The Northern Ontario Farm Innovation Alliance (NOFIA) and the County of Renfrew are co-hosting the 2021 North & Eastern Ontario Local Food Conference virtually, in partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). The event will be delivered over a series of four free seminars throughout the month of March.
The NOFIA is a non-profit organization that provides a research and innovation infrastructure for agriculture in Northern Ontario by partnering with various groups to research, innovate, and commercialize agricultural products and technologies. The North & Eastern Ontario Local Food Conference event they are hosting will feature diverse perspectives on local food.
The seminars will explore hard-won lessons learned from the pandemic that can help strengthen local food businesses and organizations. This year’s theme is aptly titled “Local Food More Than Ever.” While previously an event exclusive to Eastern Ontario, the conference going virtual this year has created an opportunity to be extended to include Norther Ontario as well, bringing together those in the local food industry to learn and network.
Each seminar will take place on a Wednesday, from 10am to 12pm (EST). The schedule of the seminars is as follows:
March 10th – Local Food More than Ever: Harvesting the Lessons of COVID-19
March 17th – Navigating Agri-Tourism During a Pandemic
March 24th – Surviving and Thriving: The Resilience of Local Food
March 31st – Innovations in the Local Food Frontier: Aquaculture, Aquaponics, Greenhouse Production and Vertical Farming
In addition to the seminars, at noon on the 17th and 31st, there will be virtual participatory chef-led luncheons taking place. Participants will have the opportunity to follow along and create dishes local to Ontario. For full details on each event as well as registration, please follow this link: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/north-eastern-ontario-local-food-conference-registration-139458254393