PROVINCE RECOGNIZES ON-FARM INNOVATION

Four Regional Award Winners Honoured For Their Achievements

SUDBURY - Local agricultural innovators are the recipients of the first Premier's Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence. Northumberland MPP Lou Rinaldi made the presentations today.

"I am pleased to recognize our local farmers with these awards," said Rinaldi. "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. Regional winners presented with their awards today were:

Manitoulin District:
Burt Farm Country Meats

Nipissing District:
Roche Court Farms

Parry Sound District:
Spring Valley Farms

Algoma District:
Algoma Cattlemen's Association

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

Other McGuinty government initiatives in support of farm families in rural Ontario include:

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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, must have the potential for use on a broader basis and for 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 northern Ontario received $5,000 regional Premier's Awards for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence:

Algoma Cattlemen's Association
Algoma District
Internet marketing has allowed members of this association to directly market whole animals to the consumer in convenient 25 and 50 pound packages. Producers are happy with their returns and customers keep returning for the quality beef. The future looks bright as this association expands into a year round business.

Burt Farm Country Meats
Manitoulin District
Max Burt has a good business going now that he has added meat processing and retail sales to his organic sow production operation. Burt learned how to cure and smoke the meat he was producing and converted workshop space into a retail outlet. Now, he has a sustainable and profitable establishment.

Roche Court Farms
Nipissing District
Finding service for farm equipment in the north was not easy until the Parsons developed the idea of having a representative from John Deere visit their community to provide maintenance for several farmers at once. This has saved many farmers excess overhead costs and down time.

Spring Valley Farms
Parry Sound District
Keeping livestock safe, sound and profitable during transport inspired James Zulak to invent a bumper system to protect animals in trailers. The bumper system has been moulded out of a polymer called salflex 562, a product used by automobile makers. This profitable endeavour has provided a useful tool that can be added to any trailer for the safe transportation of all livestock.

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

Brent Ross
Communications Branch
(416) 326-9342