of Canada Issue 2: Assumption of farmers that a organic compounds in pesticides are all natural
RETAILER INTERVIEWS RETAILER INTERVIEW – Alternative Agriculture and Local Food Production (RE-4) 1. How long have you been sourcing local? - Started sourcing local when her lived in California—in 1996 - Since he owned current restaurant he has sourced local for 4 years - Intention to be local and organic
2. What issues/problems have you had in switching to local? - Price is the biggest difficulty, not competitive must find a balance in being a bit higher, but not too high - Prepared to deal with because of his background—challenged by an inconsistent product, compelling - Small local abattoirs have been removed - Seasonality
3. What solutions have you adopted? Potential for future solutions? - Buy whole chicken—not a conventional presentation—don’t have to worry about having a six ounce breast - Comes with roasted potatoes—cut or leave them whole—don’t have to be standard sizes - Use different vegetables throughout the year - Vague descriptions: seasonal vegetables - Tried to run it based on the seasons—chalkboard menu where it changed daily—discovered high end conceit--- brought it to a standardized menu—keep the menu intact—have a few specials that change every two to three days—changing buffets, Sunday buffet is completely seasonal - Winter Supply issues: - During peak season bought more than they needed—freezing, pickling—deal with farmers with verbal contracts to buy their potatoes throughout the winter, apples buy them who are doing storage
4. Is it cost effective for you to stock the products of local producers? (Answered in question 2)
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5. How many customers are interested in the fact that you produce local - For their regular clientele, it is really important - Outside of the area also important it becomes an important destination because you can get it local and organic - Non regular local business not as concerned, more concerned about the live music shows
6. Where do you think consumer awareness is lacking in the local food movement - Since he started till now—changes are vastly different—organic and local is no longer considered weird -Given mainstream credit and has become more mainstream - Only 20% of people regularly buy organic or local - Currently it is cheaper for conventional food, main motivation for consumers -However this will shift with rising fuel prices--- he believes in peak oil—agribusiness that we know will not be a sustainable model - There used to be no local foods distributor now there are distributors—demand is growing for the local - Local food guys: Wendy’s—the best and most forward thinking—main distributor - Gatineau— - Deals directly with a lot of farmers - Alliance
7. How big of a role does tourism play in your business, does local food matter to them? - In Kemptville—been involved in savour Ottawa since it started—Savour the Arch—culinary tourism areas - Kemptville not a big tourist industry—mostly locals - Kemptville only has 8000 people - Grenville county about 20,000 with all of the hamlets
Opinions on Sustainable Agriculture: - Issues with output of energy: Whether or not it is worth it with a heated greenhouse or if this is more of an energy output than getting it from somewhere abroad - Environmentalist first, restaurant owner second - Local and Sustainable—Savour Ottawa—the conversation is local at all costs—as opposed to sustainable at all costs—local, conventional—pesticide and herbicide closer to town
RETAILER INTERVIEW – Alternative Agriculture and Local Food Production (RE-5) 1. How long have you been sourcing local? Six to Seven years
2. What issues/problems have you had in switching to local? - Consistency of product - You can only use whats in season unless preserving, canning 64
- Time consuming to source out local foods because you have to make connections - Distribution issue - Take the time to call the producer—figuring out logistics of delivery, what can you get? - Understand their products, availability -- Weather---high wind storms, hail---can’t rely on the consistent supply
3. What solutions have you adopted? Potential for future solutions? -Only use so much local food on your menu - Certain people have jumped into the local food movement there is now a broker who acts as a distributor (Wend’y mobile market) by partnering with other farmers. - Acts under a premium, go to the farms pick up the product - Flexible with your menu—seasonality—certain ingredients available only at certain seasons - Change things every week—sauces, garnishes, flavourings, additions
4. Is it cost effective for you to stock the products of local producers? - AS long as you manage your costs, portion control—more expensive to buy local—menu price changes accordingly—minimizing waste
5. How many customers are interested in the fact that you produce local - LCBO: Go Local: Restaurants partnered up with the LCBO providing ocal food and local wines. Offered a price fixed menu with wines from Prince Edward County and food from 50 miles around, restaurants were listed and it was quite successful
6. Where do you think consumer awareness is lacking in the local food movement - Advertising and promotion—how do the farmers get their product to market, media and advertising - Different types of producers—corporate—small farmers—hobby farm, family farm—direct gate, farmers’ market sales - Consumers who are interested will ask those questions—the rest go with commercials,
7. How big of a role does tourism play in your business, does local food matter to them? - Tourism is vital, sustains them through the winter - Travelling from different areas want to try regional items, coming from within a 4-500 km radius, want to try the local food
8. Where do you think the local food movement is going? - Trendy movement, started with Organic and will hopefully move towards sustainability, in combination with the local movement
RETAILER INTERVIEW – Alternative Agriculture and Local Food Production (RE-7) 1. How long have you been sourcing local? - 4 years
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2. What issues/problems have you had in switching to local? - Seasonality - Limited in sourcing local after the major growing season - Distribution issues
3. What solutions have you adopted? Potential for future solutions? - Getting from Sysco (which sources from Ontario), buy some from the Kingston Market - Supplied by Wendy’s Mobiles Market - 2 deliveries per week
4. Is it cost effective for you to stock the products of local producers? - If the price of the food on the menu is correct
5. How many customers are interested in the fact that you produce local - The business cards from their suppliers (like Wendy’s Mobile market) that advertise Local food, like Local flavours, disappear more frequently - Advertise local on their menu - Cheese plates--- used to be from around the world but moving to use local ones - On their website list all of their growers and producers
6. Where do you think consumer awareness is lacking in the local food movement - Availability - most still go to the grocery store - The real price of food
