Always in Season: A Toolkit for Local Food Practitioners

Client: Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Community organizations and municipalities can play a strong role in fostering an environment where agriculture and local food can thrive. Drawing on examples from Ontario, the Always in Season Toolkit supports municipalities and communities in engaging the public about local agriculture and food. The Toolkit guides practitioners in their efforts to:

• Increase local food sales,

• Provide new opportunities for local producers for value-added agriculture,

• Enhance agri-tourism and culinary tourism opportunities, and

• Elevate the brand of local agricultural products.

Building on Existing Expertise

Wilton Consulting Group engaged local food practitioners to gather information on existing activities and resources across Ontario. Our team organized these findings to shape Toolkit content around best practices and common challenges for local food activities. The result is an accessible, visually appealing, and useful resource for communities looking to support the local agri-food sector.

The Toolkit contains several resources, including:

• Ideas for supporting agricultural awareness activities;

• Practical advice for organizing and implementing ideas;

• Guidance for measuring the success of local food initiatives;

• Information on municipal tools to support local agri-food sectors, such as Agricultural Advisory Committees, Food Policy Councils, and Business Retention + Expansion projects;

• A worksheet to guide activity planning;

• A calendar of existing agricultural awareness events; and

• A letter template to demonstrate the value of an activity to council.

For more information please contact:

Danielle Collins

Economic Development Policy Analyst

Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Krista Kapitan

Consultant

Wilton Consulting Group

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