Ten Public Institutions Step-Up to the Plate For 2014 Local Food Challenge in Ontario

 

TORONTO, Ontario  March 11, 2014 - ON YOUR MARK, GET READY, BUY LOCAL!

The Local Food Challenge, led by the Greenbelt Fund, with support from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, is helping public institutions such as hospitals, schools, and childcare centres incorporate more Ontario food into their menus.

Funding of up to $15,000 is available for projects that help market more local food options to students, staff, and patients; educate people on the benefits of buying local; and connects them with local suppliers.

“From farmers’ markets to grocery stores, local food is everywhere. Regardless of the season, Ontario farmers are growing something close to home,” said Burkhard Mausberg, CEO of the Greenbelt Fund.

 “The Local Food Challenge gives institutions the opportunity to cook with more local food and explore their menus with the added incentive of having a little competition amongst communities across Ontario. We can all do more when it comes to buying local, even if it’s just one new item each week.”

The participating institutions from across the province include:

• Centennial College (Scarborough Campus), Toronto
• Health Sciences North, Sudbury
• Lakehead District School Board, Thunder Bay
• Niagara Health System, St. Catharines
• Niagara Region Child Care Services, Thorold
• Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital, Orillia
• St. James Catholic High School, Guelph
• University of Guelph, Guelph
• University of Toronto (Scarborough Campus), Toronto
• Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo

Keep track of the 2014 challengers by visiting Ontariofresh.ca or follow them on Twitter. Follow @ontariofresh for updates and use the hashtag #LFC2014.

About the Greenbelt Fund:

The Greenbelt Fund, a non-profit organization, supports and enhances the viability, integrity, and sustainability of agriculture in the Greenbelt and Ontario.

The Fund delivers support to farmers and local food leaders to ensure more of the good things that grow in Ontario are being served and distributed through our public institutions, retail, and foodservice markets. Helping to overcome challenges and support economic growth, the Fund’s goal is to create systemic change to permanently increase the amount of local food consumed in the province through grants, education, policy, and networking initiatives. The Fund is supported by public and private sources. 

For more information about the program and grants visit Ontariofresh.ca. For more information on local food visit foodlandontario.ca.

For more information about the Ontario government’s new Local Food Act and broader local food strategy, visit the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food website.