fresh facts december 2013

8/13/2019 Fresh Facts December 2013

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Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association

Newsletter #292 December 2013

Volume 28, Number 9

Fresh Facts

Inside this issue:

Membership News 2

Local Food Act ispassed

3

California throughmy Lens

4

Heritage Apples atOKeefe Grange

6

New Online Busi-ness Planning Tool

7

UpcomingEvents

8

Providing knowledge and leadership to grow the farm fresh experience.

Presidents Message

Many OFFMA members including my lovely, first wife 1, Judy and I, just returned from anothergreat OFFMA bus tour to California. We saw lots of amazing things and came home with manynew ideas. Many of the ideas and problem solutions came not just from the places we visitedbut also from the conversations on the bus with fellow members. Our membership is rich withexperienced people who are willing to help one another. I consider this network of knowledge tobe one of the greatest benefits of this membership.

Personally I was impressed with some of the efficiencies Earthbound Farm put into place to go

from a 2 acre start up to growing thousands of acres of greens that are shipped around theworld. At another stop, Bari Olive Oil, during the tour of the plant, it became clear how importantit is to invest in technology that will make your job easier and produce a safer, better product atthe end. Bari Olive Oil had a huge machine that the olives went into at one end and the oil cameout at the other end. Very few farmers had this type of machine and therefore could not add val-ue to their crop but only sell it to a processor. Olives are a rapidly growing industry in California.

The importance of staff training became crystal clear by the way we were treated at variousstops. When your staff understands and is part of the vision of the company, they have boughtin and will do a much better job at talking to customers, promoting your business and providing aservice that is second to none. The contrast we experienced at some of the tour stops was sig-nificant. It really helped to re-inforce the point and made for some interesting conversations onthe bus.

We have many opportunities planned for 2014 for you to tap into this network of ours, bus tours,peer networking, and twilight tours, so be sure to take advantage of all the opportunities availa-ble to members. Check the back page for event dates and details. Now is the time to book yourhotel in Niagara Falls for the Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Convention and the OFFMA pre conven-tion workshop in February. You do not want to miss this summit! I recently chatted with a mem-ber who had never been to this convention because they did not grow fruits or vegetables butwent last year to check it out and now have added it to their not to be missed list, there really issomething for everyone no matter what you produce.

I hope you finish 2013 strong and look forward to 2014 with eager anticipation. Take some timeto recharge and reconnect with family and friends over the holidays.

From my family to yours, have a very, Merry Christmas!

Brian HugliOFFMA President

1 Rollie Willis is a long time OFFMA member, an excellent apple grower and a divorceattorney. During introductions on the bus, he set the tone for these kinds of statements.


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MEMBERSHIP NEWS

Page 2 Fresh Facts

lassifieds

Looking for POS informationOne of our members is looking to upgrade

their sales system to a modern, useful,powerful yet cost effective POS system. Ifyou have already gone through this pro-cess and are happy with the system youhave, please let the OFFMA office know orcontact Matt French from Johnstons Cran-berry Marsh directly at [email protected]

WANTED:People Mover for Farm Tours - Seekingused people mover for simple and safetransport of small children around our farm.Safety rails and benches preferable. Con-tact: Mike Carter,[email protected] or 416-726-5564

AVAILABLE FOR RENT: Farm in Ottawa/Carp area at busy lightedintersection for possible on-farmmarket. Growing and retailing. Access tobuilding for store front, parking, zoned foruse. Several acres. Good soil.For more information contact BrendaHensley, [email protected]

FOR SALE:Frozen RaspberriesFrozen in 20lb pails, Nova and Polka varie-ties, prices FOB Simcoe, ON. Price is$1.50/lb.Contact John Cooper, Berry Tyme FruitInc., Simcoe, ON 519-426-3099,e-mail: [email protected]

FOR SALE:Jakemans Maple Farm have maple syrupproducts for you. Choose from our famousmaple cream cookies, maple icewine syr-

up, maple popcorn, tea coffee and 75 otherproducts presented with retailers in mind.Build your maple display around strongvisible branded products. Call 1-800-382-9795, fax 519-421-2469 [email protected]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The Classifieds are for members who are sellinga product or are looking for something specific.There is no charge for a member to list a classi-fied ad. Just send your ad to the OFFMA office .

A big welcome to our new members. Lookingforward to meeting you in person and wel-coming you to the OFFMA Family.

