2nd Annual Headwaters Food Summit and Local Trade Fair: Nov. 25th

November 21, 2013 · 0 Comments

The 2nd Annual Headwaters Food Summit and Local Trade Fair presented by the Headwaters Food and Farming Alliance will be held on Monday November 25th at the Royal Ambassador Event Centre in Caledon.

The day-long event will feature keynote speaker Dr. Ralph Martin, Loblaw Research Chair of Sustainable Agriculture at the University of Guelph. Dr. Martin’s keynote “Does it Make Sense to Build a Local Food System in a Globalizing World?” will cover a breadth of information on how local food systems can increase resilience of a community in light of the challenges associated with a global food system.

The event will offer 4 breakout sessions that will bring together experts to address topics such as;

1. Building the Business Case for Local Food Systems with Janet Horner, Executive Director of the Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Alliance

2. Engaging Community: Food Education, Access and Literacy featuring a panel discussion with local experts

3. Policy Challenges for a Local Food System with Jamie Reaume, Chair of the Ontario Food Terminal

4. Local Food Promotion and Culinary Tourism with Executive Director of the Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance, Rebecca LeHeup

The event will be followed by a Local Food Trade Fair featuring food and spirits purveyors from Headwaters including the 100 Acre Bakery and Woolwich Dairy from Dufferin County and Albion Orchards and Spirit Tree Cidery from Caledon. This will be an excellent networking opportunity bringing together producers and purchasers to build new business relationships.

The day will be sponsored in part by Dufferin.biz, Foodland Ontario, Ontario Trillium Foundation, Wellington Dufferin Guelph Public Health Unit and The Hills of Headwaters Tourism Association as well as other local sponsors.

Local food is an important component of the local economy; it brings together food production, distribution and consumption with benefits generated to all parties along the supply chain. Headwaters has strong agricultural roots and farming is still a major economic driver in the region and a valued cultural component of the community. In fact, Headwaters includes some of the best agricultural land in the country. Its close proximity to markets in nearby cities and the second largest North American food processing economy in the Greater Toronto Area makes the land a valued resource both for food and economic development.

The Headwaters Food and Farming Alliance is a collaborative initiative which oversees and supports activities across multiple Working Groups with a vision to support a food system in the Headwaters that is productive, sustainable, transparent, and fair; supports the health and well-being of our residents and food providers; and contributes to the prosperous and equitable economy. The primary objectives of HFFA are to grow a stronger local economy through the development of a local food system that includes residents who have access to healthy food and have the skills needed to support healthy eating, a diverse and sustainable farming system and local leaders who embrace the development of a local food system through development of supportive policies.

For more information on Headwaters Food and Farming Alliance or to register for this event visit www.headwaterscommunities.org