PROVINCE RECOGNIZES ON-FARM INNOVATION

14 Regional Award Winners Honoured For Their Achievements

GUELPH - Local agricultural innovators are the recipients of the first Premier's Awards for Agri-Food Innovation. Guelph-Wellington MPP Liz Sandals made the presentations today in Guelph.

"I am pleased to recognize our local farmers with these awards," said Sandals. "Their hard work and innovative ideas are what makes our rural communities strong."

The five-year, $2.5-million Premier's Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence, announced as part of the 2006 provincial budget, recognizes that farmers have always been innovative in the running of their businesses and will foster even greater innovation across the province's agri-food sector.

The $100,000 Premier's Award of Excellence for Agri-Food Innovation and the $50,000 Minister's Award were presented earlier this month at the Premier's Summit on Agri-Food. Each regional winner receives $5,000. Area winners presented with their award today were:

Halton Region:
Enviro Mushroom Farm Inc.

Niagara Region:
20 Bees Wines (Niagara Vintners Inc.)
Kurtz Orchards
Northend Floral Inc.

Norfolk County:
P. & S. Van Berlo Limited
Persall Naturals Ltd.

Waterloo Region:
1530937 Ontario Inc. and Lougheed's BioDiesel
Avon Swine Inc.
Foodlink Waterloo Region

Wellington County:
Animal-Pro Products Inc.
Beef Improvement Ontario (BIO)
Everdale Organic Farm & Environmental
Learning Centre
Kraayenbrink Farms
Mapleton's Organic Dairy (Triangle Farm)

"I am proud of the accomplishments of these award winners," said Sandals. "Recognizing and encouraging innovation on the farm will help Ontario's agri-food sector get ahead in a challenging marketplace."

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Contacts:
Kelly Synnott
Minister's Office
(416) 326-6439

Brent Ross
Communications Branch
(416) 326-9342

Backgrounder

PREMIER'S AWARD FOR AGRI-FOOD INNOVATION EXCELLENCE

The five-year, $2.5-million Premier's Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence, announced as part of the 2006 provincial budget, recognizes that farmers have always been innovative in the running of their businesses and will foster even greater innovation across the province's agri-food sector.
Fifty-five regional awards, valued at $5,000 each, will be presented. The recipients of the Premier's Award of $100,000, and the Minister's Award of $50,000, were selected from the regional winners and were recognized at the Premier's 2007 Agri-Food Summit.
Individuals and/or groups representing agri-food businesses and organizations were eligible to submit applications. The innovation had to have been developed and used on an Ontario farm, and must have the potential for use on a broader basis, having a positive effect on the agriculture industry.
Applications were reviewed by an independent panel comprising a cross-section of Ontario's agri-food industry. Four broad criteria were used:

The following applicants from central Ontario received $5,000 regional Premier's Awards for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence:

1530937 Ontario Inc. and Lougheed's Biodiesel (Owen Sound)
Waterloo Region/Grey County
Shawn Davidson of Petersburg built a small scale biodiesel modular plant on his farm. Biodiesel fuel being produced there from recycled oils is being sold to farmers at an off-farm site, Lougheed's Biodiesel in Owen Sound. The goal is to mass produce the modular plant and make it available to farmers across the province.

20 Bees Wines (Niagara Vintners Inc.)
Niagara Region
It's a first for Ontario. Nineteen grape growers and one wine maker (hence the name) got together to make high-quality, 100 per cent Ontario VQA wines in a new local production facility. 20 Bees Wines (Niagara Vintners Inc.) was incorporated in 2004, and now is distributing product through the 780-store LCBO system. This initiative has produced several jobs in the Niagara region.

Animal-Pro Products Inc.
Wellington County
David Craig and Animal-Pro Products Inc. researched and now manufacture a natural feed additive for animals that is marketed throughout Canada. The product is designed to prevent and treat digestive upsets in all animal species, and fills a growing market demand for organic and natural feed products.

Avon Swine Inc.
Waterloo Region
At Avon Swine Inc. newborn piglets are kept warm and cozy with a precast concrete, hot water-heated pad in the farrowing barn. With a new concrete formulation that repels moisture, and half-inch water pipes embedded in the modular pad and attached to a boiler, the operator can carefully control the temperature in the barn and the comfort of the piglets. This makes for healthier pigs and healthier profits.

