Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association

Newsletter #304 April/May 2015 Volume 31, Number 3

Fresh Facts

Inside this issue:

Membership News 2 Local Food Week 4

Flexible Benches and Tables

5

Member ProfileKristin Ego Mac-Phail

6

Do you have ani-mals on your farm?

7

Podcasts 8

Presidents Message The generation gap will never disappear, it just changes. When I was young it was mainly about our music and how we dressed. Now we have the baby boomers, gen - Xers and the millennials, all with different takes on the world. Our personal world is so much more global than our parents ever was and communication has changed. Some have embraced social media with a passion and we have some very engaged and talented OFFMA members. I thought I could pass on this social media stuff and have my kids do it for me. They seem to be so connected with their phones. Times are changing and my kids are millennials; a good and bad thing. They are our customers of the future; problem is they are disengaging from Facebook. We still need to connect with all ages. I have now taken over the Facebook postings as they no longer want to be bothered with it especially for themselves. Instagram is being used more and more, another tool I need to learn. Jim has finally learned how to get onto the internet and move the mouse around. His motivation more auctions are now online. He is learn-ing the definition of user friendly websites and is becoming quite the critic. There is a fun side to Facebooking as I watch the number of people reached with each posting climb (or not), trying to figure out what grabs the publics attention. On the oth-er hand I dont monitor my other pages of what my friends are posting as I can get sucked into a time warp and emerge hours later. OMG some of you may be thinking; after all those sessions and workshops on social media how can they still be such a novice. I just enjoy talking with others; I believe in face time over phone time, and choosing life over likes. The allure of seeing the totals of number of people reached is fun, numbers that I know I couldnt possibly talk to per-sonally while trying to get our message out. I did get some things right. Ive spent this winter working on updating our website, mak-ing it mobile friendly. Just in time, for I have been told Google is going to penalize sites that aren't mobile friendly by April 21st. You can test your website at https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/ It will be worth doing an update if needed as you really can improve your standing in SEO (search engine optimization). OFFMA now has a member only Facebook group where you can interact with other members, asking questions, posting interesting information etc. It is a closed group so the posting canonly be seen by other OFFMA members. An invitation was sent out to all, have you searched for Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association and requested to join the group. It is another benefit of being in the OFFMA family. Its also a great way to network with fellow members virtually. Im still learning. Looking forward to planting weather. Leslie Forsythe OFFMA President

Providing knowledge and leadership to grow the farm fresh experience.

MEMBERSHIP NEWS

Page 2 Fresh Facts

Classifieds FOR SALE: Huglis Blueberry Ranch in Pem-broke has its own line of wholesale gourmet blueberry products that in-clude bbq sauce, jam, syrup, hot pepper jelly, pure juice, dressings and salsa. For inquiries, contact Judy at info@blueberryranch.ca *This product can also be found in the Members Marketplace on the OFFMA website. FOR SALE: Delhaven Orchards Ltd., Blenheim, ON Frozen, pitted sour cherries available for wholesale and retail Call 519-676-4475 or e-mail delhaven@ciaccess.com WANTED: Bulk Frozen Berries Looking for a good supply of frozen Ontario raspberries, blueberries and blackberries. Contact Heather Fra-ser, heather@harvestgoodies.com, 905-783-7383 WANTED: Cardboard Bins Looking to purchase used/new card-board bins. Call Sharon at 519-647-2415 or cell 905-379-6769, shearlea.acres@sympatico.ca WANTED: On-Farm Marketers who like to write. FreshFacts is always looking for OFFMA members who want to share their experiences with other on-farm marketers. Contact the of-fice if you have a story to share, want to review a marketing book, or just want to vent about one of your challenges. This newsletter may be the forum for you. Classifieds are free for members. Send your information to the OFFMA office and it will be included in the next news-letter.

