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Local not-for-profit lands grant funding for agricultural programs

January 14, 2021   ·   0 Comments

By Sam Odrowski

Headwaters Communities in Action is receiving a much needed boost in funding from the provincial government for its Food and Farming Alliance program.

Over $75,000 in Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) funding is being distributed to help with the program’s contactless local food box delivery, virtual and outdoor education programs centered around agriculture, and researching new ways to fundraise during the pandemic.

“The funding is going to be used to allow us to rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19 and continue our programming. It might look a little different, but that way we can still continue,” said Allison Whitten, Headwaters Food and Farming Alliance’s (HFFA) Farm to School program coordinator.

Over the past year, HFFA has continued its Local Food Club program, which initially sent meal kit boxes featuring local food from the Headwaters region home with students, but has now expanded so it’s available to anyone.

The program converted to offering pickup locations in 2020 and the grant is now enabling them to add home delivery for the local meal kit boxes.

The impact of COVID-19 on supply chains has really put local food under the spotlight, with more people trying to access things locally, said Whitten.

“With COVID-19, there was a shift in how people were eating. People were appreciating local, they were loving local, they felt safe, and it was available,” she explained.

“So that is actually one positive that’s come out of this is there has been a shift in appreciation for local food.”

Every time a crisis comes up, “all roads lead to local food,” says Jennifer Payne, who’s the executive director of Headwaters Communities in Action, which is the parent organization of HFFA.

In terms of benefits, there are countless when looking at local food, but ones that stick out are the fantastic taste, reduced environmental impact, and supporting the local economy, Payne noted.

When HFFA was first formed, its priority was to provide education to students to boost their knowledge about the entire food system.

“We have to get it into the minds of students and on the plates of students, that healthy local food is important not only for physical health, mental health and well being, but also for connection to community, for culture and celebration,” said Payne.

“Growing local food too, with kids, it just helps them build a good relationship with food. They see it, they see where it grows, they feel it in their hands, and it… really does foster a healthy relationship with nutritious food for them.”

Through the program it’s also hoped that they can inspire students to pursue a career related to agriculture, Payne noted.

“Hopefully we can inspire some future farmers, that’s why education is one of our early focuses and it’s been an amazing response that we received from not only teachers and parents who agree with the priority, but students, they love local foods,” she enthused.

“One of the biggest surprises we’ve been able to share with the public is that it’s a misconception that kids won’t eat vegetables, or don’t want to eat healthy. If you just give them the opportunity, and put the food in front of them, they will devour it.”

Looking ahead, the HFFA’s goal is to see Farm to School activity in all 50 of the Headwater regions schools by 2025. Currently, the program is offered in roughly 15 schools.

COVID-19 has been a major roadblock for running the Farm to School program in-person, and Whitten says she’s really looking forward to getting back into the classrooms once the COVID-19 pandemic subsides.

Meanwhile, the over $75,0000 in OTF funding will also help HFFA develop new methods of fundraising, since the COVID-19 pandemic has put a stop to all of their usual events, such as its seasonal dinner series, which featured food from local farmers.

“That’ll help us significantly in reevaluating our fundraising strategy for the program,” Whitten noted. “It gives us the space to do some research and consult with some professionals and form a new plan.”

A local farmer is seen teaching students at a Headwaters School prior to the COVID-19 pandemic during an Ag Ed day.

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