Two post-secondary schools are researching how they can better help local farmers and producers keep up with demand following the pandemic. Many farmers and producers are seeing a spike in demand for locally sourced food.

College Boreal has partnered with the University of Guelph, and several agri-food sector organizations to research the strategies food producers&nbsp;use to reach consumers during the pandemic.

Robin Craig is the director of research and innovation at College Boreal in Sudbury. She says researchers are compiling the strategies, but are also looking for ways to keep the momentum going.

"[We want] to really identify the specific needs and challenges that have been faced collectively by these agri-businesses during the COVID-19 outbreak ... to look at some of the strategies they're using to meet current consumer demand [and to] to measure the effectiveness of these strategies."

 which lists local producers and how consumers can connect with them.

Online group launches to help Sudbury residents find more local food options

Two Sudbury men want to make it easier for you to purchase locally produced products from northern Ontario.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency say it will modernize its food labelling approach. The agency — with input from consumers, industry and other stakeholders — will conduct a review of food labelling regulations, guidelines and policies including claims such as use of the term "local." In the meantime, the agency is adopting an interim policy which recognizes "local" as food produced in the province or territory in which it is sold, or  food sold across provincial borders within 50 km of the originating province or territory.

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In the past week, more than 800 people have joined a Facebook group called Farm to Table — Northern Ontario. It aims to directly connect consumers with local producers.

Campaign aims to help people diversify away from imported seeds

A Sudbury area farmer says a seed shortage during the pandemic underscores the importance of growing local seed crops in the north.

Peggy Baillie is the chair of the Greater Sudbury Market Association, a non-profit organization that took over operation of the Market last Spring, from the city of Greater Sudbury.

Peggy Baillie

A northern farmer is part of a national campaign to help shore-up Canada's food supply post-COVID-19. The SeedChange campaign is about promoting better food security through the use of resilient, locally adapted seeds. It is also about promoting seed diversity, and decreasing our dependency on imports. 

Local produce

"It will&nbsp;allow consumers to see how they can connect with the different farms and the different producers," she said.

"So really we're just trying to look to certain heightened connectivity within the food system and between the businesses and consumers."

Craig says the research will compile the strategies in a resource of best practices and look for ways to keep the momentum going.

"People really looking to support local businesses ...&nbsp;especially local farms and producers. Because of social distancing requirements at the time ... we couldn't have markets that can connect community gardens. So I think consumers are really interested in trying to support the farms and businesses that they had supported previously."

Initially, the partners will work with producers to understand the issues brought about by the COVID crisis and apply new practices to provide adequate support to production, distribution and marketing activities, while also preventing the risk of shortages in future pandemics.

In the second phase, the longer term focus will be to develop recommendations and marketing strategies for agri-food businesses to ensure continued economic durability and food security in the post-pandemic period.

Cannabis may be legal, but one northern Ontario town wants to pass a law against smelly pot plants

One northern Ontario town is looking for a way to make smelly cannabis plants illegal. West Nipissing council wants to draft a bylaw to regulate the odour from marijuana plants.

West Nipissing is considering a bylaw that would put restrictions on the smell coming from the legal cannabis plants being grown in the town. 

Cannabis plant

Seed sellers see business bloom as pandemic pushes demand

Seed sellers in the region are seeing a sudden surge in business thanks largely to novice gardeners who have decided to plant their own food to see their families through the current crisis.

Kathy Rothermel says she has concerns about the seed supply for vegetables such as kale, beets and broccoli, which typically take 2 years to produce seeds.

Kathy Rothermel

Local seed sellers say they're struggling to keep up with demand for vegetable and flower seeds as people opt to grow their own food during the pandemic.

Seeds 

A northern Ontario research project aims to develop marketing strategies for agri-food businesses to ensure continued economic durability and food security in the post-pandemic period.

College Boreal research project looks to grow local food connections

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