7. How big of a role does tourism play in your business, does local food matter to them? - 5-10 years ago it wouldn’t matter but now it does - Culinary tourism is becoming a term - After conversations with Bed and Breakfasts, their customers really enjoy hearing about the markets - Every weekend chef downtown, takes food from the market and cooks it right there from the market and then cooked
Local Food Local Chefs: Started this year—tourism Kingston---OMAFRA funding $100 000
Combining with Prince Edward County with their wines. The wine industry elevates food to another level—Very key in Niagara region - They host the event: Toast and Tapas during the Long weekend of Febfest--- half glass of wine and a tapas for a reasonable price
STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEW STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEW - Alternative Agriculture and Local Food Production (ST-1)
ST-1’s Farm - 23 acres of land 66
- heritage tomatoes, garlic, herbs, hot peppers
Parents’ Farm - 600 acres of farmable land, 400 acres of swamp, forest, etc. - large mixed farm (all sorts of vegetables) - heritage seeds, test pots for research - 100 acres of vegetables, the rest for rotational pasturing - integrated farming with manure (cattle provide manure, used as fertilizer for produce) à manure has good nitrogen levels, so is used on corn and other vegetable crops – used for chemical-free crops
Farming Methods - some mechanization (bean picker, tomato planter, machine that lays the plastic around tomato plants a very labour intensive processes) - crops in swamp area have been hand-planted and –picked to protect the soil - greenhouse is all manual
Livestock - cattle rotates to different locations à barn, pasture fields, roaming in bigger fields) - 20-30 cattle – fed byproducts of the farm (corn that didn’t sell, foliage, etc) - Turning cattle into beef is the most expensive aspect for them – usually the food is the most costly, but they do not need to buy food - Breeds include: Angus, Herford, cross of Angus and Herford, Holstein, etc.
Benefits of Integrated Farming - Monocultures have byproducts that have no use – wasted energy and resource; Harvests can be volatile and risky; disease a problem; more spraying for pests due to large food source for pest in one place - Integration makes use of all crops, byproducts so nothing goes to waste - Rotations of cattle and crops to rejuvenate soil
Surrounding Area - Whether are monoculture or integrated depends on the size of the farm - Now seeing a shift to more integrated practices - Reasons for change include: o More stable o Out of necessity (monoculture not working) o Society forcing the change - Many livestock farms - Difficult to sell beef – not consistent, so difficult to sell to restaurants - Farmers’ Cooperative may be beneficial because all of the livestock on the one huge farm would be the same (e.g. Ben Acres (Sheppard’s Choice)-lamb) o Bring farms together so they can all raise the same type of beef cattle - 8th Line Farm received sustainability award for their practices – supply Harper’s
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- Dairy farms in the area are conglomerating – fewer dairy operations, which are all large – tends to be factory farming o Breeding cows for milk capacity – sustainability issues - Sustainability framework in the area – split, but a movement towards sustainability in farming practices (best practice) à Peak oil, price of oil is a factor in this shift
Challenges of Using Sustainable Practices - Consumers do not realize the TRUE price of food – the cost of producing food in Canada is high
Certified Organic? - No, ST-1’s farm does not use chemicals o Reasons: paper work overload to be certified, cannot be certified if chemicals were used on the land in the past o Customer trust can be more important perhaps than being certified
WWOOFing and C.R.A.F.T. - Aids in finding people who are interested in farming to come and work there - Method of passing knowledge and expertise - Great way to learn from experienced farmers - Prominent in FABR (at least 5 volunteers from these programs in region)
Online Support Network - Beneficial because new farmers would be able to ask questions - Relevant to this the FAB region because older farmers are interested in helping new people
Niche Cropping - sweet potatoes (Burt’s Greenhouses), flowers, grain crops (red fife wheat), popcorn, shitake mushrooms
Problems with Supply and Demand - Big problem - Garlic – hug demand, and there is never enough of it - Huge demand for local crops, but difficult to have enough growth in the winter - Use of root crop storage may help to lessen the issue of supply in the winter – each year Wendy is running out of stored crops earlier
Areas for Expansion - More government communication with farmers - More abattoirs (slaughterhouses) for cattle - Consumer awareness and education – applies to all groups; helps to boost new farmers; expand awareness of real price of food - Seminars – help people find local food, expand the educational aspect - Markets, events, activities, workshops
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Soil - Huge variation in soil type in the FABR - Great land structure – can grow a wide variety of crops - Diverse crops on land allows for learning about what grows best - Generally farmers will grow what works best on their farm
Irrigation - Don’t irrigate – have large tanks if need to water something - Irrigation is costly for small scale farms – Patchwork Gardens have conserving irrigation system
Eggs - Small egg operations in area - Government rule that you cannot sell eggs off the property of the farm if they are not graded – grading process quite costly - Restaurants have to have graded eggs - Grading used to check that the eggs aren’t fertilized
Grocery Stores - Some do have local produce, some don’t because they are not allowed to buy local – corporate stores buy from a supplier, and that produce is mostly not from Canada because it is cheaper to buy abroad - Some small independent grocery stores do buy local - Government is not making a point of supporting local agriculture
STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEW - Alternative Agriculture and Local Food Production (ST-3) Can you tell us about your involvement with Local Food issues, anything specific to FABR? - 6 counties: including Frontenac, Renfrew, Grenville, Lanarck, Rural Ottawa—look at the economy of the local food - Just finished a project in looking at it from a provincial view, what are the key barriers, with the assumption that they are scaling up--- see some serious involvement What do you see the role of food/sustainable farming in tourism and economic development? - Huge consumer interest in agriculture—related to urban consumers getting the idea that they have no idea about how or where their food is produced, tremendous desire for hands on opportunities for agriculture - Don’t understand what ―sustainable farming‖ is but want to—don’t understand the day to day challenges that farmers face, particularly in sustainable food—challenge is it’s a very specific economic model--- being seen as an agri-tourism—should not be what local food relies on— need farmers that are there for producing - New farmer setting up can come to her as a resource, not that many farmers have - Instead us organizations like: NFU, Farm Start— - Ministry is available—run workshops on value adding to farms
Why do you think certain outlets choose not to source from local food?
