Foundation Facts
- Contributing $2.65 million to Greenbelt farmers to improve their operations (leveraging millions of dollars from federal sources), and to employ the opportunities of the Green Energy Act
- Building a local food economy from developing new markets to enhancing distribution channels
- Creating Greenbeltfresh.ca, the leading electronic marketplace to source local, Greenbelt foods from over 600 producers
- Funding the Holland Marsh Growers’ transition from an export, commodity focus to one that serves the local market with value- added products
- Securing local food procurement commitments for Peel schools, City of Toronto, City of Markham and others
- Supporting the creation of new multi-cultural crops and development of ethnic local food guides in Toronto and York Region
- Funding visionary planning processes such as the new Cootes to Escarpment Park Management Plan, and a massive reforestation plan in Rouge Park
- Assisting in designing new policies to protect Lake Simcoe through timely research
- Supporting the Credit Valley Conservation Authority to protect and restore wetlands
- Reaching over 75 million by placing 220 permanent highway and regional road signs to ensure Ontarians and visitors know about this valuable protected area
- Enhancing Farmers’ Markets, increasing sales for farmers in the Greenbelt and beyond
- Supporting development of action plans for a variety of agricultural areas and commodities
- Hosting the successful Tour de Greenbelt to promote Ontario’s Greenbelt as a tourism destination
- Supporting tourism initiatives including in the Niagara and Caledon areas
- Identifying barriers to opening markets for Greenbelt farmers and proposing solutions
- Participating strategically in growing the Greenbelt by working with Toronto, Peel, Halton, and Guelph
- Supporting the Ontario Greenbelt Alliance to foster strong Greenbelt Plan implementation at the municipal level
- Funding research and analysis on greenbelts around the globe which concluded that Ontario’s Greenbelt is the most robust in the world, with a strong legal and policy framework
- Hosted the first ever Global Greenbelts Conference in Toronto in March 2011 with speakers and delegates from over nine countries
- Convincing Peel school boards to buy Greenbelt food for students
- Supporting the creation of an award-winning Greenbelt granola bar
- Increasing amount of Greenbelt food in food share program 140%
- Engaged Hamilton schools to switch to Greenbelt food for their students
- Contributing to greater sales of Greenbelt wines at the LCBO
- Developing a successful culinary tourism platform for Niagara
- Supporting changing the City of Toronto policy to adopt a local food purchasing bylaw for city facilities
- Providing grants and support to significantly increase sales at farmers’ markets
- Bridging farming and hiking interests to acknowledge environmental progress by farmers
- Funding policy changes to encourage more local food to be sold in Durham
- Supporting food policy council in Durham to create food charter
- Successfully merging social welfare initiatives with environmental concerns
- Creating a network of Farmer’s Markets to help improve our local food economy
- Supporting interested Greenbelt Farmers to Go Organic
- Bringing thousands of Ontarians out into the Greenbelt each year through grantee activities and the Annual Tour de Greenbelt cycling event
- Partnering with Harbourfront Centre to tell the story of Ontario’s Greenbelt to 12 million people via a year-long, outdoor photography exhibit
- Engaging with over 170 million Ontarians directly through our marketing, events and communications activities
- Securing local food procurement commitments for Peel, U of T. City of Toronto Facilities and Markham
- Supporting the development of multi-cultural crops and training new Canadian Farmers