New MembersVandermeer NurseryMaryanne Vandermeer

Ajax, ON, 905-427-2525Vandermeer Nursery is a full service, openyear round nursery that grows 98% of its an-nuals, perennials, water plants, and evenholiday plants. They also offer landscapedesign and installation as well as plantingservices for any of the nursery plants pur-chased from their store.www.vandermeernursery.com

Masse Fruit & Vegetable FarmMike & Dianne MasseZurich, ON, 519-235-1431

Masse Family are proud growers of ever-bearing strawberries, sweet corn, tomatoes,peppers, zucchini, beans, peas, squash,pumpkins and assorted fall decorations.Open from Mid-June to November 1. Theyalso supply their fresh produce to local res-taurants. www.facebook.com/MasseFruitandVegetables

Trillium Ridge SugarworksTerry & Vickie GervaisShannonville, ON613-396-5141/416-288-1846The Gervais maple syrup farm is nestled ona limestone ridge. Excellent maple syrup andsugar has been produced there since the1840s. Farm tours, farm holidays and scoutcamping sites are available. Wholesale pric-es are also available for gift and producestores. www.sugarworks.ca

Olkaga Country MarketJeff & Tawnya SchlosserHanover, ON, 519-369-6729The Schlosser Familys Olkaga Country Mar-ket, near Hanover, is open 7 days a weekMay August. They grow strawberries andasparagus as well as providing a broadrange of other fruits and vegetables. Theirfarm market also includes pick-your-ownstrawberries. www.olkagacountrymarket.ca

It always seemsimpossible until it isdone. -Nelson Mandela


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Page 3Newsletter #292

In early November, the Legislative Assembly of Ontario passed Bill 36,Local Food Act, 2013. The Act fits into the Ministry's broader local foodstrategy. The purposes of the Local Food Act, 2013, are to foster suc-cessful and resilient local food economies and systems in Ontario, help

increase awareness of local food in Ontario and develop new markets forlocal food.The new legislation - the first of its kind in Canada - will help build On-tario's economy, create more jobs and expand the agri-food sector, bymaking more local food available in markets, schools, cafeterias, grocerystores and restaurants throughout the province.

The Act will also:Help increase access to local food, improve food literacy in respect of

local food, and encourage increased use of local food, by requiring theMinister to establish aspirational local food goals and targets in con-sultation with organizations that have an interest.

Proclaim a Local Food Week that will take place annually, beginningthe first Monday in June.

Bill 36 also amended the Taxation Act, 2007 to create a non-refundable taxcredit of 25 per cent of the current market value of donated agriculturalproduct for farmers who donate to eligible community food programs such asfood banks.

Local Food Act, 2013 is passed


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Page 4 Fresh Facts

California through my LensBy Jordan Hiemstra, Clovermead

I really enjoyed the whole trip in general,with making new acquaintances andfriends, and enjoying multiple places withothers. This was my first bus trip, and Ihad no idea what to expect, and I definite-ly wasnt disappointed.

My favourite stop was Bravo Farms, be-cause I enjoyed looking at all the signs,and they certainly had a wide variety ofthem! Some were funny, and some wereserious, but all were positive additions tothe farm. I also enjoyed where you couldfeed the chickens, because I have never

seen anything quite like it.When you want to feed the

chickens, they see you and stick their heads through a horizontal fence to peck atthe food in your hands. If we were to do any additions on our farm, I wouldchoose this activity.

Another place I really enjoyed was Napa Valley, in general. All of the vineyardswere beautiful, especially because of the mountains behind them. There weremany shopping opportunities, and lots of galleries all around the area. The laststop we made at the winery was interesting, but I felt left out, because I couldnttaste the wine! Ridiculous!

While on this trip, there was a wide variety of hotels. All were enjoyable, andgood accommodations for us. Although, it doesnt help when there are only twobeds, but four of us! The food for our meals at the restaurants and the bakeries

were very well made, and I enjoyed them deeply.The one regret I had while on this trip was when we were driving into San Francis-co. I was very excited to experience the famous Golden Gate Bridge, but unfortu-nately, we didnt drive over it. But once again, I really enjoyed this trip, and hopeto join you for the next one!

Jordan by his own admissionis a young person, especiallyyoung for this bus tour, and at14 one of two participants under the age of 20. The secondbeing his sister at 16.

He loves photography, andseeing peoples reactions tohis photos, and getting feedback. Jordan lives in Alymeron a farm called Clovermeadthat he helps run with his par- ents Chris and Christy Hi- emstra.


