The Ontario Home Economics Association (OHEA) is proud to show support for the Fresh From the Farm Healthy Fundraising for Ontario Schools. This fundraising initiative provides schools the opportunity to raise funds by selling Ontario fruit and vegetables to the community, while promoting healthy eating and supporting Ontario farmers. Launched in 2013, Fresh From the Farm is entering in its sixth year and 1165 schools have raised over $1.1 million for school initiatives selling 2.7 million pounds of Ontario produce. 

A copy of OHEA's cookbook 'Homegrown' sold for $200 on March 15th at a live charity auction held at the 91st annual Ottawa Valley Farm Show.

The sale raised $15,000 for CHEO's Neonatal Unit in one short hour.

Mary Carver, P.H.Ec. of the OHEA Board presents the buyer Mark Groen of Monsanto Canada with his copy of the book which celebrates foods that we grow, raise or produce in Canada.  
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Bravo to the Ottawa Valley Farm Show, all auction donors and buyers.  Bravo to homegrown Canadian food and the farmers that produce it.

Farm to Cafeteria Canada is pleased to announce that we are partnering with the Whole Kids Foundation, the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Public Health Association of BC, Sustain Ontario, Equiterre, Food First NL, and Quebec En Forme to deliver Farm to School Canada Grants to Schools in 4 provinces – BC, ON, QC, and NL. ​​The grants valued at up to $10,000 are designed to establish or enhance efforts to bring more of the local harvest into schools where it is featured in a salad bar meal service. We want to see more students and school communities engaged in growing, purchasing, harvesting, cooking, serving, learning about, and eating healthy local foods at school.

The 2018 Milk Calendar by Dairy Farmers of Canada is finally here! Get your free copy by clicking HERE. You can order a copy and have it delivered to your door or download the PDF. 

...And make sure the rest of the family does too. Just 15 minutes in nature can cut stress levels.

By: Helen Lammers-Helps, Freelance Writer of www.hlhwriter.com
Article originally posted on www.country-guide.ca

Last week was Local Food Week, and some of our OHEA members had the opportunity to visit local farms and learn about how our food is grown and raised. The tour was hosted by Farm & Food Care Ontario with support from CropLife Canada, Turkey Farmers of Ontario and Greenbelt.

A big thank you to Michele McAdoo, Erin MacGregor & Heather Grebler for sharing their photos and information from the tour.

The morning started at Weber Turkey Farm where the group learned about turkey production in Canada and put on white suits (pictured below) to respect the bio security of the turkey farm. There are 180 turkey producers and 300 farms across the country. Canada produces 170 million kg of turkey meat each year, 80 million kg of that right here in Ontario!

Next they visited Vaughn Agricultural Research Services and learned about the development of new crop protection services (pesticides). After testing is completed on site, and at another site at The University of Guelph, Health Canada has the final approval for new pesticides. Something interesting that the group learned about pesticides - more often people get sick from E. coli on fruits and veggies from natural fertilizers (organic or otherwise) than from trace pesticides, so be sure to always wash your produce but organic doesn't always mean it's safer than non-organic!

​They also enjoyed a local lunch with an awesome centrepiece, pictured below.

Comment and let us know what you did to celebrate Local Food Week!

The Ontario Home Economics Association (OHEA), in partnership with the Ontario Federation of Agriculture’s (OFA) Six by Sixteen food literacy program and AgScape™ (the voice of Agriculture in the Classroom Ontario), are pleased to be hosting a series of hands-on cooking classes for Ontario secondary school students at the upcoming Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, on November 8-9, 2016, at Exhibition Place, Toronto, Ontario, on the Burnbrae Farms Food & Lifestyle Stage.

Basic food preparation skills and the ability to prepare healthful meals from scratch, while also incorporating local ingredients, are fundamental to the health of our youth and our agriculture system.

Sadly today, culinary skills are rarely passed down from previous generations and processed foods and fast foods frequently replace basic, nutritious, home-cooked meals. Teaching Ontario youth to make nutritious food choices incorporating local ingredients, and giving them hands-on kitchen skills to create meals from scratch, prepares them to lead healthy, independent lives.

