Agri-Food Innovations Support Local Food
Posted: April 13, 2010
Categories: News from Sustain Ontario
McGuinty Government Recognizes Top Two On-Farm Innovations
Ontario’s agri-food industry is growing innovative ideas to meet the demand for local foods.
Two outstanding industry leaders were celebrated today at the sixth annual Premier’s Summit on Agri-Food with the province’s top two agri-food innovation awards:
- The Leamington Area Drip Irrigation group received the Premier’s Award of $100,000 for improving water efficiency by constructing a new 36 kilometre pipeline, communal irrigation system for local producers. The system irrigates 2,500 acres of Ontario tomatoes.
- Tigchelaar Berry Farms received the Minister’s Award of $50,000 for adopting a new production technique to expand its day neutral strawberry operation, enabling it to provide fresh Ontario strawberries to consumers for nearly six months of the year.
The recipients are being recognized under the Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence, a $2.5 million, five-year program established to recognize innovators who contribute to the success of Ontario’s agri-food sector.
The innovations of 55 regional winners, who will receive $5,000 each, will be announced at regional award ceremonies this spring.
For the original post on the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs’ website: click here.