Date: Thursday, March 17
Time: 3-5 p.m.
Location: 2017 Dunton Tower, Carleton University
Panelists: Andrew Spring (Wilfrid Laurier University), Leah Temper (Seeds of Survival, USC Canada) and Sonia Wesche (University of Ottawa)
Respondents: Peter Andree (Carleton University) and Jane Skapinker (Carleton University Dining Services)
Moderator: Irena Knezevic (Carleton University)
Light refreshments will be served. Please RSVP here. For more information contact irena.knezevic@carleton.ca.
from CFICE, Tuesday, February 23, 2016
On February 21st, 2016, our friend and colleague, Cathleen Kneen, passed away. Cathleen has been a huge part of the CFICE community since the beginning. As the former director of Food Secure Canada, she served as community co-lead in the Community Food Security hub. Cathleen strongly believed in CFICE and in the potential power of knowledge co-creation between community researchers and academic researchers to address the many social and environmental challenges facing Canada. Her strength of vision will continue to guide us moving forward.
To find out more about Cathleen, or how to make a donation in her memory, visit our website.
We are all deeply saddened by the news of Cathleen Kneen’s passing. She was a force to be reckoned with, and her vision will continue to help transform the Canadian food system. Please see Diana Bronson’s tribute to Cathleen on behalf of Food Secure Canada, and Cathleen’s facebook page for memorial service links and more details.
On the heels of a significant investment by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, OFT is seeking a hard-working dynamic executive leader to take Ontario farmland conservation efforts to a new level of success. This individual will bring demonstrated talent, energy and experience to the organization, particularly with respect to all fundraising programs and financial management. Find out more about OFT here.
The new Executive Director will be a superior communicator who will add leverage to existing OFT relationships and further develop strategic partnerships with other farmland conservation stakeholders. Apply today, or share with others who may be good candidates.
Key position responsibilities include:
Applications are due by March 31st.
The European Union is experiencing upheaval on many fronts – security threats, acts of terror, unprecedented migration pressures, changing climate, and serious fiscal strain. The Viessmann European Research Centre is hosting a graduate student colloquium on May 5 and 6, 2016 to consider how these issues are converging and what future changes can be anticipated. The colloquium focuses on three themes:
This course focuses on how rural production and urban markets can be integrated to assure access to adequate quantities of nutritious food while sustaining the viability of the production areas. This year the Food Security in an Urbanizing Society short course will be given again by Wageningen University in the Netherlands.
It is possible to apply for a NUFFIC fellowship.The deadline to apply for the Nuffic fellowships for the FSUS course in 2016 is the 22 of March.
For more information on the course and fellowship applications
The Nourishing Communities research group is conducting the second annual OMAFRA-funded survey to identify existing and potential regional food hub demand in Ontario. If you are a farmer, processor, distributor, retailer, restaurant, or institution that engages with the regionally-produced food value chain—or would like to—we need your input, so we can provide the most up-to-date summary of food hub activity in Ontario for 2015, and identify future demand.
The goal is to enable you to get more local and/or sustainable food into the hands of consumers, and develop a more accurate snapshot of your local food system. The survey results will help regional food value chain members explain their needs when applying for loans and/or grants, and help funders understand more about community and business needs, where funding or resource gaps exist, and how to effectively support operations such as yours.
We need everyone to complete this second survey so we can tell the story of how this sector is growing. Please complete this survey within the next three weeks, if at all possible!
Thanks to everyone who participated in the first survey of food hubs in 2014 – we are happy to share results. Please contact Project Manager, Mike Nagy at nagym@uoguelph.ca or at 519-829-6249.
