Pilot program from OFA and FFCO a new Ontario Source Local initiative

Dec 01, 2021

By Andrew Joseph, Farms.com, Photo by Jayson Roy on Unsplash

In late November, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) and partner Farm & Food Care Ontario (FFCO) announced a new consumer outreach program—Source Local—a familiar refrain that aims to create support for consumers to purchase more locally-grown food and crops.

The year-long pilot project looks to increase support for food and farming via local community and the larger events in both urban and suburban areas.

Looking to focus on communication, its goal is to connect Ontarians to farmers, families and those directly involved in Ontario’s food value chain.

OFA said it hopes to create a better understanding and appreciation for Ontario’s farmers and the agri-food value chain with consumers to connect and showcase the best the industry has.

The partnership between the OFA and FFCO has existed for decades. “Both organizations are excited for the opportunity to connect our province’s farmers and food producers with fellow Ontarians over shared values rooted in tradition and family,” stated OFA President Peggy Brekveld.

She continued: “Farmers are committed to producing fresh, healthy, safe and affordable foods for their own family, friends, community and country. Now is the perfect time to connect over our mutual love of Ontario grown and produced products. We all have an important role to play in the agri-food supply chain. Whether you identify as a consumer or producer – we all have a reason to be #ontagproud.”

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.