Guest column: Support Ontario farmers by buying local foods, products

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By: Ethan Wallace

Buying local has always been an important part of our agriculture and food production system. Consumer interest in particular in shopping closer to home for their food products has been on the rise over the last two decades or so — and that interest has become particularly strong now.

We are particularly lucky here in Ontario. Our climate and our soils let us grow and raise more than 200 different food and farm products on the nearly 50,000 farms in our province. From fruits, vegetables, honey, plants and flowers to meat, dairy, eggs, fish and grains — and whether fresh, frozen, processed, pickled or canned, we are proud of what we can grow right here at home.

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My family and I farm just outside of the small town of Seaforth, near Lake Huron. Every local food or farm product Ontarians buy supports farms and families like ours, as well as small businesses and rural communities right across our province.

And even though we’re in the midst of winter, there is a wide range of locally produced food available. Apples, carrots, potatoes and root vegetables, for example, are kept fresh through innovative storage technologies so we can enjoy them all winter long.

There is a plethora of Ontario meat and poultry in our grocery stores, butcher shops, farmers’ markets and independent retailers, as well as a wide variety of eggs, and milk, cheese, cream, butter, yogurt and ice cream made from 100% Canadian milk.

Ontario’s greenhous sector provides produce like tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and strawberries; and vertical farms produce leafy greens, microgreens and baby greens. Many frozen vegetables and fruit are also grown in Ontario, and many wineries, breweries, distilleries and cideries use locally grown ingredients like grapes, hops, grains and apples.

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So, what’s the best way to buy local? And how can we know whether what we’re buying is an Ontario or a Canadian product? Our food system isn’t always the easiest to navigate in this regard, but here are a few ways you can find local products:

• Shop at local stores, on-farm markets and farmers’ markets.

• Many Ontario agricultural organizations, like Ontario Sheep Farmers, have product locators on their websites to identify shops, markets, farmers and even home delivery companies that carry local products. Other examples include Farmers’ Markets Ontario’s online market locator and Pick Ontario’s florist finder to help you find locally grown flowers.

• There are also a variety of logos that you can look out for when you’re shopping that will help identify locally grown or made food and farm products. Fresh produce, dairy, meat and other Ontario foods often carry the iconic green-and-white Foodland Ontario logo. A blue cow logo certifies 100% Canadian dairy.

Look for the VQA medallion to ensure the wine is made entirely from Ontario-grown grapes or a product of Ontario or Canada designation on fruit wines. You’ll find Ontario or Canada Beef logos on locally produced beef, or the Ontario Corn Fed Beef logo at restaurants and Loblaws stores.

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Ontario-raised pork will often carry an Ontario Pork logo or the logo of Ontario-based meat processors like Conestoga Meats or Sofina. Egg cartons will display a red maple leaf or the Egg Quality Assurance logo, and you’ll find an Ontario Turkey logo on some of those retail products.

When it comes to flowers and floral products, look for a Pick Ontario logo or the words “Grown in Canada” on a container or tag.

On processed foods, “Product of Canada” means made in Canada with Canadian ingredients, and “Made in Canada” means final processing took place in Canada — sometimes with local ingredients and sometimes with a mix of domestic and imported ingredients.

Ontario farmers are strong believers in encouraging everyone to buy local, Ontario products. When you do, you’re not just buying what we produce, you’re also supporting communities, families, and jobs right here at home — and we appreciate it.

Ethan Wallace is vice-president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture.

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