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- Volume and consistency—enough product so that a retailer can put something on a shelf— supply is patchy, fragmented, inconsistent - A need for better coordination among producers - If they want small scale, mixed farming, must work together for marketing, which involves issues with co-ordinating quality - Need increased relationships between producers—need to be in the same room together to understand each-others constraints - Community Futures Development Coorporation—Anne Pritcher—County based, economic development organization—a lot of it is economic development - Created a relationship between beef and the Kingston hospital - 2 retailers who do buy locally and are willing and interested but need this coordination to make it happen - Andrew--- in Kingston - Local food, local chefs - NFU local 316—farm based initiative to support new farmers---very serious barrier with a lack of farmers—there program designed to support new farmers—take people who are already committed to farming—farmer to farmer support—workshop - Farm Start in Guelph—goal of taking 8 farmers a year and supporting them throughout the year - Instrumental that farmers and farm issues are present--- workshops on scything - Workshops usually sustainable- cert or non cert organic—need more information—not necessarily financial support—perhaps micro-lending - Still a lot of need for established farmers Where do you think improvement is needed for consumer awareness about local and sustainable farming? From your experience what methods of awareness expansion has been most effective? - Consumer base: local food is more expensive—people need to understand why---very strict labour laws, strict health and safety—values that go into our food, willing to pay for if they understand—local food seen as being out of people’s reach (perceived reach) - The actual cost of food—so farmers make a reasonable living---why is it still worth purchasing it from the local food movement--- what are they really supporting - Complicated message - Need to know about preserving—how to preserve food in the best way for nutrition— consumers spend a short amount of time in food preparation - Opportunity for entrepreneurs for preserving food so consumers don’t have to—purchase value added local food without having to do it themselves - Issue: making it economically sustainable—have to make a significant investment in capital for preserving food
Do you know of available surveys about consumer interest/ awareness in local food. - Foodland Ontario: they have been able to show that the percentage of consumers that have a serious intent to purchase local has greatly increased—divided into consumers into types (always been into local, head of a two parent household, local/organic is better for the kids, people who talk but don’t do it, those who are only interested in the price)
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- The trend on the committed end of the spectrum are increasing—explosion of local food discussion in mainstream media--- books, blogs--- being driven by people’s growing awareness that food is a critical role in their environmental footprint
What specifically is your role in OMAFRA? How often do farmers approach you with problems/questions? What are they generally about? - There are specialists in the OMAFRA for agriculture—Katie is the generalist—all of the programming—making ministry aware of programs in the 6 counties--- ends up doing small scale economic development
- Established farmers have issues usually go to specialists—she is more specific in local initiatives and organizations—economic development organizer
What capacity issues are most prevalent? What do you believe possible solutions for these issues could be? - Patchy demand—particularly in larger urban centres - Supply issues—coordination and cooperation for farmers to meet that demand - Scale appropriate storage, processing (ex. pickling), distribution—Wendy Banks huge in Frontenac Arch for distribution - Everything must occur at the same time—distribution, supply, processing, storage--- in a scale appropriate way—every part of it has to grow at the same time - Sustain Ontario—published a study 4 or 5 distribution models—Wendy is one of them (Ottawa valley food co-op), co-operatives
From Stats Canada it is evident that there is an aging farmer population, what do you believe is the reason for this? Have you found any effective tools that encourage people to get involved with farming? - Farm Start—looking at addressing those issues as to why young people aren’t farming - 3 types: 1) Those from existing farms: farmers are only 2% of pop (not that big of a pool to draw from), farming is so hard and farmers get destroyed by the economic market- tell their kids not to get into it—look at how hard their parents worked---making a viable living 2) Urban/non farming population: Never a viable possibility, need knowledge education to get people to consider farming as a career 3) New Canadians who have farming experience: Largest source -Current barriers: access to land, capital needed to have the opportunity to farm, need well established and growing markets new Canadians can access - More and more small scale meat processing from muslim communities: halal—slaughtered in a specific way, age and health status - Farmers who understand that can be apart of that market
Co-ops - For volume and consistency—in agricultural history—have allowed agriculture to thrive and survive always grow and then dismantle, very few left
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- Requires cooperation—another kind of aggregration is absolutely necessary--- socially sustainable - Input/output—many practical models of governance that can be followed—give up some of their independence to market collectively—OMIRU produce auction—giant farmers market or super tiny food terminal—producers still maintain their independence- - Shift in ministry ten years ago on how they work with clients—do have some personnel in the ministry whose expertise in Co-ops - OMAFRA doesn’t go out to generate interest but if a group wants to—they can go to OMAFRA for resources - Most co-op models are producers marketing collectively—interesting models—Quinte Co-op (organic?) Fitzroy beef in Ottawa, produce in response to mad cow, marketing well, Ottawa Valley food co-op—consumers and producers that buy in—buy online and have certain delivery services
