Farm View Online Provides an In-Depth Look at Visioning Day
Many thanks to Farm View, and reporter Don Beaulieu, for the well-written and visually stunning coverage of the Simcoe County Food and Agriculture--Visioning Day event. This article is a must-read for all of the county residents who have participated in the process so far, and for those who would like to learn more.
Click here to read: Farm View Reports on Visioning Day
To check out other articles in Farm View, visit www.farmviewonline.com
Food and Agriculture Charter Survey
The Food and Agriculture Charter Survey was made available both online and in print, and ran from January 4, 2012 until March 8, 2012. The objective of the survey was to gauge public awareness of the Food and Agriculture Charter, and gather public opinion regarding food production and procurement priorities. The results of the survey are now available for review.
Click here to read the full report --> Survey Results
The Results Are In:
Visioning Day Focus Group Summary Reports are Now Available
The Food and Agriculture Charter is pleased to present the Visioning Day Focus Group Summary Report. This document is a summarization the input received from county residents, as gathered through the online survey and Visioning Day event.
Click here to read the full report-->Visioning Day Focus Group Summary Report
Visioning Day a Great Success
On February 21, residents from across Simcoe County gathered at Lakehead University in Orillia, to bring their ideas to the table for the development of a Food and Agriculture Charter.
Visioning Day participants were welcomed to the campus by Dr. Doug West, Associate Professor of Political Science at Lakehead University, and the assembly commenced with a welcome from Simcoe County Warden, Cal Patterson.
A keynote presentation by special-guest speaker Neil Currie, General Manager of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and Co-Chair of the National Food Strategy project, in collaboration with the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, got the crowd thinking about the challenges our food system will face in the coming years, as a result of a growing global population, and climate change.
The morning featured four of the eight focus groups, which addressed the topics of: Healthy Eating; Food and Economic Development; Farming, Resilience and the Environment; and Food, Access and Hunger. After which, the crowd broke for a locally-source lunch, skillfully prepared by the Madison County Food and Beverage Co. The afternoon reconvened with the remaining four focus group topics, which included: Education and Employment Food and Culture; Farmland Protection; and Food and Skills Development, as well as a summary of the information gathered.
Basil Clarke, Co-Chair Simcoe County Food and Agriculture Steering Committee, County Councillor, and Deputy Mayor of Ramara Township, thanked the crowd and spoke of the next steps, which included:
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Circulating written summaries of both the Food and Agriculture Charter Survey, and the Visioning Day Focus Group Reports.
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Evaluating outreach to determine if further community input is needed before proceeding with development of first draft.
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Developing a first draft of the Simcoe County Food and Agriculture Charter, based on all input received.
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Engaging the community, and circulating the completed first draft of the Charter for evaluation.
If you have not yet had an opportunity to share your thoughts, there is still time, as the first-draft of the Charter will undergo a rigorous public consultation process. To stay up-to-date, be sure to check www.fpa.simcoe.ca regularly.
Food Matters - Growing our Strengths
Do you care about the future of our food? About farmland and farmers? The impact of poor food choices on our health? Food related issues like hunger? If so, we want to hear from you!
The County of Simcoe is working closely with a growing list of community partners in creating a Simcoe County Food and Agriculture Charter and is hosting a Visioning Day on February 21, 2012 to find out what matters most to you when it comes to food and the local food system. The Visioning Day will be held at Lakehead University in Orillia from 8:30a.m to 4:00 p.m. The registration fee is $25.00 which includes locally sourced lunch and refreshments. Please note space is limited.
Please see the links below for the agenda and registration form for the Visioning Day:
Visioning Day Agenda
Visioning Day Registration Form
The information gathered from the Visioning Day along with the survey results will help lay the foundation for the first draft of the Simcoe County Food and Agriculture Charter.
