Cultivating Local

Client: Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA)

Diversifying a farm business or venturing into a different sales channel requires tailored planning. We worked with the OFA to develop a suite of tools for farmers looking to sell directly to Ontarians.

To help develop educational resources for farmers looking to sell directly to consumers, our team:

• Developed and analysed survey results from over 640 Ontario farmers about challenges and opportunities for direct-to-consumer sales.

• Planned, co-ordinated, and facilitated a series of nine virtual workshops on various topics related to selling directly to consumers; more than 700 attendees participated across the workshops.

• Synthesized workshop findings and developed nine simple, step-by-step checklists accompanied by a resource hub for farmers looking to sell directly to consumers

• Developed a summary report to assist other stakeholders and communities who want to plan similar workshops for farmers.

The workshop recordings, checklists, resources, and summary report are all available on:

Topics covered in the workshops included:

• Market trends and in-demand local products in Ontario

• Getting started in value-added agriculture, food, and beverage.

• Selling at farmers’ markets

• Selling to restaurants and institutions

• Selling online and leveraging social media platforms

• Labelling and attributes: organic, free range, gluten-free, and more

• Exploring agritourism opportunities

• Selling local in rural and remote Ontario

• Beyond food: textiles, ornamental horticulture, and more

What our client has to say

“Wilton Consulting Group was instrumental in bringing our vision for OFA's Cultivating Local initiative to light. Their professionalism gave us confidence in their ability to deliver this project. The team's responsive and collaborative approach enabled us to keep on pace with our timeline, quickly and constructively resolve issues as they arose, and brainstorm ideas that capitalized on the momentum and interest in the project.

Wilton Consulting Group worked closely alongside our team to plan and facilitate useful, impactful content for our members exploring direct-to-consumer sales. Wilton's network and outreach was helpful in gathering survey data and identifying well-rounded speakers for the workshop portion of the project. Their expertise ensured that the project addressed key areas of interest, enabling us to provide valuable topics that were tailored and practical. To compliment, Wilton generated supplementary content that built on the insights gathered throughout the project in a succinct and accessible manner for our diverse audience.

Wilton Consulting Group enabled us to create a project that contains essential information and provides tremendous value for our members that lives on long after the completion of the project.”

 -          Joanne Fuller and Allison von Westerholt, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

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