CSAs - It is at the moment one of the key marketing options availablte - Can’t recall any CSAs who haven’t profited: significant in that it is a good way for the urban consumer to become connected to farming and gains knowledge and education in growing food in the region - Capacity is limited in overall economic growth, but if CSA producers were to look at exploring other models- like co-op CSAs—Vermont 25 producers who all aggregate their product for 300 producers—potential in this market - Forgiving market—never replace retail - Beneficial for producers because somebody else is managing it - They are producing and they have a guaranteed market—run through a non-profit organization—obtained funding to put a coordinator in place—farmers could pay for a middleman to run the place
Community Gardens: - Well run community gardens with support of municipal government can be really effective at meeting the needs of low income communities—affiliated with a community kitchen—can pool and do their own preserving—for very cheap price—takes time—not for future of local food economy—there to support a community that does not have money to spend
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Alternative Agriculture in the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Region
Introduction
This catalogue provides examples of sustainable farming practices used in the unique geological and biotic area of the Frontenac Arch, as well as funding and support programs available to local farmers. The farms highlighted in the biographies are all successful, productive farms that are currently putting sustainable methods into practice (for more information about specific farms detailed in this book, see the websites for the farms listed in the biographies). The biographies demonstrate the benefits that agricultural producers can experience when a transition to sustainable practices is possible. These benefits can include economic return from an increase in crop yields, community involvement and nurturing, and the environmental benefits to the land. The catalogue also provides a description of the various types of funding available for sustainable practices in Ontario and each farm biography has a section that indicates what source of funding they were able to utilize for the projects on their farm.
The goal of this catalogue is to illustrate some of the alternative farming practices that have been successful in the Frontenac Arch Biosphere region. The message here is that environmental stewardship, community contribution and economic success can be achieved through alternative agriculture, and that there are many groups and organizations in place to assist in the making alternative agriculture accessible to more farmers in Ontario.
This catalogue adopts this definition of sustainable agriculture: “Sustainable Agriculture is the practice of growing food in a way that preserves and enhances the environment, provides economic opportunity and good health for individuals and communities, and connects people to the land around them. It generally avoids chemical pesticides and long-distance travel” (The Food Project, 2010).
1 Support and Funding Programs for Farmers
FarmStart FarmStart is a not-for-profit organization working towards increasing the presence of young and new farmers who are operating their own farm enterprises within the agriculture community. The organization looks to support a new generation of farmers by combining the use of different programs and resources, building partnerships and networks, and supporting community capacity. FarmStart also works to link farmers with existing programs and resources provided by other organizations, such as FarmLINK, MarketLINK, and Heifer International.
Goals of FarmStart: - Support a new generation of farmers - Promote sustainable business models - Coordinate and communicate innovative, new and local market research - Develop farm facilities, resources and linkages important to new and young farmers - Develop effective land tenure and stewardship arrangements
FarmStart offers several programs to help support new farm enterprises, including the New Farm Incubator Program, and the New Canadians, New Farmers program.
To find out more about FarmStart and how it can help you get into farming, go to http://www.farmstart.ca (Source: FarmStart, 2010)
FarmLINK FarmLINK is an online matchmaker tool for new farmers, established farmers and farmland owners. This matchmaker tool helps bring together new farmers who are in need of farmland or mentorship, and farm owners who either have farm land available or knowledge to share. FarmLINK also helps to provide new farmers with resources they need to help them establish themselves. The FarmLINK program was developed by FarmStart, the Ontario Farmland Trust and the Kawartha Heritage Conservancy.
For more information on FarmLINK, go to http://www.farmlink.net (Source: FarmLINK.net, 2010)
2 MyPickTM Verified Local FarmerTM This Ontario-wide program works to identify local farmers at markets so that patrons may know when they are buying directly from a local producer as opposed to buying from a reseller. The verification program gives farmers a small sign with some information about their farm and the goods they produce. It also provides the locations where the farmer sells their products. One advantage of partaking in the MyPickTM Verified Local FarmerTM program is that it works to educate consumers on the benefits of buying locally grown produce. Also, the farm would be listed on the MyPick website so that consumers can find your farm when searching for local producers in their area.