New Memberswelcome to the OFFMA Family. You are in great company. Take advantage of all the knowledge of this groupcome out and network. You wont regret it! Melanie Holmes MeadowSweet Farm, Gormley, ON 416-574-6234 www.meadowsweetfarm.ca MeadowSweet Farm is a certified organic 65 acre farm that grows babyleaf salad greens, heirloom veggies (tomatoes, beans, beets, kale, zucchini, cucumbers and more), grass fed beef, heritage breed pork, chicken eggs, hops & honey. Their products are available at their farm stand and at several arti-san grocers. They also operate a CSA program. George & Eva Joao The Farm-acy, Millgrove, ON 905-689-5466 www.thefarm-acy.com Their fruits and vegetables are farm grown, fresh tasting and chemical free. In their market stand, you will find asparagus, strawberries, peas, corn, garlic, tomatoes, onions, peppers, potatoes, raspberries, lettuce and pumpkins, along with flowers, jams and more. Associate Member Origin Imports David Kitchen, Oakville, ON 905-337-2442 www.originimports.com Origin Imports sources unique, one of a kind prod-ucts from smaller artisan producers across Canada, United States and around the world. They have grown to become one of the most dynamic and inno-vative specialty food suppliers in the Ontario market. They focus on healthier food options in snack food, grocery, and food service categories.

The OFFMA Office will be closed from April 20 to May 5. Cathy and Gary will be scout-

ing for the November Bus Tour in British Columbia and taking

a few holiday days. Phone messages and emails

will be responded to as soon as they get back into the office.

Page 3 Newsletter #304

Congratulations To Janis and Mark Harris, Harris Flower Farm, on the birth of their daughter, Megan Isabelle June. Born on March 24, 10lb, 21.25 in. A little sister for Cameron & Nathan and granddaughter for Cathy McGregor-Smith & Gary Smith. To Brenda Daniel, From the Meadow, whose daughter gave birth to her first child, a son, on March 30, 2015. Brenda is look-ing forward to having a another red head to help out on the farm.

A note from Browns Berry Patch Browns Berry Patch is located in New York State. They have been OFFMA members for several dec-ades and many of you may remember meeting them at various workshops and tours. When we did not get their membership dues this year, we sent them a note and here is their response You could not have served us any better. Your news-letter & organization are both great! We are not going to be opening our market this year as farmers Brown is retiring after 30 years of fruit, fun and memories. We will miss your newsletter & the many friends we have made. Bob & Deborah Brown rrb2@brownsberrypatch.com We wish them all the best in this new chapter of their lives.

Never get so busy making a living, that you forget to make a life.

Page 4 Fresh Facts

As an OFFMA member, you under-stand the importance of local food. The Ontario government is also com-mitted to supporting the good things grown, harvested and made right here in our province. In 2013, as part of a broader strategy, the Ontario govern-ment created the Local Food Act to help foster successful and resilient local food economies and systems, increase awareness of local food and beverages, and help develop new markets for them. As part of the Act, a number of initiatives Local Food Week, the Food Donation Tax Credit for Farmers, new food literacy goals have been established to strengthen our local food culture and, in turn, our province. Ontarios second annual Local Food Week is June 1-7 and is a great op-portunity to not only celebrate the good work that you do, but to help the public learn more about where their food comes from and the benefits of buying and eating local. What better way to deliver these important mes-sages than through conversations with consumers at your on-farm mar-ket, agri-tourism attraction or farmers market stall? During last years celebrations, many OFFMA members used creative ways to mark the occasion. Fraberts Fresh Food in Fergus featured different local food products each day and hosted a local food festival with farmers, suppli-ers, and food samples. VG Meats of Stoney Creek committed to donating one pound of ground beef for every

pound sold in its stores on the Saturday of Local Food Week. Online, a Twitter Party, led by Farm and Food Care On-tario generated 16.7 million estimated impressions from 6,489 mentions of the #loveONTfood hash tag during a 24 hour period. How can you participate in Local Food Week?

Visit www.loveONTfood.ca to download a logo, graphics and a tip sheet on how to promote Local Food Week.

Include #loveONTfood in all your social media postings.

Share your event plans with www.loveONTfood.ca for the Lo-cal Food Week Events Calendar.

Plan a special on-farm event, bar-becue or dinner.

Offer an in-store promotion or have a customer contest.

