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AGCare

Agriculture Hits the Trails

Grants Made:

$180,000 - June 5, 2006

With over 100 sites selected for sign postings, the signs encourage visitors to support plant and animal diversity, reduce food miles, protect water quality, provide open space for recreational activities, and help mitigate climate change.

http://www.caringfortheland.com

AGCare provides science and policy research on environmental and agricultural issues in Ontario, and is forming collaborative relationships between the farming and trail communities to increase awareness of agricultural stewardship.

Colourful signage is created and erected throughout trails in the Greenbelt to communicate to hikers about the environmental stewardship activities and best management practices of farmers. Messages about the Greenbelt are incorporated into the text, with an overarching aim of increasing public awareness and recognition of farmers’ contributions to the environment.

Downloads

application/pdf iconlocation_map_credit_valley.pdf
location_map_credit_valley.pdf 67.19 KB
application/pdf iconagcare_final_panels_low_res.pdf
agcare_final_panels_low_res.pdf 2.36 MB
application/pdf iconthe_grower.pdf
the_grower.pdf 136.71 KB
 

The Greenbelt Foundation is

  • Engaging with over 170 million Ontarians directly through our marketing, events and communications activities

  • 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

  • Securing local food procurement commitments for Peel, U of T. City of Toronto Facilities and Markham

  • Enhancing Farmers’ Markets, increasing sales for farmers in the Greenbelt and beyond

  • Successfully merging social welfare initiatives with environmental concerns

  • Funding the Holland Marsh Growers’ transition from an export, commodity focus to one that serves the local market with value- added products

  • Supporting food policy council in Durham to create food charter

  • Providing grants and support to significantly increase sales at farmers’ markets

  • Hosted the first ever Global Greenbelts Conference in Toronto in March 2011 with speakers and delegates from over nine countries

  • 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

  • Funding visionary planning processes such as the new Cootes to Escarpment Park Management Plan, and a massive reforestation plan in Rouge Park

  • Creating Greenbeltfresh.ca, the leading electronic marketplace to source local, Greenbelt foods from over 600 producers

  • Supporting the development of multi-cultural crops and training new Canadian Farmers

  • Engaged Hamilton schools to switch to Greenbelt food for their students

  • Identifying barriers to opening markets for Greenbelt farmers and proposing solutions

  • Supporting the creation of an award-winning Greenbelt granola bar

  • Supporting the creation of new multi-cultural crops and development of ethnic local food guides in Toronto and York Region

  • Funding policy changes to encourage more local food to be sold in Durham

  • Developing a successful culinary tourism platform for Niagara

  • Securing local food procurement commitments for Peel schools, City of Toronto, City of Markham and others

  • Creating a network of Farmer’s Markets to help improve our local food economy

  • Hosting the successful Tour de Greenbelt to promote Ontario’s Greenbelt as a tourism destination

  • Supporting the Ontario Greenbelt Alliance to foster strong Greenbelt Plan implementation at the municipal level

  • Assisting in designing new policies to protect Lake Simcoe through timely research

  • Participating strategically in growing the Greenbelt by working with Toronto, Peel, Halton, and Guelph

  • Supporting the Credit Valley Conservation Authority to protect and restore wetlands

  • Bridging farming and hiking interests to acknowledge environmental progress by farmers

  • Partnering with Harbourfront Centre to tell the story of Ontario’s Greenbelt to 12 million people via a year-long, outdoor photography exhibit

  • Building a local food economy from developing new markets to enhancing distribution channels

  • Supporting changing the City of Toronto policy to adopt a local food purchasing bylaw for city facilities

  • 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

  • Increasing amount of Greenbelt food in food share program 140%

  • Reaching over 75 million by placing 220 permanent highway and regional road signs to ensure Ontarians and visitors know about this valuable protected area

  • Supporting tourism initiatives including in the Niagara and Caledon areas

  • Supporting development of action plans for a variety of agricultural areas and commodities

  • Convincing Peel school boards to buy Greenbelt food for students

  • Contributing to greater sales of Greenbelt wines at the LCBO

 
Learn more about what the Greenbelt Foundation has done for you »

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May marks the beginning of the farmers’ market season. Your weekly market starts up, familiar faces reappear, and your neighbourhood is reenergized after the long winter months. To make sure...

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Greenbelt on Twitter

Dufferin Wellington Peel: total economic impact of Greenbelt ag, forestry, fishing rec & tourism = +$493M http://t.co/dMqj9cnI @TownofErin about 10 hours ago

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