For more information on the MyPickTM Verified Local FarmerTM program, go to http://www.farmersmarketsontario.com/mypick (Source: MyPick Ontario, 2010)
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) The idea from CSAs sprouted from when people seeking safe food, and farmers seeking stable markets, banded together in economic partnerships. A CSA farm is one where a community of individuals join together to help support a farm. Generally, consumers will pay a set fee upfront before the beginning of the growing season for weekly vegetables from the farmer throughout the season. The consumer becomes a ‘shareholder’, and so receives shares of the farm’s bounty. The benefits of CSAs are that the consumer knows where their food is coming from and can have a connection with the farmer who grows their food, and the producer has a stable source of income for the season.
For more information on Community Supported Agriculture in Ontario, some resources for farmers, and to connect with CSA farms to see how they market and run their operation, go to http://www.csafarms.ca (Source: Ontario CSA Directory, 2010)
C.R.A.F.T. Ontario Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (C.R.A.F.T.) in Ontario is an informal, member-driven network of farmers that offer internships on their organic and ecological farms. The network is used as a tool to find a farm that is offering an internship that looks like a good fit. It is also great for experienced farmers who would like to share their knowledge, as well as have an extra pair of helpful hands on the farm.
For more information on C.R.A.F.T. Ontario, go to http://www.craftontario.ca (Source: C.R.A.F.T. Ontario, 2009)
3 Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs OMAFRA is the Ontario Ministry that has resources for food, agriculture, rural environment, research, environment, programs and agencies. With locations throughout Ontario and provides support for new farmers, farmers, community groups, etc.
Environmental Farm Plan The environmental farm plan is a voluntary assessment by farmers in 23 areas of the farm to determine where environmental improvements can be made. The accepted applications to the environmental farm plan receive cost share funds to help with their improvements. The steps for creating an environmental farm plan and getting it accepted are as follows: 1) Attend an EFP workshop scheduled for your area run by the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association, which will help you create a risk assessment and action plan for you farm and will be provided with a workbook 2) Create the risk assessment, which assesses the environmental concerns on your farm by completing 23 worksheets on various aspects of your farm (e.g. Worksheets on Water efficiency, soil efficiency, etc.) 3) Create and action plan based on the points in your risk assessment that show an environmental concern and ways you can improve, workbook provides suggestions 4) Submitting your action plan to a group of locally appointed farmers for peer review who can offer suggestions about achieving environmental goals, once approved, cost- share funds are available 5) Implement Action Plan
Ontario Market Investment Fund (OMIF) OMIF is a $12 million, four-year fund aimed to increase consumer awareness of locally-produced food and encourage consumers to purchase locally. The fund offsets the expense for the projects by covering up to 50% of the cost. Eligible applicants include: strategic alliances between individuals, businesses, farmers, processors, community organizations and/or municipalities; agriculture and food industry associations; and groups comprised of two or more partner organizations or businesses, with at least one partner being a food producer or processor. Contact Information: (Tel) 1-888-588-4111; (Fax) 519-826-4336; (Email) [email protected]
For more information on Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), the Environmental Farm Plan, and the Ontario Market Investment Fund, go to http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca (Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, 2010) 4 Community Futures Program The Community Futures Program is a Government of Canada initiative which supports 61 Community Futures Development Corporations (CFDCs) in Ontario. CFDCs offer a wide variety of programs and services supporting community economic development and small business growth. Some of the services they provide include, strategic community planning and socio-economic development. Support for community-based projects, business information and planning services and access to capital for small and medium sized businesses and social enterprises.
For more information on Community Futures Development Corporation (CFDC) and their programs, go to http://www.ontcfdc.com (Source: Canada Business, 2010)
Ontario Trillium Foundation This foundation is associated with the government of Ontario and is an agency of the Ministry of Culture. It provides funding for non-government organizations and charities working in one of the following programs: Community Program: Have a local impact on one or several communities in a small area. Available grants of up to $375,000 over five years. Province Wide Programs: Activities with province-wide impact that must include at least three catchment areas in the north. Grants are up to $1.25 million over five years. Future Fund: Allocates $2 million per year on projects focused at either a local or province-wide level that encourage new approaches to skill development, improved access to employment, economic opportunities with social purpose, and increased access to financial capital for small-scale entrepreneurs. The amount of the grants depend on how well the program fits into Trillium’s goals of that year (for example, one year focused on the environment and another focused on economic opportunities), as well as how much funding was allocated by the government.