We also conducted 25 case studies and network analyses that describe innovative value chains, food hubs and network projects as good practice examples of food hub initiatives: http://nourishingontario.ca/ontario-food-hub-case-studies-2015/
The Assembly is an event in which emerging and established co-operatives explore possibilities for collaboration and affirm aligned visions for sustainability, stewardship and co-operation. Celebration of various co-operative successes, active working sessions and network planning are included in the agenda. Read more…
February 23 – February 24, 2016
Loyola House, Ignatius Centre, Guelph, Ontario
preceded by
The various workshops and plenaries will explore innovative and adaptable forms of finance. Conversations with lenders and funders will explore various financing sources and how to build meaningful dialogue. The day will also begin to build the case for sector bench-marking and creating the narrative necessary to prove the economic impact of food systems across Ontario. Read more…
February 22, 2016 – 9am – 4pm
Loyola House, Ignatius Centre, Guelph, Ontario
Every few months, it seems, an invasive virus from a distant land attacks the Americas: dengue, chikungunya and, most recently, Zika. But the pathogens that frighten me most are novel strains of avian influenza. Novel avian influenza viruses are mongrels, born when the influenza viruses that live harmlessly inside the bodies of wild ducks, geese and other waterfowl mix with those of domesticated animals like the ones at Jiangfeng, especially poultry but also pigs. Read more…
…He decided to transform the nursing home. Based on a hunch, he persuaded his staff to stock the facility with two dogs, four cats, several hens and rabbits, and 100 parakeets, along with hundreds of plants, a vegetable and flower garden, and a day-care site for staffers’ kids. Read more…
Toronto’s George Brown College is launching a new initiative that aims to engage municipalities, universities, schools, health agencies and hospitals in helping to improve the diet, physical health and wellness of people in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Called the Helderleigh Nutrition Application Fund, the new fund will make a total of $400,000 available over a four-year period for nutrition and health-related applied research projects conducted in partnership with the college’s Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts and its food innovation and research studio, FIRSt. Read more…
After learning a little more about the program, Wellington Brewery decided to work with a business advisor – who had successfully worked with other breweries to access funding – to help them through the Growing Forward 2 application process. Read more…
Workshop topics include soil biology, what to do with soil test analysis, holistic management in practice, organic seed potato production, mob grazing, Hops and brewers, direct marketing grains, and more. Read more…
Saturday February 20, 8 am – 5 pm
Ramada Inn Cornwall, 805 Brookdale Ave, Cornwall, Ontario
Looking for creative ways to get farming? Is land the last big piece? Explore different models of land access and ask all your questions as four successful farmers from across Canada recount their “land testimonials”. These sessions will be useful for farmers seeking land, farmland owners seeking farmers, and those interested in new farmer and land use policy. Cost: $25 per session or $80 for the series of 4. Series registration deadline is Monday February 15th. You can register for individual webinars up to 48 hours in advance. Read more or register…
With an explosion in craft breweries in Ontario, as well as strong demand for locally sourced ingredients, now is a perfect time to consider the option of growing hops for commercial sale. Read more…
March 21, 9:30 am to 3:30 pm
Two Rivers Food Hub, 361 Queen St, Unit 5000, Smiths Falls, ON
Create new opportunities for your farm or food processing business by learning how to expand into new markets such as grocery stores, restaurants, food hubs, schools, universities and other public institutions. Read more…
With a new federal government and new Agriculture Minister (Lawrence MacAulay) in Ottawa, many people are deliberating on the notion of a national food strategy for Canada. In recent years, many Canadian political parties, think tanks, and trade associations have recommended Canada’s need for such a strategy. In fact, most of us by now have lost count of how many strategies have been proposed. Nonetheless, many in the industry question whether Ottawa will set priorities to develop a national food strategy. Read more……
With an explosion in craft breweries in Ontario, as well as strong demand for locally sourced ingredients, now is a perfect time to consider the option of growing hops for commercial sale. In this workshop, you will learn from provincial researchers and experienced growers and brewers about:
Lunch will be provided by Bruce Wood, Chef at Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company.
When: March 21, 9:30 am to 3:30 pm
Where: Two Rivers Food Hub, 361 Queen St, Unit 5000, Smiths Falls, ON
Cost: $30
To Register: http://
SPACES ARE LIMITED!
This event is organized by the Two Rivers Food Hub, Just Food and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs