Government of Canada investing over $6 million to help improve safety of agri-food workers in southwestern Ontario

Windsor, Ontario – Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadian food producers and processors have stepped up to deliver quality food for Canadians and people around the world. From the outset, the Government of Canada has helped food processors invest in safety measures and maintain their capacity to keep up with demand.

 

Today, on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Parliamentary Secretary Neil Ellis and the Member of Parliament for Windsor–Tecumseh, Irek Kusmierczyk, highlighted support of up to $6.1 million through the Emergency Processing Fund (EPF) for 34 food processing companies in southwestern Ontario. EPF support is helping these businesses, including a large number of greenhouse growers, keep employees safe and the food supply chain running strong.

 

Recipients are using this funding to make adjustments to enable social distancing, purchase reuseable personal protective equipment (PPE), implement biosecurity measures, install handwashing stations and protective barriers and develop employee training.

 

Parliamentary Secretary Ellis and MP Kusmierczyk highlighted this support at a virtual event with representatives from two EPF recipients:

 

Lakeside Produce Inc., a family-owned produce company and greenhouse grower in Leamington, which is receiving up to $1,172,632; and,

Under Sun Acres Inc., a greenhouse operation that produces sweet bell peppers in Staples, which is receiving up to $149,034.

The Government of Canada will continue working with food processors to protect the health and well-being of workers in food processing plants across Canada and strengthen our food supply chain.

Video: Veteran Farmers: A Legacy of Service in Rural America

Veterans Day is a time to honor the men and women who have selflessly protected our freedoms and values. And for some, the transition from military service to civilian life brings them back to the farm.

At Farm Bureau, we believe it’s important to not only celebrate veterans but also those who continue to make a difference in agriculture and their community. We've partnered with Farm Credit to establish the Veteran Farmer Award of Excellence to shine a light on those who have continued to go above and beyond to serve their communities.

This year, we recognize retired Colonel Joe Ricker as the inaugural Veteran Farmer Award of Excellence winner. Joe served over 30 years in the Army before retiring from the Pentagon and completing tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Since leaving the Army, his commitment to excellence in farming and enriching the lives of veterans has blossomed in a myriad of ways in both his local community of Wilkinson, Indiana, and across the country. Joe grows apples and raises bees on his farm in Indiana. Joe founded “Veterans IN Farming,” an organization, now with more than 1,100 members, dedicated to providing veterans in Indiana with the tools and training to succeed in agriculture.

The American Farm Bureau Federation is an independent, non-governmental, voluntary organization, comprised of and directed by farm and ranch families who engage in all types of food, fuel and fiber production.