Fresh Facts Aprii 2013

7/28/2019 Fresh Facts Aprii 2013

1/8

Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association

Newsletter #287April 2013

Volume 28, Number 4

Fresh Facts

Inside this issue:

Membership News 2

Regulatory Require-

ments for Food of

Plant Origin

3

A-Maz-ing Results 4

What we learned

from our barn fire6

Upcoming Events

and Reminders8

Providing knowledge and leadership to grow the farm fresh experience.

Presidents Message

What a difference a year makes!Last year at this time the sap had stopped running, the snow was gone, the fields weredry, and the apple blossoms were out in many areas. This year in Eastern Ontario, westill have a couple of feet of snow on the ground and the lakes and rivers are still frozen.

The maple syrup producers are having a nice long season, and the apple growers arevery optimistic with trees loaded with buds and the forecast of ideal spring weather.

Many of our OFFMA members had a tough year last year but they were able to make it

through by having diversified operations and using many of the ideas gathered from bustrips, seminars and networking at OFFMA functions. It was through connections madeat OFFMA events that brought these farmers together. We are so fortunate to be part ofsuch a supportive and caring organization that helps each other.

Yours in farm marketing,

Brian HugliOFFMA President

During our research for the Risk Management Work-shops, we came across a very informative, very rele-

vant website.

Safeagritourism.com

The website was created by the National Childrens Center for Rural and Agri-

cultural Health and Safety (NCCRAHS). The Center was established in 1997

with support from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to

provide a wide range of services related to children and adolescents living in

rural areas and working in agricultural environments.

It is a comprehensive website containing a variety of walkthroughs, based on

type of operation, to help owners identify health and safety hazards and provide

resources that can be used to help fix these hazards. Its a great tool that can

be used to help keep children safe when they visit farms. There are many

checklists and guidelines for all types of operations.

The resources are available for your use, free of charge. Simply download them

and use them on your farm. Dont forget to bookmark the page it will come in

handy.often.


2/8

MEMBERSHIP NEWS

Page 2 Fresh Facts

ClassifiedsThe Classifieds are for members who are selling a

product or are looking for something specific. There

is no charge for a member to list a classified ad.

Just send your ad to the OFFMA office for inclusion

in the next newsletter.

OFFMA Office ClosedApril 8 to April 17Cathy and Gary will be in California scouting theNovember bus tour. Stay tuned for the highlights.

On March 28, Watson Farms an-nounced the safe arrival of KentWatson. Pictured here, he is already

in his farm clothes. They start themyoung at Watson Farms. Congratula-tion to the whole family.

Congratulations to Dana and Adam Thatcherfor being awarded Ontarios Outstanding Young

Farmer Award. The Thatchers were named winners

from 38 nominees after preparing a detailed appli-

cation form and making presentations about their

business.

Thatcher Farms is located in Rockwood where they

raise beef, pork and lamb. Their products are soldthrough their on-farm butcher shoppe and bakery.

Check out their website at Thatcher-farms.com


3/8

Page 3Newsletter #287

Understanding Ontarios Regulatory

Requirements for Foods of PlantOriginOntario Regulation 119/11 Produce,Honey and Maple Products under theFood Safety and Quality Act, 2001 ap-plies to: Produce grown or harvested for

commercial purposes :-Fruit and vegetable (fresh)-Sprouts-Culinary herbs (fresh)-Nuts and peanuts (in-shell)

-Edible fungi (mushrooms whole)

Honey and comb honey Maple Products Packing. transporting, advertis-

ing, selling or offering for sale

Information about regulations regard-ing foods of plant origin, including Fre-quently Asked Questions can be foundat www.ontario.ca/producesafety

Toolkit for Selling, Packing and La-belling Ontario Grown ProduceWhether produce is offered for sale ata retail store, farmer's market, roadside stand or on-farm market, as theseller, you are legally required to havea retail display sign. Any produce that

can be commercially grown or har-

vested in Canada, regardless of itsorigin, must comply with the retail dis-play sign requirements of O. Reg.119/11. The sign must give your cus-tomers accurate information about theproduce you are selling.

This toolkit has been designed to as-sist in making retail display signs forproduce that is grown and marketedin Ontario. Different labelling and re-tail display sign requirements apply to

produce that is grown in other prov-inces or outside Canada. The follow-ing templates should only be used tomake retail display signs for producegrown in Ontario.

These easy to use downloadable tem-plates: Fruit Retail Display Sign Potato Retail Display Sign Vegetable Retail Display Sign

are available athttp://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/food/inspection/fruitveg/retailsign.htmandwill assist you in making a retail dis-play sign for the most commonlygrown and marketed produce in On-tario.

Understanding Ontarios Regulatory Requirements for Foodsof Plant OriginBy Carl Fletcher, Strategic Planning Program Lead, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture andfood and Ministry of Rural Affairs

Some other OMAF Factsheets you may want to review and have on hand.