For more information on the Trillium Foundation, go to http://www.trilliumfoundation.org (Source: Ontario Trillium Foundation, 2010)
5 National Farmers Union (NFU) - New Farm Project Run by the National Farmers Union, the New Farm Project is a farmer-initiated program that aims to strengthen the Kingston's farm community and to build a sustainable local food system. Both new and established farmers are welcomed to participate in its annual workshop series, focus group sessions and financial support for off-season learning and farm conference. The New Farm Project's objective is to encourage farmers to plan and manage their farm operations to meet and benefit from the growing demand for local farm products from local markets. [The project will run from September 2008 until June 2012] Contact Information: (Tel.) (613) 353-6622; (Email) [email protected]
For more information about NFU and their projects, go to www.nfu.ca (Source: National Farmers Union in Ontario, 2009)
Farm Credit Canada This organization provides financing, equity, insurance and management software for primary producers, suppliers and producers in the agricultural sector. Their funds focus primarily on small to medium sized businesses related to farming. It has launched loaning opportunities for various innovative practices. The Accelerator loan can help new farmers with anything from leases to financing equipment. In 2010 the FCC introduced Its newest project, an Energy Loan to help farmers moving towards becoming more self- sufficient by producing their own renewable energy. Contact Information: (Tel.) 1-888-332-3301
For more information on Farm Credit Canada, go to http://www.fcc-fac.ca (Source: Farm Credit Canada, 2010)
Carrot Cache Carrot Cache Community Resources started a funding program created in 2006 to invest in small innovative projects across Canada and around the world. Carrot Cache funds worker co-ops and groups that are interested in local, organic agriculture and community food strategies. Through these investments, Carrot Cache wishes to strengthen regional food economies by developing the co-operative sector and other initiatives. Carrot Cache provide loans ranging from $500 to $5000.
For more information on the Carrot Cache funding program, go to http://www.carrotcache.com (Source: Carrot Cache, 2010)
6 Ontario Biogas Systems Financial Assistance Program Projects The program is a two-phase project funded through OMAFRA. The first phase provides up to $35 000 in funding and will cover 70 percent of the costs for farmers to carry out feasibility, design and planning studies for the installation of biogas systems. The second phase has funding of up to $400 000 (minus whatever was given in the first phase) and will provide 40 percent of the cost of construction, implementation and commissioning for biogas systems. Contact Information: (Toll Free Tel.) 1-877-424-1300; ( Local Tel.) (519) 826-4047; (Email) [email protected]
For more information on this biogas financial assistance program, go to http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/engineer/biogas/proj_list.htm (Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, 2010)
Rural Economic Development (RED) Program The Rural Economic Development (RED) program helps to assist individuals and communities with the cost of projects that benefit rural Ontario. This program is a key part in the Ontario’s Rural Plan, as it strives to build stronger rural communities. The RED program helps to deliver positive change that will make rural Ontario stronger and more prosperous. The three top priorities of the RED program include supporting the food processing sector, community revitalization and improving access to skills training and enhancement. Contact Information: (Tel.) 1-888-588-4111; (Fax) 1-519-826-4336; (Email) [email protected]
For more information on the Rural Economic Development program, http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/rural/red/ (Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, 2010)
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7 Co-operative Development Initiative (CDI)
The CDI is a government program designed to help people develop co-ops and make it more readily available to the public. The CDI is made up of three components. The Advisory Services supports co-operative developments by providing access to individuals and groups to a network of co-operative development experts for technical and expert advices. The Research and Knowledge Development helps advance development and growth in the co-operative sector through support and sharing research. Finally, the Innovative Co-operative Projects component provides funding to co-operative projects. Contact Information: (Tel.) 1-888-757-8725 or 613-773-2927; (Fax) 613-773-2198; (Email) [email protected]
For more information on the CDI, go to http://cccm.coopscanada.coop (Source: Co-operatives Secretariat, 2009)
The next few pages provide information on what co-operatives are, some resources to help get a co-op started, and how they can be beneficial in an agricultural practice.
8 Co-operatives
What are co-ops? According to the Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA), a co-operative is an organization that is owned by the members who use its services. It can be for-profit or non-profit, and provides its members with a values-based, community-owned and controlled alternative to conventional business models. Rather than having to focus on maximizing profits for shareholders, the co-operative can concentrate on meeting the common needs of its members. In this system, each member has one vote in controlling the enterprise, so people control the organization rather than the common one vote per share system where capital controls the enterprise. Profits are returned to the members based on how much they use the co-op, and often profits get reinvested into improving the services of the co-op for the members and enhancing the well being of the community (CCA, 2008).
CCA outlines seven guiding principles for co-ops, which are: 1. Voluntary and open membership 2. Democratic member control 3. Member economic participation 4. Autonomy and independence 5. Education, training, and information 6. Co-operation among co-operatives 7. Concern for community
How do they work? Co-op systems understand the importance of allowing the people of the community to define their own needs and to work together to meet those needs. Decision-making power is put into the hands of the people who use the services, rather than having a single owner decide what the business needs and how it should change over time (CCA, 2008). This is a significant concept for sustainability, as it would seem as though an organization that reacts to the needs and wants of its dedicated members (producers and consumers) will experience longevity because it is the owners of the business that are making use of its services and keeping it running. Often farmers do not have the time to work on marketing and finding ways to process their food. Co-ops can provide improved access to packing, merchandising and marketing resources through pooling the resources of the members and joining in with others wishing to meet the same goal (ibid). Ultimately, co-ops work to bridge the gap between local food producers and locally conscious consumers.