Beef Improvement Ontario (BIO)
Wellington County
Beef Improvement Ontario (BIO) specializes in research, development and delivery of agri-food products all along the food chain. The company is also a lead partner in an innovative DNA consortium that will provide the agri-food industry with access to important genetic information, supporting research, risk management and market access. When their innovation that will allow for traceability of products from farm to fork is established for the beef industry, it will be shared and will benefit other commodity organizations in the agri-food industry.

Enviro Mushroom Farm Inc.
Halton Region
Yun Joon (Ben) Park of Enviro Mushroom Farm Inc. made major changes to his operation to tap into new markets for exotic mushrooms. He began growing Enoki and King Oyster varieties, and actually developed a new technology that was a first for North America. When he came up against a mushroom disease, he implemented biosecurity and environmental controls rather than using chemicals. Business has been so brisk that a second facility has been added and more staff hired to accommodate demand for the mushrooms.

Everdale Organic Farm and Environmental Learning Centre
Wellington County
Teaching young people the ways of organic farming is one of the main goals of Everdale Organic Farm and Environmental Learning Centre in Hillsburgh. The 150-acre farm offers Future Farming Internships and Collaborate Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT) programs to train young people in production and marketing methods for organic farming. It provides one of the most educationally intensive farm internships in Ontario.

Foodlink Waterloo Region
Waterloo Region
Foodlink Waterloo Region is a non-profit organization that provides valuable marketing services to farms and food enterprises in the area. A major consumer education initiative reaches out to consumers and encourages them to buy locally. The producer-led organization launched a "Buy Local, Buy Fresh" map campaign, and a "Taste Local, Taste Fresh" culinary tourism campaign. Foodlink has shared their logo and strategies with other regions.

Kraayenbrink Farms
Wellington County
Biosecurity, and how to enhance it, is a big concern for all farmers these days. Jake Kraayenbrink came up with a way to deliver pigs to their destination that reduces the potential for contamination for his swine herd, and those of other producers. Kraayenbrink outfitted his truck with a fold-up catwalk operated by an air cylinder and a loading chute that is raised and lowered by an electric winch. He can operate the winch from the catwalk or the interior of the truck. This innovation ensures that no part of the truck - other than the wheels, of course - touches any foreign objects or the ground, better protecting his herd.

Kurtz Orchards
Niagara Region
With a keen eye on the markets, Kurtz Orchards expanded from a business that produced and sold fresh fruit and jams locally to producing and selling a wide variety of specialty food products marketed both locally and through a number of distributors. The Toronto Eaton Centre is now on the business' greatly expanded customer list.

Mapleton's Organic Dairy (Triangle Farm)
Wellington County
Mapleton's Organic Dairy (Triangle Farm) produces organic dairy products, operates an organic vegetable box program, and retails its own and other local products at an on-farm store. Martin de Groot and his team have a direct relationship with their customers, which is appreciated from both sides. It's a synergy of land, animals, the environment and customers.

Northend Floral Inc.
Niagara Region
Gardener-friendly, environmentally-friendly EARTHready plant pots are easier on everyone. Linda Buow introduced the innovative EARTHready line in 2004. The plant pots, made of Canadian sphagnum peat moss and wood pulp, are 100 per cent biodegradable and are designed to eliminate plastic pots used in gardening. Buow patented the EARTHready pot in Canada and the U.S.A. The consumer demand for this product is high and the product is being used by the top three American greenhouse growers.

P. & S. Van Berlo Limited
Norfolk Region
Peter Van Berlo of P. & S. Van Berlo Limited is Canada's largest grower of sweet potatoes. After working with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and North Carolina State University, the former tobacco producer started growing sweet potatoes on 30 acres of land in 2000. There are now 400 acres of sweet potatoes, which are produced and distributed using facilities and machinery that were modified to better suit this crop. The business is also involved in marketing and distributing products from other sweet potato growers.

Persall Naturals Ltd.
Norfolk Region
Diversification was the name of the game in 2000 when Persall Naturals Ltd. began producing a premium line of edible oils. With the adoption of a European cold pressing method to create highly flavoured soybean and canola oil, the business is looking to pursue national distribution, and make inroads in the U.S. market.

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Contacts:
Kelly Synnott
Minister's Office
(416) 326-6439

Brent Ross
Communications Branch
(416) 326-9342