Ontario “Eat Local” Groups
Local ingredients highlighted at our “Growing a Local Food Strategy” meeting in Guelph, June 2015.
Want to find out who is promoting local food in your region? There are many groups working to link local farmers to local eaters!
If you know of other “Eat Local” initiatives in Ontario to add to this list, submit a resource.
Skip to regional lists: Central | Eastern | GTA/Golden Horseshoe | Northern | South Western
Province-wide
Foodland Ontario: Foodland Ontario is a consumer promotion program of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs that has partnered with producers to achieve the maximum penetration of the Ontario market by Ontario-produced fresh and processed agricultural products.
Ontario Craft Beer Route: The Ontario Craft Brewers consist of 25 brewers dedicated to making great tasting beer, right here in Ontario and to promote fresh, natural, quality beer.
Culinary Tourism Alliance: OCTA builds capacity for the Ontario culinary tourism supply chain by connecting growers, producers, processors, tourism operators and other participants in the culinary tourism supply chain.
Harvest Ontario: Harvest Ontario is Ontario’s largest and most comprehensive listings of farms, pick-your-own, roadside markets, farmers’ markets, farmgate honey producers, local meats, wineries, fairs and much more.
Ontario Farm Fresh: OFF works to provide knowledge and leadership to grow the farm fresh experience by encouraging networking, representing, motivating and educating members, monitoring the industry and more.
Ontariofresh.ca: Ontariofresh.ca is an online network and marketing service designed to help Ontario businesses buy and sell more local food. We aim to connect the food value chain and get more local food on Ontario plates.
Wine Country Ontario: List of wineries in Ontario, complete with links and maps.
Farmers’ Markets Ontario® (FMO): a not-for-profit organization representing over 180 farmers’ markets in Ontario, dedicated to supporting the efforts of farmers’ markets with all level of stakeholders in Ontario. They’ve worked to develop a strategy that enables bona-fide farmers to identify and promote themselves at farmers’ markets to differentiate real farmers from resellers.
OMAFRA Urban Agriculture Business Information Bundle: This Business Information Bundle serves as a central website for information about urban agriculture for you, whether you’re a city-dweller who wants to produce fruit or vegetables or raise livestock, or you’re a municipal policy maker exploring the topic.
Central Ontario
Direct from Norfolk: Norfolk County’s Agriculture Program includes an advisory board, an agriculture marketing partner program, an annual exhibit (FlavourFest), a culinary tourism committee and official food ambassadors.
Kawartha Choice: Kawartha Choice FarmFresh consists of a dynamic group of farmers, producers, chefs and retailers who promote and sell agricultural products grown and produced in the Kawartha Region.
Proudly Northumberland: A guide to local food in Northumberland County.
Savour Muskoka: Savour Muskoka aims to provide the consumer with a wide selection of regional culinary products, experiences and packages that are unique to Muskoka and that can be marketed successfully to the visitor market.
Simcoe Farm Fresh: Simcoe County Farm Fresh Marketing Association is a non-profit corporation made up of area farmers, farmers’ markets, restaurants and includes other community partners in the health field, food security, government, tourism and economic development with an interest in raising the awareness of the availability of locally grown food.
Food Box Programs: Food Box programs in Central and Southern Ontario.
Your Local Market Co-operative Inc.: a workers’ co-operative grocery store in Stratford selling only locally grown or locally produced items (produce is from within 100 miles – but generally less than 50 miles). When you come in to shop, feel free to ask about #Local meal ideas and ideas of how to eat more seasonally!
Eastern Ontario
Eastern Ontario Agri-Food Network: EOAN is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to coordinating the development of the local agri-food sector in Eastern Ontario and fostering dialogue between its members and partners. The Network operates in Prescott-Russell, Stormont Dundas & Glengarry, Cornwall, and the Ontario portion of Akwesasne.
ecoPerth: ecoPerth is a not-for-profit incorporated organization based in the Perth (Ontario, Canada) area that works to take action on climate change.
Lanark Local Flavour: A comprehensive, one-stop shopping guide complete with farmer profiles, locations of farmers’ markets and, a calendar of food-related events.
Ottawa Valley Food Cooperative: The Ottawa Valley Food Co-operative is a networking project for local food producers and consumers, whereby local consumers can connect with and buy from local food producers.
Ottawa Buy Local Guide: A Guide for local food from Just Food Ottawa
Christmas Tree farms in Ottawa: Ottawa area tree farms map
Taste Trail, Prince Edward County: Taste Trail is a self-guided tour route, showcasing Prince Edward County’s finest culinary delights for food-centric folks who believe there are as many ways to eat as there are places.
Harvestin’ Prince Edward County: Harvestin’ the County is an initiative that proudly supports our widely diversified agricultural community.
Taste the County, Prince Edward County: Taste the County is an incorporated not-for-profit destination marketing and quality enhancement organization for Prince Edward County that links together all the wonderful “tastes” of the County.
Food Down the Road, Kingston Frontenac: Food Down the Road was initiated by the farmers and eaters of the National Farmers Union, Local 316 and is a vibrant community movement building a more vital and sustainable local food system.
Local Flavours – Leeds, Grenville & Frontenac counties: Savour an abundance of fresh farm products from across the Frontenac Arch Biosphere landscape with this Local Flavours guide.
The Ottawa Regional Organic Food Directory: A guide to local organic food in the Ottawa Region created and maintained by the Ottawa chapter of Canadian Organic Growers:
Harvest Hastings: Harvest Hastings highlights the tremendous diversity and richness in the agricultural sector of Hastings County. The website highlights the relationship between sustainable food systems and healthy ecosystems.