9 Presented in Figure 1 is the basic structure of a co-op. As the figure suggests, the members of the co-op elect the Board of Directors. These people are in charge of setting the direction of the co-op and hiring senior management. The Board is accountable to the members, and report to them on issues and decisions related to the co-op. Senior Management are in charge of operating the co-op (hires staff, develops programs and business model, etc). The staff then supplies the members with the services Figure 1: Structure of a co-op that the co-op offers. (Source: BCCA, no date)
Benefits of Co-operatives There are many benefits associated with agricultural co-operatives. The Ottawa Valley Food Co-operative outlines many of these benefits in the box below.
“For Consumers fresher food more nutritious better tasting and higher quality healthy eating supports a healthy lifestyle and improved quality of life good conscience – food choices that reflect our values/morals knowledge of the history/story of the food we eat – where it’s from and how it’s produced reduced health risks of food from other countries with different food safety laws/practices safer – less opportunity for exposure to contamination which can occur during mass production, long distance transportation, and longer storage
For Farmers/Producers supports family farms to stay in business fair compensation for food produced reflecting fair value for their work consumer support for sustainable farm practices new opportunities to produce quality food crops for locals (rather than volume commodity to ship elsewhere)
For the Community money stays in the community supports the local economy – new employment/business opportunities builds direct relationships between consumers/producers/neighbours food system education – understanding how our food choices affect the quality of life for everyone supports regional food self reliance…”
10 “For the Planet environmentally friendly o fewer fossil fuels . reduced contribution to air pollution and global warming . less demand for a declining resource with related geopolitical consequences – read about “peak oil” for more information o supports organic, sustainable farming/food production practices . reduce pesticides or insecticides . reduce any other conventional or mainstream practices with adverse effects on the environment (e.g. large scale monoculture) . protect, replenish and improve the quality of the soil . eliminate hormones for livestock o less waste - e.g. reduced efforts involved in transporting long distances, unnecessary packaging, and spoiled food fits universal human values/morals o humane treatment of animals o labour rights (work conditions, fair pay, justice) o good food as a human right not just a commodity money/economic power towards a sustainable food system (rather than the current corporate dominated model)”
(Taken directly from the Ottawa Valley Food Co-operative website, accessed 24/11/2010)
For More Information about co-ops in Canada and how to start one, go to: Canadian Co-operative Association – http://www.coopscanada.coop
The Canadian Co-operative Association has some links for guides on how to start a co-op in Canada: Canadian Co-operative Association – General Co-op Development Guides http:/www.coopscanada.coop/en/orphan/General-Co-op-Development-Guides
The Co-operative Corporations Act can be accessed on the Government of Ontario website, E-Laws: http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/source/regs/english/2007/elaws_src_regs_r0741 4_e.htm
11 Biographies of Farms in the FAB Utilizing Alternative Agricultural Practices
Locations of Farms
12 8th Line Farm
Alternative Agricultural Practices Benefits
•Rotational Pasture Grazing -Less stress on the environment, spreads nutrients and leads to better soil and grasslands, helping extend the growing season each year
•Solar Powered Water System with Motion -Saves energy and water consumption, prevents Sensors water contamination from cattle
•Managing Fencing, Grazing and Cattle -Helps to better develop the grasslands, keeps Numbers cattle out of water sources such as streams or creeks
•Planting vegetation along the banks of creeks -Stopped erosion that had been created by cattle •Planting of legume and alfalfa seeds for cattle -Economical way to reseed pasture, provides to feed on and which can withstand digestion natural nitrogen and allows grass to grow as system of cow and can be replanted through cattle will not feed where they have eliminated the cow eliminating its waste waste •Sell product to local retailers -Reduces transportation costs and emissions People develop a connection with the farmer growing their food
Programs and Funding Used for Initiatives FUNDING • Environmental Farm Plan – funding used to partially fund the solar powered watering system they installed - helped pay the cost of board wall windbreak fences that were installed to be used as a wind break to protect and better manage the cattle during the calving season in March
13 Roots Down Organic Farm
Alternative Agricultural Practices Benefits
•Compost using cow manure from other farms -These composts replace chemical fertilizer and supplemented with sulpo-mag-fertilizer a 3 which allows for a healthier ecosystem and in 1 combination of highly available sulfur, limits pollution into nearby water systems. magnesium and potassium - It is one factor that contributes to tapping into the niche market of certified organic •Weed control: - No use of chemical herbicides (Same benefits -manual labour, as above) -organic vinegar based herbicides -mechanical machinery (hoes, tractor cultivator) •Pest Control: - No use of chemical pesticides and thus Hand picking, shop vacs, swatting with brooms certified organic natural pesticides (BT derived compounds, Pinacid) • Use of cover crops such as rye, clover etc. and -Reduces soil erosion in winter when there is no till normally no crop cover -Fixes nitrogen for the coming season (less leaching) -Increased organic matter which increases water filtration and holding ability -Reduces compaction - Reduces weeds (have to compete) •Plant nitrogen fixing plants: alfalfa, legumes - Brings nitrogen into the soil