What You Should Know About Ticketable Offences Infosheet October2013 (Ticketable offences under the produce, honey and maple products

regulation) Improving on-farm food safety through good irrigation practices Fact-

sheet Agdex200/05 Managing risk in farms open to the public Factsheet Agdex 838 Developing an Agri-tourism operation in Ontario Factsheet Agdex 842 Reducing the risk of fire on your farm publication 837

Order online at www.serviceontario.ca/publications or call the ServiceOntario

Contact Centre at 1-800-668-9938


4/8

Page 4 Fresh Facts

A-Maz-ing Resultsby Amy Strom, Stroms Farm In Guelph, Ontario

Thirteen years ago our family movedto Guelph, Ontario to help with thegrowing work load of Stroms Farm.

Having not grown up on a farm my-self, I quickly realized how muchplanning, planting and patience arerequired to achieve growth. StromsFarm started in 1978 with sweet cornand then in 1995 J ay and MargStrom decided to extend their seasonby adding pumpkins. When we ar-rived in 2000 we heard a lot of cus-tomers during pumpkin season ask-ing for more things to do (like pick-

ing the perfect pumpkin isnt enough).So we started researching fall activi-ties and decided to try our first cornmaze in 2002. If you are looking toadd a corn maze here are a fewthings to consider:

Design Consul tant vs. Do ItYourselfWe chose to do it ourselves the firstyear and achieved our goal, so we

have been designing our own mazes

ever since. In the winter Channinguses a grid to draw out our paths andplant in a grid, hoeing out plants to

match which achieves +/- 15 inch ac-curacy. Several OFFMA farms go tothe Maze Master, Hugh McPhersonfor their maze design([email protected]) or contactChanning ([email protected]) formaze designing as well.

ThemeTheming is probably the hardest partso that each year is a new adventure

for your customers. Customers lovefamily traditions and we want to cre-ate new experiences each year witha new maze design and theme. In2005 we partnered with a charity andit went so well we have been doing itever since. In our maze we have 9information/game stations and thecharity supplies us with the content,photos and we work together on themaze challenge. As people enter the

maze they are given a map, penciland instructions forthe game. Whenthey exit we handout aerial postcardsof the maze and aprize (somethingwith the charitiesname on it, candy orbubbles).

Planting/Plotting/HoeingWe plant long sea-son field corn (staysgreen until hard frostand grows over 10feet tall) in two direc-tions, like a grid, ear-ly in J une. After 3weeks we place


5/8

Page 5Newsletter #287

small plastic flags of one colour atevery 20 rows and then begin tomap out the paths with field stripe(baseball chalk) and flags. We thenhoe out the corn in the paths. All inall, our 6 acre corn maze with 4miles of paths involves about 200man-hours before we open it to thepublic. For a tutorial go to Stroms-Farm You Tube page Buildingthe Corn Maze 2011.

SizeOur first maze was 2.5 acres andwe found it a bit small to do de-signs. Second year we increased itto 5 acres and we now prefer 6acres. We find 5 to 6 acres ideal we are able to get several logos in-to the paths and most people spendan average of 20 30 minutes inthe maze. We also have a path tothe bridge that is twice as wide asthe other paths and connected toour entrance/exit for those who areunsure of their directional skills butwould like to experience the maze.

StaffIt is very important to have yourcorn maze staffed, both at the en-trance and inside the paths. Yourmaze host is responsible for wel-coming guests to the maze, ex-plaining the rules/challenge of themaze and for safety (we do not al-low children under 12 in without anadult, check point for lost adults orchildren, keeper of the first aid kit

and fire extinguisher, etc.). Ourmaze walker helps guests once in-side the maze, helps with rowdyguests and the upkeep of the maze.I would recommend 2-way radiosfor both of these positions.

MarketingMarketing doesnt always have to

cost money (yes, I know, nor-mally it costs more than we like).An aerial photo is worth the in-vestment to educate customersthat the map you have giventhem are truly the paths and thepaths do change every year(most customers believe we canleave the corn maze up fromyear to year).Consider some of the companiesyou have worked with in the pastand propose a trade. We puttwo radio stations logos in ourmaze for 8 weeks worth of radioads. Also, if you work with acharity you may be eligible to

receive PSAs (Public ServiceAnnouncements). Get creative,think outside the box and letyour existing customers in on theexcitement.

Heres to an A-Maz-ing Seasonin 2013!


6/8

Fresh FactsPage 6

On November 10, J ohn came in for lunchlike he does most every day on the farm.During the meal, Meghan got up and

looked out the window and commented onthe fog that had settled in. J ohn didnt re-member seeing any fog when he cameinto the house so he went to have a lookas well and was horrified by what he saw.

The barn was on fire! Running out to savewhatever he could, J ohn left Meghan wor-rying about him with their 2 young children(Beau had just been born 5 days ago) inthe house. The fire department came butthe barn burned to the ground and theSnyders learned several lessons that they

would like to share with other Farm Freshmembers.

