Reminder! Food Hub Management Certificate Course is coming up!

Things looking a bit different?

Nope, you're not on the wrong site – we're updating our look and content! Keep your eyes peeled for more changes!

Author: Hayley Green

Posted: December 13, 2017

Categories: GoodFoodBites / Opportunities

What is the Greenbelt Fund?

The Greenbelt Fund creates systemic change in Ontario’s food system. As a non-profit organization, it supports and enhances the viability, integrity, and sustainability of agriculture in Ontario and Ontario’s Greenbelt. The Greenbelt Fund helps support farmers and local food leaders to ensure more local food grown in Ontario is being served and distributed through public institutions, retail, and foodservice markets. It also helps to overcome challenges, support economic growth and create change that will permanently increase the amount of local food consumed in the province through grants, education, policy, and networking initiatives. The Greenbelt fund has a Local Food Investment Fund, a grant program generously funded by the Government of Ontario, where you can apply here.

Training Program for Food Hub Leaders!

In January (2018) the Greenbelt Fund and the Agri-Food Management Institute will be hosting a Food Hub Management Certificate course. The first of its kind in North America, now in its third year and first time being offered in Canada, this program is an innovative blend of hands-on, community-based online and on-campus learning to prepare you for managing food hubs. The program provides the tools you need to advance your career in food systems. This information has been taken directly from the website.

There are options for a 10-month certificate course and a shorter 4-month course. Both the 10 month and 4-month courses include:

One week intensive and in-person session in Milton, Ontario: January 2018 (tuition includes accommodation and tours for the week)
Online Sessions: January 2018 – May 2018

In addition to this, the 10-month course also includes:

Community-Based Learning – Personal Action Project: June – September 2018
In person session – one-week location TBD: October 2018 (tuition includes accommodation and tours for the week)

Additional Points about the program!

Designed for emergent and established food hub managers
Goals of the program are to strengthen and accelerate management skills of operational leaders of food hubs and other community-based food system organizations
Multi-disciplined subject matter taught by Food Hub Managers, who are subject matter experts in each discipline
Taught online with in-person sessions held in Southwestern Ontario – with a plethora of businesses leading the local food movement
Student selection through a competitive, national application process
Syllabus includes: Business Formation, Food Hub Fundamentals, Business Planning, Marketing, Sales, Finance HR & Staffing, Risk Management, Food Safety, Product Development and Knowledge, Supply Chain Management, Storage and Warehouse Management, Distribution, Processing, Technology, Value Chain Facilitation

Develop Essential Knowledge & Skills

Legal Structure, Sources of Capital
Business Planning and Assessment
Sales Forecasting, Analysis, and Marketing
Finance and Risk Management
Food Safety – On Farm, Facility, and FSMA
Supply and Value Chain Integration
New Product Development and Processing
Management of Facilities, Distribution, and Technology
Human Resources and Stakeholder Management

Who Should Apply?

Individuals exploring the feasibility of starting or expanding a food hub
Emerging leaders in organizations advancing the feasibility of regional food systems
Food Hub practitioners focused on ‘the next ten years’
Professionals seeking to develop their career in the local and regional food market

2017 Program Fee

It is anticipated that the program fee is $11,500, a deposit of $150 is being asked to express your interest in the course. Deposits are fully refundable until registration officially opens and the price of the course is finalized.

Workload? Students should expect an hour instruction, 1-2 hours interaction with other students, 102 hours work time on assignments