Check Foodland Ontarios Twitter page in May for Twitter Party reg-istration details,

However you choose to celebrate, be sure to spread the word when speaking with customers, local media, and other food-related businesses in your com-munity. We look forward to celebrating Local Food Week with you from June 1st to 7th!

Lets Celebrate Local Food Week June 1st to 7th By Jessica Kelly, Direct Market Lead, OMAFRA

Page 5 Newsletter #304

An Idea to ShareFlexible Benches and Tables Submitted by Carl Fletcher, Direct Marketing Enthusiast. Like the look and style of wooden picnic tables but find storing the tables cum-bersome? Alldredge Orchards, www.alldredgeorchards.com, of Platte City Mis-souri have found a solution - benches that can be assembled to form tables as well. All of the benches can be used as seats. To form a table, two of the benches are placed side by side, lifted up and the bottoms of the bench legs are inserted into a slot in a stand that is placed at each end of the table. A simple wooden cross-piece on the inside of the bench leg prevents the bench leg from sliding down creating the appropriate height for the table. The benches used as seats are free

standing from the tables. The benches are built with col-lapsible legs and with sides that create enough depth to allow the end legs to be folded in and be stacked in a sturdy and com-

pact way as shown in the picture. I believe that these benches were custom made by local craftsmen. Flexible seating and dining with compact stor-age options and solid craftsmanship an idea worth sharing with OFFMA members!

Ontario Bee Association OFFMA is partnering with OBA to recruit beekeepers who are sell-ing honey directly to the consumer to become OFFMA members and to let OFFMA members know about the products that OBA has available. If you are selling Ontario honey at your on-farm market and want some promotional material, have a look at OntarioBee.com. Simply let them know you are an OFFMA member when you are ordering. The OBA website has aprons, gatepost signs and brochures and pamphlets to purchase. Educational resources are also available to help with your school tours or as a handout for your customers.

Fresh Facts Page 6

Member ProfileKristin Ego MacPhail

Last fall, one of the stops on the On-tario Farm Fresh Simcoe County/Muskoka Bus Tour was Egos Gar-den Centre & Farm Market. Owner Kristin Ego McPhail made a presen-tation to the tour group impressing us all with her enthusiasm, vitality, and vision for her garden centre/farm market business. Now, its time to

share her experiences with the rest of the members of Ontario Farm Fresh. Kristin grew up in the farm market and nursery business that her parents Laury and Lorraine started in the mid -1970s on their farm on Horseshoe Valley Road near Coldwater. She was transplanting seedlings in the spring, selling fresh strawberries at the farmers markets in the summer and helping with the fall harvest of corn and pumpkins. Through the 1980s and 1990s, the business gradually grew to include more greenhouse growing area and an ex-panded farm market. After completing her BSc in agriculture in 1998, Kristin came back to the busi-ness. Shortly thereafter, the original small greenhouse was replaced by 18,000 square feet of greenhouse plant production and over 20,000 square feet of growing area. Another evolution of Egos Farm Market and Greenhouses took a major step in

the fall of 2006, when Kristin and her husband, Gary MacPhail, pur-chased the nursery busi-ness from her parents. From this moment on, Kristin and her husband have been expanding and improving upon the business. Working 60 to 100 hours a week and now employing 12 staff, theyve built upon the greenhouse and nursery operations as well as the farm market, pick-your-own strawberries and

raspberries and roughly 160 aces of field crops, hay, sweet corn and other vegetables. In addition, the farm shop also features quality linens, seasonal home decorations and hort couture. Just recently, Egos began offering cus-tom wreaths as well as decorative ever-green containers during the Christmas season. Kristins role on the farm is managing the greenhouse production, all the HR and all the marketing and communica-tions for all parts of the business. In the area of HR, she tries to hire people who have knowledge about plants and good people skills. Because farming is sea-sonal, she likes to hire young retirees and students. In the area of social me-dia she uses an e-newsletter very effec-tively, driving everything back to their web site. Egos Garden Centre & Farm Market has a business plan that embraces di-versification and sustainability while supporting themselves and their family as well as contributing to the communi-ty. Kristin loves the dynamics of farming, as she sees lots of opportunities to try new things with which to challenge her-self. Following in her father Laurys footsteps (OFFMA Director of the Board 1985-87), Kristin Ego MacPhail has also recently been elected to the Board of Directors for Ontario Farm Fresh.

