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Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority

Greenbelt Farm Stewardship Program

Grants Made:

$1,000,000 - June 8, 2009

“Farming in a way that looks after the environment is important for the land we work, for our family’s health and for those who live around us. It’s in our own best interest to learn, adapt, and keep up with the times” -Niagara area farmer Martin Schuele

http://lsrca.on.ca/Foundation

In partnership with the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association, the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority encourages environmental stewardship actions among farmers in the Greenbelt.

Greenbelt Farm Stewardship Program - Phase I: Environmental Farm Plans encourage Greenbelt farmers to share in the protection of the environment, ensuring their farmland, the surrounding Greenbelt countryside and area residents continue to thrive. Led by farmers for farmers, the Plans includes management practices to create energy and water efficiency, protect wetlands, help with proper soil management, correct disposal of farm wastes and improve handling and storage of pesticides as well as a variety of other stewardship activities.

Greenbelt Farm Stewardship Program - Phase II: In response to tremendous interest from the farming community after the initial stewardship program, the expanded program enables more farmers to undertake environmental management projects. From water well protection, energy and water efficiency, to wetland maintenance, soil management, manure control, and farm waste disposal, farmers are innovating to ensure safe methods of food production and natural landscape preservation.

Greenbelt Farm Stewardship Program - Phase I:
$1,400,000 June 25, 2007

Greenbelt Farm Stewardship Program -  Phase II:
$1,000,000 June 8, 2009

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Farming in the Greenbelt

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The Greenbelt Foundation is

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Convincing Peel school boards to buy Greenbelt food for students

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

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

  • Contributing to greater sales of Greenbelt wines at the LCBO

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

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

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

  • 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

  • Supporting interested Greenbelt Farmers to Go Organic

  • Developing a successful culinary tourism platform for Niagara

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

  • Supporting tourism initiatives including in the Niagara and Caledon areas

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

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

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

  • 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

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

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

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

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

  • Successfully merging social welfare initiatives with environmental concerns

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

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

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

  • Bringing thousands of Ontarians out into the Greenbelt each year through grantee activities and the Annual Tour de Greenbelt cycling event

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

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

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

  • Supporting food policy council in Durham to create food charter

 
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