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Page 5Newsletter #292

Packing CSA boxes at Underwoods

Signs are critical on any farm. They are your silentsalespeople. Underwoods promoting the fact that theyhave an area for parties with contact information.

Bouchon Bakery in Yountville, has aboxed lunch available but instead ofwriting up a sign they actually display theitems that are included.

Hilmar Cheese has created professionaleducational displays for tours and schoolgroups. Interestingly, the space is alsoused for banquets and weddings. Whenthat happens, an elegant curtain is pulledin front of these displays to create a moreformal setting.

Some tips we pickedup in California


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Fresh FactsPage 6

On a recent member trip, Cathy and I trav-elled into the Grey Bruce area, and westopped in at OKeefe Grange to visit withBill & Lyn OKeefe. It quickly became ap-parent, after a few moments of conversa-tion, that Bill is on a mission to acquire andgrow heritage apple and pear tree varie-ties, and there would be as many varietiesas possible on the farm. His research zealand enthusiasm, in making good use ofthe internet and contacts all over theworld, has resulted in garnering 170 varie-ties for his orchard.

At one time, there were thousands of vari-eties of apples that were grown in Ontario,but most have died off. Its part of Billsmission to restore and sprinkle these treesthroughout Ontario through the process ofgrafting. He invites people to pick a favour-ite variety and have it custom grafted togrow on their property.

Bill makes the point that today the grocerystores pretty much dictate what apples youwill find in the store. If you are lucky youmight find 15 apple varieties at most.

For Bill, variety is the spice of life, be-cause these heritage apples have uniqueflavours that should be continued to beenjoyed. Once gone, theyre gone, lost for-ever. He is convinced, in the near future,there will be a boom in interest in hard ci-der and in turn people looking for heritage

hard cider apple varieties.

Cathy & I were impressed with their giftshop as Bill & Lyn have decorated thestore with heritage artifacts to match theproduct they sell. Lyn is always looking fornew and unique products that would com-pliment what they already have. She iscarrying some of Fultons maple productsas well as Woolwichs Goat Ice Cream.Both seem to be a hit with her customers.If someone is looking for heritage apples,this is the place to come. Every year, onthe Thanksgiving weekend, they offer afree apple tasting event that featuresmany of their heritage apples.

While I cant list all the apples you will findat OKeefe Grange. Here are a few that

might bring back memories Gravenstein, Roxbury Russet,Snow, Sweet Alford, Winesap,Wismer, Pink Pearl, Duchess,Irish Peach. I bought a bag ofNewtowne Pippin which I am en-

joying very much.

For more information and direc-tions, go toOntarioFarmFresh.com

Heritage Applesa flavour ful b ite from the pastBy Gary Johnson, OFFMA Membership Coordinator

Heritage varieties are displayedwith clearly identified informationabout their background, flavourand uses.

On-farm market for their apples, antiques and otherunique products.


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Newsletter #292 Page 7

NEW Online Business Planning Tool

As the 2013 season comes to a close and the winter season approaches, our thoughtsoften turn to:What might we do di fferent next year? Perhaps its time to research new ideas or re-view changes in regulations. Wintertime is synonymous with business planning time.Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association (OFFMA) has developed a new tool for itsmembers. The Online Business Planning Tool breaks down the planning process bybusiness area:

* Marketing* Human Resources* Health & Safety* Social Responsibility* Succession Planning.

You can look at one business area or choose to review all. You decide according to yourbusiness needs. Within each business area, you will find three sections: Self-auditChecklist, Preparing Your Plan, and Regulations.

A real feature of the tool is that it includes links to many helpful resources. For example,in the Marketing Self-Audit Checklist youll be prompted to consider social media as a

low-cost promotional tool. If youre not sure what it entails or how to use social media,you can choose from a variety of links to learn more. In Health & Safety, if youre won-dering about writing a health and safety policy, theres a template available for you tofollow.

Another feature is the Regulations section. This may not be the most exciting, but itscertainly a key part of managing your business. The tool provides an overview of rele-vant regulations, and links for further details to help determine if it applies and how tomeet compliance.We know that its important to do some business planning. Statistics are often cited thatthose who plan are more profitable. Yet, often were not sure where to start. OFFMAmembers now have a tool to help them get focused and save time by finding the re-sources they need. OFFMA members can access the tool at www.ontariofarmfresh.com (members section). If you have any questions or feedback regarding the tool, pleasedont hesitate to send an email to [email protected]

This project was prepared by Angela Leach of Plan Insight, funded by Growing Forward, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative.