Kristin Ego MacPhail

Linen and tablecloth display Display of decorative urn inserts

Newsletter #304 Page 7

Do you have animals on your farm? The OFFMA Office received a note from a member about a month ago concerning visits from the OSPCA. He only has 7 goats, a llama, 2 calves and 60 laying hens and he was categorized as a zoo because he invited the public onto his property in the summer and fall. This was a good re-minder to review the Ontario SPCA Act. The following information was taken from the Food and Farm Care website, it is easier to understand but you may want to have a look at the actual Act as well if you have an-imals on your farm, Here is the link to the information highlighted as well as more detailed information. http://www.farmfoodcare.org/images/pdfs/OSPCAFAQ.pdf Entry and Enforcement Powers of the Ontario SPCA (as provided for under the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act or Ontario SPCA Act, RSO 1990, revised 2008 and in force as of March 1, 2009) Protecting animals since 1873, the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Ontario SPCA) is a non-profit charitable organization with a province-wide network of 50 plus community SPCAs and Humane Societies. The Ontario SPCA's mission is to facilitate and provide for province-wide leadership on matters relating to the prevention of cruelty to animals and the promotion of animal welfare. The Ontario SPCA is one of the largest animal welfare organizations in the country, providing care and shelter for tens of thousands of animals every year. Visit www.ontariospca.ca to learn more. Here are the headings to some answers to commonly asked questions about the Ontario SPCA regarding entry and enforcement. Changes to the Ontario SPCA Act were passed by the Ontario Legislature in Novem-ber 2008 and the new law came into force March 1, 2009. AUTHORITY TO ENTER PROPERTY ORDERS THE ANIMAL CARE REVIEW BOARD (ACRB) PROVISION OF FOOD, CARE OR TREATMENT REMOVALS DESTRUCTION OF AN ANIMAL COSTS INCURRED CHARGES STANDARDS OF CARE EXCEPTIONS FOR AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES INVESTIGATORS IDENTIFICATION BIOSECURITY OTHER AUTHORITIESAUTHORITY TO ENTER PROPERTY You may also want to review the act itself at http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_90o36_e.htm

Page 8 Fresh Facts

Ontario Farm Fresh Cathy Bartolic, Executive Director 2002 Vandorf Rd. Aurora, ON L4G 7B9 Phone: 905-841-9278 E-mail: info@ontariofarmfresh.com www.ontariofarmfresh.com

2015-16 OFFMA Board of Directors Leslie Forsythe, President Forsythe Family Farms Nicole Judge, Vice President Spirit Tree Estate Cidery Brian Hugli, Past President Huglis Blueberry Ranch Kristin Ego MacPhail, Ego Nurseries Ltd. Hollis English, Murphys Farm Market & Bakery Cara Epp, Associate Member Edana Integrated Marketing Steve Martin, Martins Family Fruit Farm Dana Thatcher, Thatcher Farms Karen Whitty, Whitty Farms Jessica Kelly, OMAFRA Advisor

Upcoming Events November 2015 Bus Tour to British Columbia Stay Tuned for various Farm to Fork and Webinar offerings There are still a few spots left for Leslie Groves to come to your market and help you with retail merchandising. Dont miss out on this great opportunity.

NEW podcasts Four new podcasts have been added to the Member Section of the OFFMA website. You can download these presentations and listen to them while you are in the tractor or off doing a supply pick up into town. You will also find 7 podcasts that were posted last year on eve-rything from Farm Birthday Parties to Tips on Hiring and Retaining Employees. Point of Sale Podcast Larry Wolfe, Armagh School Tour Podcast Leslie Forsythe, Forsythes Family Farm Succession Planning Resources and personal story, Dyann Birtch Trends in Food Tourism John Stanley, John Stanley Associates