Connecting Ontario Consumers with Local Food Choices

Aug 17, 2012

Ontariofresh.ca Refreshes Their Look [August 17, 2012]

Having trouble finding local food? Ontariofresh.ca, a website that seeks to connect Ontario consumers with local food, has launched a new version of their site. First launched back in November 2011, the site has become a popular destination for those who want to know where their food comes from and want to support the local food movement in their communities.

The site is a tool that allows both food buyers and sellers to search for seasonal food. Additional features also include stories that showcase local food producers and information about food safety, traceability, research and innovation.

“Before this website was in place, it could be very difficult to locate local producers. It allows you to search for specific products and size of operation - it’s like Facebook for food, putting a face to people that are buying and selling local,” said Kelly Hughes, Local Food Procurement Officer, Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

The site is backed by Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation which is also supported by the Greenbelt Fund and is made possible through funding from the provincial government. The advocacy group works towards helping farmers who produce food in Greenbelt regions to become more economically sustainable in their local communities.

The local food website has been a successful, growing the number of industry profiles who have an active presence on site to over 1,200 producers. Results from a survey that was conducted at the beginning of 2012 showed that 20% of surveyed participants indicated that they had made connections, and half of those respondents noted that the site had directly generated sales.

There is an eclectic group of people who are active members on the site including hospitals, public institutions food service providers such as Dana Hospitality and Gordon Food Service among other notable food processors.

Your search is over - Ontariofresh.ca is your one stop destination for local food. Go online today http://www.ontariofresh.ca/

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.