Farm & Food Care Ontario offers $597K in funding for ag

Farm & Food Care Ontario has announced a three-year funding agreement with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness. Through this agreement, up to $597,000 will be invested in FFCO’s outreach initiatives over the next three years.

The funding will support six of the organization’s priority activities, all of which aim to grow public trust and consumer confidence in Ontario’s farming and food systems.

• Large-scale consumer outreach events, including Breakfast on/from the Farm, which provide a space for agriculture to connect with the public in meaningful ways and allow non-farming Ontarians to explore modern Ontario agriculture and meet farmers each year;
• Food industry outreach, including day-long farm and food processing tours for culinary students, chefs and other food industry professionals, as well as webinars and other relationship-building activities between Ontario agriculture and the food industry;
• More than a Migrant Worker, an award-winning initiative, completed in partnership with the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, that showcases the critical work done by seasonal agricultural workers in Ontario through interviews, photography, and video storytelling;
• A library of agricultural resources developed for those promoting agricultural awareness through events, fall fairs, and other community agricultural programming. This library includes the rentable FarmFood360 virtual reality kiosk that provides farm and food processing VR tours and other displays and signage.
• Free, up-to-date farm photo and digital asset library available to industry and media to accurately represent Ontario agriculture, as well as digital resources to promote Local Food Week and Ontario Agriculture Week;
• Training for farmers and agri-business professionals on how to effectively communicate with non-farming Ontarians;

As a registered Canadian charity, FFCO is funded primarily by farmers, farm organizations, agribusinesses, and others through memberships and program partnerships. This funding enables the organization’s projects to have a significantly larger cross-sector impact and will support the above six activities until 2028.

“Our government is investing in Farm & Food Care Ontario so they can continue to raise public awareness and build trust in Ontario’s farmers and food businesses,” said Trevor Jones, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness. “When people know where their food comes from, they can easily choose the freshest, most delicious food to feed their families. This has the added benefits of supporting Ontario’s farmers, communities and our economy and helping to protect the Ontario agriculture and food industry and local food supply chain.”

This funding agreement reflects growing recognition of FFCO’s value on both provincial and national levels. In 2024, FFCO received the prestigious Minister’s Award from then-OMAFA Minister Rob Flack.

The organization will continue to work across sectors to create new tools and further develop existing agriculture and food production programs designed to engage Ontarians and answer questions about Ontario food and farming.

FFCO wants the public to feel connected to Ontario’s passionate farm families and confident that farmers are working hard to produce healthy, affordable, safe, and ethical food sustainably 365 days per year.

Janelle Cardiff, FFCO’s Chair, expressed her appreciation. “This show of support by the province is extremely encouraging for the direction of FFCO’s work. It reiterates the importance of engaging farmers and the public in meaningful conversations. This funding will allow us to continue offering unique opportunities to advocate for agriculture across Ontario and expand our initiatives even further.”