GTA/Golden Horseshoe
Edible Toronto Magazine: Edible Toronto is the GTA’s quarterly print magazine dedicated to showcasing and promoting the local foodshed and its healthy, safe and sustainable future.
Grown in Peel: This guide works toward achieving a Liveable Peel aimed at conserving Peel’s agricultural and natural resources while providing for growth.
Halton Simply Local: A website where you will find information about farms in Halton – to pick your own produce, purchase garden products, and enjoy recreational activities with the whole family.
Hamilton Eat Local: Hamilton Eat Local was formed in 2005 by Environment Hamilton and other community partners to support programs that encourage Hamiltonians to buy food grown by local farmers and harvest food from urban gardens and other settings that would otherwise go to waste. Hamilton Eat Local aims to increase the consumption of local food in Hamilton through two major initiatives: The Hamilton Eat Local Farm Map & Directory and the Hamilton Fruit Tree Project.
Hamilton Eat Local Blog: A blog about local eating in Hamilton.
Toronto area Christmas tree farms: Toronto area tree farms map.
York Region Farm Fresh: Information on pick-your-own farms and gardens and farmers markets in York Region.
Durham Farm Fresh: The Durham Farm Fresh Marketing Association is a not for profit membership based organization established in 1993 with the goal of helping local producers, as well as others committed to local food, market their local products to our local community.
Food Box Programs: Food Box programs in Central and Southern Ontario.
Northern Ontario
Algoma Food Network: The Algoma Food Network is dedicated to building and supporting an autonomous, sustainable, healthy, local food system that is accessible to all through education, advocacy, action and relationship building.
Thunder Bay Buy Local Buy Fresh: Information on local food and food security from the Thunder Bay District Health Unit.
Eat Local Sudbury: Eat Local Sudbury is a group of farmers, food professionals and eaters working to promote the purchase, production and consumption of locally-grown food in the Sudbury area.
Buy Local Buy Fresh, Rainy River Valley: List connecting to various local food initiatives throughout the province.
Buy Algoma. Buy Fresh: The Buy Algoma. Buy Fresh mission is “to enhance economic opportunities for agriculture in Algoma by facilitating linkages between producers and consumers through promotion, education, and co-operation.”
Nipissing and Area Food Roundtable is a collaborative of a community stakeholders and food champions working towards a healthy, sustainable food system for the Nipissing area. One initiative they’ve created is a local food map which shows sources of local foods including producers, markets and restaurants / caterers that feature local foods.
West Nipissing Sudbury East Federation of Agriculture’s website has a Local Food Map that shows Farms from Burk’s Falls to Sudbury and Parry Sound to River Valley.
South Western Ontario
Buy Local Buy Fresh, Chatham-Kent: Map of local food initiatives in Chatham-Kent.
Elgin County Eat Fresh, Buy Local: The “Buy Local! Buy Fresh! Elgin County” brochure provides visitors and residents with a guide to eating fresh from the wide selection of Elgin County farms, which are great places to buy produce, meats, wine, honey and maple syrup. The flourishing agri-tourism business includes local wineries, organic and herb farms, as well as pick-your-own operations.
Essex County Buy Local: The Buy Local brochure gives consumers a way to find local fruits, vegetables, meat and more.
Greenbeltfresh: GreenbeltFresh.ca is funded by and managed by the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation, and is an exciting example of the Foundation’s efforts to support and enhance the agricultural sector by opening up new markets and increasing connections between buyers and sellers.
Harvest of Haldimand: the “Harvests of Haldimand Map” is a guide to local food, culinary and farm experiences in Haldimand County.
Perth County’s Farm Gate Map showcases a variety of farm gate stores, self-serve stands, and seasonal pick-your-own experiences.
Tastes of Huron: Connect with Huron County producers with this county Farmers’ Market Schedule and searchable directory of farmers and vendors hosted on the Ontario’s West Coast website, where you can also find the Huron Harvest Trail.
Locally Lambton: Locally Lambton is a collaboration between the Lambton Federation of Agriculture and the many hidden “gems” throughout Lambton County. It was created to highlight some of Lambton’s rural based tourism attractions, giving people a chance to experience the country atmosphere they couldn’t find anywhere else.
Middlesex London Local Food Guide: The food guide, developed by the Middlesex Federation of Agriculture in conjunction with many community partners and contributors, maps where you can go to buy locally produced food direct from local farms and farm markets.
Oxford Fresh: Oxford Fresh is a group of chefs, growers and processors in Oxford County passionate about cuisine based on food full of unique, Oxford flavour. Check out Oxford’s Cheese Trail and ‘Oxfordlicious’: a month-long local food celebration.
Bountiful Brant: Bountiful Brant is an initiative of the Brant County Federation of Agriculture. They published a Brant County Buy Local! Buy Fresh! map in April 2009 and added a new on-line directory of Brant County farms in 2010.
Foodlink Waterloo Region: Foodlink Waterloo Region is a non-profit organization that promotes local food, supports and connects farms and food businesses, provides local food education and outreach in our community, and engages decision makers in putting local food policy on the community’s agenda.
Local Food Manitoulin: Driving the local food movement forward by supporting wholistic approaches to sourcing locally harvested food in sustainable, community-fueled methods.
Taste Real Guelph Wellington Local Food: A County of Wellington initiative that supports local small businesses and farms to build stronger rural communities and grow one of the most vibrant, local food economies and food tourism destinations in Ontario.
Savour Stratford: We have been cultivating a local culinary heritage and pleasing palates since 1832. It begins with the quality and freshness of our organic produce, our artisanal breads and cheeses, pasture fed organic beef, Amish-raised goat milk and heritage pork – all originating from surrounding Perth County.