Cooking classes will feature a hearty and nutritious recipe from OHEA’s latest cookbook Homegrown – Celebrating the Canadian Foods We Grow, Raise and Produce – currently shortlisted for the Taste Canada Awards and edited by award-winning cookbook author and TV personality Mairlyn Smith, P.H.Ec.

OHEA is a self-regulated body of professional Home Economists that promotes high professional standards among its members so that they may assist families and individuals to achieve and maintain a desirable quality of life. OHEA supports all efforts to improve food literacy in Ontario through advocacy, outreach and partnerships.

The Six by Sixteen food literacy program is an initiative by the Ontario Federation of Agriculture to help young people learn to plan and prepare six nutritious, locally sourced meals by the time they are sixteen years old.

AgScape™ is dedicated to enhancing the learning experiences of students by providing high quality, objective and curriculum-linked agriculture and food related learning materials and professional consultative service to Ontario educators.

For further information, please contact: media@ohea.on.ca

Tonight in Ontario is the Harvest Moon – a signal to past generations that the crop was ready.  I thought it was fitting to reflect (pardon the pun) on my recent trip to Manitoba.

Months ago, I was lucky enough to be invited to a Food & Farm trip during harvest time in the prairies.  All expenses paid, yes.  What did they ask of us all participants?  NOTHING.  Yes, I truly mean that.  How they picked us all, I don’t know – the only connection I can figure out was our love of good food!
After settling in to my regular life, I have had a few days to gather my thoughts (and my sleep). I am sure to blog about my specific experiences of a whirlwind 3 days but this summary at least represents the table of contents.

• I had a quick walk (twice) to The Forks for a few hours in Winnipeg, MB.
• I met 9 other amazing “foodies” who ranged from Registered Dietitians, chefs, restaurateurs, a food photographer, a news anchor and a travel & food blogger.
• After a weekend, the titles of these strangers faded away.  The names turned into personalities and the glimpse of everyone’s passion started to come through.
• Visits to vegetable, bison, honey, beef, grain, bean & canola farms were the main staple of our tour.  It definitely kept us busy & active with the full itinerary.
• Throughout the tours and conversations with farmers, it became apparent that everyone had their own interest and investment into food.  The questions and comments helped to clear up misunderstandings as well as provide us with many facts and figures we didn’t know.
• On top of the educational pieces about the agricultural processes and business side of farming, some history was retold.
• The families and farming community were like Pleasantville.  Yes, I was told that they are regular folk too but, coming from a metropolitan city of London, Ontario – it was like walking INTO history and old fashioned values – everyone was so sweet & nice in EVERY conversation plus hospitable, opening their homes to us (literally)!
• Farmers really care about sustainability and being stewards of the earth.
• The food served was out of this world and amazing – ranging from a Pinterest-like party setting in a barn catered by several amazing chefs to my roomie cooking me breakfast (who is an award winning executive chef) and having it ready after my shower (so sweet).
• The farms were stunning pictures that really captured the essence of how much space Canada has and how beautiful every turn, hill top and valley is.
• Everyone has a story to tell – Using media (videographers followed us, social media used by guests & farmers ) with so many Canadian farms out there, can help continue the conversation about our food.
  

My takeaway from a 3 day weekend is that I feel even more passionate for food.  It has sparked new interests, questions and ideas that will last me for years to come.  What I love most is that this experience has now become part of my story and memories.  It will shape my future of food, not just in my career, but personally.  I will share what I’ve learned on my path, because connecting more with our food and health can help us all live a great life. This trip definitely fed my body, but more importantly, my mind and spirit.


The most sincerest Thank You goes out to:

• the Canola Connect team who invited & hosted us,
• the farmers who were welcoming and asked ANY question we had,
• the families that showed up to help to host us at their farms (children & adults alike),
• the other people who toured with me.
  

Sandra Venneri, BSc, P.H.Ec
Healthy Food & Nutrition Consultant
Certified Craving Change (TM) Facilitator

To read Sandra's blog, visit http://nutritionbites88.wordpress.com