•Full time CRAFT interns -Helps with labour intensive processes -Teaches a new generation of farmers •CSAs and Farmers Markets - Lower transportation emissions than exporting -People develop a connection with the farmer growing their food
14 Forman Farms
Alternative Agricultural Practices Benefits
•Using on-farm and Norterra compost as -Improves water retention of the soil fertilizer -Returns nutrients back into the soil - No chemical fertilizers minimizing chemical runoff into water sources •No-till farming -Prevents erosion of soil; Saves up on time and labour •Green cover crops -Improves soil quality; Ties up nutrients for next season; adds organic mass to help with water retention •Using biomass (Switchgrass) for greenhouse -Reduces heating cost heating -Carbon neutral practice •Reuses water for hydroponic tomatoes and -Lowers cost for water use lettuces
Programs and Funding Used for Initiatives FUNDING • Environmental Farm Plan – funding used for installation and purchase of biomass boiler • Rural Economic Development Program
15 Corn Acre Farms
Alternative Agricultural Practices Benefits •Minimize chemical spraying -Helps to maintain the health of the soil and water -Reduced cost for inputs •Crop rotation and no-till practices -Allow soil to regain nutrients -Facilitates improved soil structure, increases organic matter, more earth worms, less erosion •No growth hormones or antibiotics for cattle -Cow health and beef quality preserved -Produce meat that consumers will trust •Cattle fed vegetable waste, hay and grain that is -Feed produced on the farm, no need to transport grown and ground on the farm -Reduced cost for inputs •Cattle waste used on the fields -Natural replacement to chemical fertilizers -Reduced cost for inputs •Use a plastic mulch layer and new transplanter -Helps to control weeds to assist in planting seedlings into the plastic layer -Allows for more environmentally-friendly growing practices – reduces need to irrigate •Sell to local retailers -Avoid transportation and resulting emissions -Support the local economy
Programs and Funding Used for Initiatives FUNDING • Environmental Farm Plan – partially funded new attachments for the corn planter SUPPORT • MyPick Verified Local Farmer – helps with recognition of the farm and the environmentally- friendly practices that are used.
16 Topsy Farms
Alternative Agricultural Practices Benefits •No pesticide use on forage in the grazing -Helps to maintain the health of the soil so that field, and minimal herbicide use forage can continue to grow in the grazing pastures -Low risk to sheep from chemicals -Less cost for inputs •Sheep are pasture-fed when possible (grain- -Less grain must be grown off-farm and shipped fed in the winter months) -Less cost for feed -Sheep have healthier digestion •Minimal working of the land -Maintain soil health and structure in shallow soil and drought-prone climate •Gentle and traditional treatment of wool -Fewer emissions and chemical effluents released (avoids harsh chemicals) with the more traditional and gentle process •Sell to local retailers -Avoid transportation and resulting emissions -Support the local economy
Programs and Funding Available for Initiatives FUNDING • Environmental Farm Plan – aided in funding fences and other installations on the farm • Ontario Soils and Crop Improvement Association – grants to help with various improvement projects on the farm • Rural Economic Development (RED) program – assists with the costs of projects that benefit rural Ontario • Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority grants – assist with diverting water so that it doesn’t get polluted and other low intensity stewardship type projects and small wetland creation/restoration projects SUPPORT • Local Food Plus program – helps with recognition of the farm and the environmentally-friendly practices that are used.
17 Ledgecroft Farms
Alternative Agricultural Practices Benefits
•Biogas digester uses manure from cows -Odour improvement on farm by the removal of methane
•Solid by product used as fertilizer -Nitrogen is transformed into its more bio-available form allowing an improved fertilizer to crops - Kills manure pathogens when digested that could otherwise enter water system -Weed seeds in manure are destroyed •Use of organic inputs from on farm and off -Would normally end up in waste and now have a farm, fats, oils and greases productive use - Enhance biogas potential as much as 80% •Utilizing heat from generator - The heat that the biogas generator produces heats the house, water and barns resulting in zero energy cost for the farm •Connection to grid -Through the Ontario buy in tariff, the plant receives an 11% yearly return. It was a 3 million dollar investment, however the first PlanET system has been in place for 12 years with no signs of breaking down.
Programs and Funding Available for Initiatives FUNDING • Farm Credit Canada • Ontario Biogas Systems Financial Assistance Program (OBSFA) SUPPORT • Organic Resource Management Inc- provides grease from off farm
18 Farmer Contact Information
The following is contact information for the farms using alternative agricultural practices that have been highlighted in this catalogue.
8th Line Farm Corn Arce Farms Charlie and Kim Sytsma Niel, Gale and Jay Banks 127 Eighth Line Rd. 1757 Summer’s Road Athens, Ontario K0E 1B0 Lyndhurst, Ontario K0E 1N0 613-924-9241 613-924-9241 [email protected] [email protected]
Roots Down Organic Farm Topsy Farms Jeff and Suzanne Klug Ian and Sue Murray 145 Taylor Rd. West 14775 Front Road Gananoque, Ontario K7G 2V3 Stella, Ontario K0H 2S0 613-382-9568 613-389-3444 [email protected] [email protected]
Forman Farms Ledgecroft Farm Charlie and Christine Forman Ben and Laura Green 4040 Brewer’s Mills Rd. 1354 Back St. Gananoque, Ontario K7G 2V3 Seeleys Bay, Ontario K0H 2N0 613-382-4949 613-387-3503 [email protected] [email protected]
19 References
British Columbia Co-operative Association (BCCA). "Co-op Structure." British Columbia Co-operative Association: Building a Co-operative Economy. Web. 10 Nov. 2010.
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