Meghan presented this information to thegroup gathered in Cambridge for the RiskManagement Workshop. You could haveheard a pin drop during her presentationbecause we all know that accidents hap-pen and we all think accidents wont hap-pen to us. The better approach would beto be as prepared as possible when theaccident does happen.

Call your insurance provider TODAY.There is no farmer who likes to do paper-work but this is critical. Go over the policyin detail so that you understand it.Insist on a site visit. If your insurance com-pany will not come out, it might be time to

look around, we all have unique opera-tions that need to be seen. It is notenough for them to say on the phone that

you are covered, show them exactly whatit is you are doing. Get everything in writ-ing.

Go over your policy IT IS YOUR JOBMeghan cant emphasize enough on im-portant it is to go over your policy with afine tooth comb to make sure everythingis clear, the deductible is right and yourbuildings are valued correctly. Otherwisewhy are you paying for insurance? Asfarm marketers, there are many very busy

times during the year, but taking the timeto review your policy and making sureyour providers know what you are doing isessential.

YOU need to know exactly what willhappen if the UNTHINKABLE happens.Ask many questions. What happens if youlose a money making building/equipmentright before your season or during? Howlong will the recovery process take? Whoin your operation is going to be in charge

of all the red tape and the re-build or pur-chase of equipment? J ust a few things toconsider.

Take pictures o f everything Barns areused for storage. DO you know exactlywhat is in your barn? What will it cost you

to replace something that youhave had for years in 2013? Is apiece of equipment still availa-ble? Will it take time to replace?What will you do in the mean-

time?Building value vs. re-build costs Know the difference and how itapplies to your business.

Make sure everyone knowswhat you are doing TheSnyders were lucky, they haddone their due diligence with thehaunted barn. They had an engi-

What we learned from our barn fireBy Cathy Bartolic with information provided by Meghan Snyder


7/8

Newsletter #287 Page 7

neer sign off on it in 2008. It had ar-mour cable wiring, emergency exits, firealarms, fire extinguishers, fire retardantsprayed on the various scenes etc. Thetownship and insurance company knew

what their barn was and what they wereusing it for.

Make a date an-nually A loss isdevastating to yourfamily and busi-ness, you need togo over your insur-ance policy annu-ally and add orsubtract things.Maybe you havebuildings overval-ued or underval-ued. Think abouthow you use themand their im-portance to your

operation. If you dont have every-thing in order, it could be the end ofyour business as you know it.

Accidents do happen. Make sure you

and your family are prepared.


8/8

Upcoming Events for 2013July 15-18 Project Seasons for Young Learners: Cultivating Joy & Wonder, Shelburne

Farms, Shelburne, Vermont, Contact Linda Wellins, 802-985-0308

Aug. 7 & 8 OFFMAs Simcoe County Bus tour.stay tuned for additional informationNov. 11-15 OFFMAs Bus tour to California...save the date, additional info to follow.

Page 8 Fresh Facts

Ontario Farm Fresh

Cathy Bartolic, Executive Director

2002 Vandorf Rd. Aurora, ON L4G 7B9

Phone: 905-841-9278

Fax: 905-726-3369

E-mail: [email protected]

www.ontariofarmfresh.com

2013-14 OFFMA Board of DirectorsBrian Hugli, President

Huglis Blueberry Ranch

Leslie Forsythe, Vice President

Forsythe Family Farms

Jesse Lauzon, Past President

Springridge Farm

Hollis English, Murphys FarmsteadCara Epp, Associate Member

Edana Integrated Marketing

Nicole Judge, Spirit Tree Estate Cidery

Steve Martin, Martins Family Fruit Farm

Colleen Pingle, Pingles Farm Market

Steve Smith, Smiths Apples

Dana Thatcher, Thatcher Farms

Carl Fletcher, OMAF and MRA Advisor to

the Board

JOLLEYS FARM TOYSRR #3 MEAFORD

ONTARIO N4L 0A7

519-538-3000

We wholesale farm toys and farm memorabilia.

Everything from

inexpensive childrens toys to collector items.

Product is stocked in and shipped from Meaford

via Canpar, daily.

Call for price lists and catalogues.

REMINDERS

Free Brochure Distribution

OFFMA will have a table set up at the Nathan Phillips Square Farmers

market at Toronto City Hall to distribute your brochures. If you are inter-

ested in this opportunity, please send 150 brochures to the OFFMA of-

fice. There is no charge for this opportunity.

Product Order Forms

Your product order forms were due at the end of March. Product cata-logues were included with the March newsletter but can also be viewed

on the OFFMA website at OntarioFarmFresh.com. The office does not

carry a full inventory of the products throughout the year so if you are

interested in something please send in your order form ASAP.

OFFMA website

We are actively promoting this website to consumers as a gateway to finding a farm in

their area. Make sure your information on the OFFMA website is correct. Send updates

to the OFFMA office.

Fresh Facts Aprii 2013

Documents

Transcript of Fresh Facts Aprii 2013