A Peek at To-Do Lists of the WealthyCPA Tom Corley explores daily habits of rich and poor people

For five years, financial planner and CPA Tom Corley studied the routines of the rich and the poor, tracking more than 200 activities of233 wealthy people and 128 people living in poverty. This research became the basis of his book, Rich Habits: The Daily SuccessHabits of Wealthy Individuals. When it comes to planning their day and getting things accomplished, there are vast differences in thedaily habits of the two groups.

An estimated 67 percent of the wealthy put their goals into writing, while only 17 percent of the poor make this a habit. Approximately81 percent of the wealthy he researched maintain a daily to-do list, while less than 1 percent of the poor create such lists. The daily to-do list is one of the tools the wealthy use to avoid procrastination, accomplish their goals and maintain control over their day, Corleysays. The group Corley identified as wealthy set a goal of accomplishing 7080 percent of the tasks on their daily to-do list. Why? Hisresearch found three reasons:

1. To-do lists give the wealthy control over their day.2. These lists help accomplish an individuals short-term and long-term goals.3. Lastly, following a to-do list helps deter procrastination.

The wealthy understand that procrastination can lead to faulty products or services and this creates unhappy customers/clients or aloss of customers/clients or, worse, litigation, Corley says. In short, procrastination causes a loss of income. Wealthy people under-stand that you cannot become wealthy if you procrastinate.


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Upcoming Events for 2014Jan. 7-8 Southwest Agricultural Conference , University of Guelph Ridgetown,

Ridgetown, ON, www.southwestagconference.ca

Jan. 16 Foodie Tour in York Region , reg form included with this newsletter

Jan. 18 FarmSmart Conference , University of Guelph, Rozanski Hall, 98 Trent Lane,Guelph, ON, www.farmsmartconference.com

Jan. 30-Feb.2 Guelph Organic Conference Expo , University of Guelph, Guelph, ONwww.guelphorganicconf.ca

Jan. 31 Deadline for submission to the Food Innovation Award , details on theOFFMA website, OntarioFarmFresh.com

Feb. 18 OFFMAs Pre-Convention Workshop , watch the newsletter for details

Feb. 19-20 OFFMA Summit at the Ontario Fruit Vegetable Convention ,Scotiabank Convention Centre, Niagara Falls, ON, www.ofvc.ca

Page 8 Fresh Facts

Ontario Farm FreshCathy Bartolic, Executive Director2002 Vandorf Rd. Aurora, ON L4G 7B9Phone: 905-841-9278Fax: 905-726-3369E-mail: [email protected]

2013-14 OFFMA Board of DirectorsBrian Hugli, President

Huglis Blueberry RanchLeslie Forsythe, Vice President

Forsythe Family FarmsJesse Lauzon, Past President

Springridge Farm

Hollis English, Murphys FarmsteadCara Epp, Associate Member

Edana Integrated MarketingNicole Judge, Spirit Tree Estate CiderySteve Martin, Martins Family Fruit FarmColleen Pingle, Pingles Farm MarketSteve Smith, Smiths ApplesDana Thatcher, Thatcher FarmsCarl Fletcher, OMAF and MRA Advisors

Members on the Move

After 35 years of growing apples, OFFMA members, Birtch Farms and EstateWinery will be closing their doors at the end of the year. Bob and Dyann Birtch soldthe farm to neighbours who are dairy farming and are not interested in an on-farmmarket operation. The purchase agreement will allow the couple to continue operat-ing until the end of 2014 but the Birtches have decided to close the market at the endof the year in order to give them some time to clean up and clear out.It was not an easy decision but they feel it is the right one for them at this time. Theyare ready for a change of pace and life style.ALL your OFFMA friends wish you good luck, good health and lots of happiness inthe next chapter of your lives.

Forsythe Family Farms will have a new flagship location starting in 2014. For the past 27 years, they have operated on 65 acres of leased land on Kennedy Road inMarkham. The land was bought by a developer two years ago and the lease has beenterminated. Their customers have been incredibly supportive when they hear of thechanges afoot.The Forsythes own another farm in Greenbank area and will move the operationthere over the next few months. They plan to continue their strawberry, pumpkin andChristmas season traditional as well as school tours and birthday parties on theirGreenbank property. Best of luck wit the move.

The last word this month goes to Santa Claus

Its time for carols and some snow, time for being on the go.So take a moment here and there to show those most special that you care.Take delight in all the fun, spread warm wishes to everyone.Enjoy the season while its here for its memories will last throughout the year.

fresh facts december 2013

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