Ontario Organic Awards 2012

Ontario Organic Awards Celebrate Sector Commitment to Consumer Choice

 

Over 120 Farmers, consumers, businesses and individuals from across the organic value chain gathered in Guelph on January 27^th 2012 to celebrate excellence in Ontario’s organic sector.

Thirteen individuals and businesses received awards, highlighting outstanding achievement across the value chain and their dedication to provide consumers with the best quality food while protecting Ontario’s ecological heritage.

The Organic Council of Ontario hosted this second annual event to celebrate the commitment of the sector and the care that is put into each operation.  Please see the full list of recipients below for full details about each business or individual.

  Hugh Martin (left) receives lifetime achievement award, presented by Ted Zettel, Board Member of Organic Council of Ontario and Chair of Organic Federation of Canada, at 2012 Ontario Organic Awards, hosted by Organic Council of Ontario.

Photo credit: www.AshleyCamara.ca

COMPLETE LIST OF AWARD RECIPIENTS:

Outstanding Horticultural Producer: The New Farm, Gillian Flies and Brent Preston

Gillian Flies and Brent Preston of The New Farm for Outstanding Horticultural Producers. The New Farm is a family-run organic farm growing over 150 varieties of premium, hand-harvested, seasonal vegetables from their 100-acre farm on the crest of the Niagara escarpment just west of the village of Creemore.

Gillian and Brent are also inspiring innovators having partnered with The Stop Community Food Centre, in Toronto’s west-end, to create a unique program that supports sustainable local farming and provides fresh, healthy, organic food to people in need in the Toronto area.

The Stop is one of Toronto’s most dynamic and effective organizations working to end hunger and food insecurity. The Stop strives to increase access to healthy food in a manner that maintains dignity, builds community and challenges inequality, through food education, urban agriculture projects, a community kitchen, pre and post natal nutrition programs and a traditional food bank.

Every time you purchase delicious GROW FOR THE STOP produce 10% of the proceeds is donated directly to THE STOP to buy fresh organic produce from The New Farm. Instead of macaroni and canned food, people in need receive a wide diversity of the freshest organic produce available.

 

 

Outstanding Livestock or Grain Producer: Golden Acres Farms, Robert Fleishauer and Family

Rob bought a farm in 1982, after a number of years he transitioned to organics. Through continual improvement in rotation and crop management his farm is very attractive. Clean, weed free crops are meticulously grown. This is so encouraging for others to see, it proves that an organic farm can be a prosperous and successful one.

He is involved in many groups including the Oxford Organic Growers and SLOP (some local organic producers). Rob also has hosted round table meetings as well as field and crop tours. He does some consultation work where people have questions over the phone or drop in for advice.

 

Rob has done many field trails with many of the products offered organically.  He definitely has a knack for detail and documentation of all trials is very well calculated. This is so valuable to other organic farmers in a young and growing industry.

Rob is married to Dianne and they have three girls, Sheri-Lyn, Julie and Rachel.  The girls are very involved in the farm and organic market gardening. They grow approx 100 varieties of garlic seed as well as other fruits and vegetables. Rob is a friend, a leader and a great teacher. He is a tremendous asset to the organic farm community in Ontario.

 

 

Outstanding Dairy Producer: Sunholm Farms, Grant Martin

This young family produces milk for Harmony. Grant is constantly improving production techniques including introducing intensive rotational grazing, grazing sorghum and maize, pasturing poultry and also working with Harmony to produce Harmony’s first butter this year, from a shipment of milk directly from their farm.

 

 

Outstanding Processor: ShaSha Bread Company

ShaSha Bread Co. is an artisan bakery that represents the essence of a well-balanced and healthy lifestyle. The constant innovation of the sourdough baking methods and sprouting techniques set this nominee apart.
ShaSha Co. is the only bakery to receive a grant from the National Council of Canada. With this assistance, founder and CEO, Shasha Shaun Navazesh, has determined the environmental factors to optimize sourdough bacteria and fungus to replace commercial yeast, boosting lactic acid levels and contributing to greater health, energy, and vitality. The development of Shasha’s sourdough method has greatly benefitted those inflicted with an intolerance to yeast.
ShaSha Co. is also extremely supportive of organic and natural local farmers who responsibly harvest the earth and reduce the carbon footprint of the planet. The conservation of natural resources is an attitude maintained throughout the facilities with staff.

 

 

Outstanding Direct Farm Marketing/CSA: Everdale’s Harvest Share CSA

Everdale’s Harvest Share CSA for their dedication to farmers markets as well as innovation in their CSA program in their use of a points based system to avoid food wastage.

 

Everdale’s Harvest Share CSA program in Hillsburgh has been running since 1998. In 2007 Everdale established a second pick up site at the Narayever Congregation in Toronto. In 2011 Everdale’s Harvest Share program fed over 350 families.
Everdale has structured their CSA to be user friendly as we see it is important to attract and embrace new local food customers. Everdale supports other local farmers by carrying their food in Everdale’s CSA, and promotes these farmers with in-store sampling opportunities and posted biographies. the CSA also includes member’s days, movie nights, book chats, and workshops. The other unique piece to Everdale’s CSA program is that the farmer interns play key roles in the growing and selling of the food. It gives them invaluable experience to take with them to their own future farm enterprises. Many of these former interns have gone on to establish their own CSA farms using Everdale’s Harvest Share as a model (see Angie Koch and her Fertile Ground CSA http://www.fertilegroundcsa.com/ ).

 

One of the customers writes in their nomination: “My family have been members for the past 4 years. It is such a beautiful place and our kids love it. There is always something fun and exciting for them to do while we shop and chat to all of the familiar faces. The farmers and interns are so lovely and helpful. We love the pint system where we get to pick the food and quantities that we want. The food is amazing (especially the kale and carrots!). We have belonged to other CSA’s before and while they were wonderful they were not in the same league as Everdale.”

 

 

Outstanding Retailer: The Big Carrot

The Big Carrot is a 70 member worker owned co-op in Toronto- for their 28 years of leadership and service to the sector. The Big Carrot is the first retailer in the province to certify to the COS, and is one of the founding members of the NON-GMO Project. The Big Carrot has high in-house standards, and is a leader in consumer education, as evidenced through their free private nutritional store tours and weekly seminars as well as sponsorship of countless education/outreach events and programs that promote organics.

 

From one of the folks nominating the Big Carrot: “The Big Carrot – For their dedication in spreading the word about organics and for not compromising on their core values. They continue to stay to to their mission and vision and continue to serve their local community. Thanks to everyone at The Big Carrot for everything that they do!”

 

 

Outstanding Supplier: Pfennings Organic Farm

Pfennings for all of their work as a broker and distributor of organic vegetables.   Continue The Pfennings have been mentors to growers and sales staff, and have raised the bar on local and organic in horticulture into various distribution streams. Their decision several years ago to self-distribute has proven a successful model.  As third generation organic farmers, the Pfennings continue to develop the supply chain to address food as an important part of social change.

 

 

Outstanding Marketing Campaign: Organic Meadow’s ‘Clean Living’ video

“Organic Meadow for their music video, it surpasses all other organic advertising by an Ontario group this year.”

 

In 2011 Organic Meadow received Ontario Market Investment Fund money from the Ontario Government to help produce a unique and creative social media piece. The decision was made to produce an original music video. Music for the music video was written and produced by Ted Zettel Jr., Organic Meadow Cooperative founder Ted Zettel’s son and called Clean Livin’. With help of a Toronto based creative production company, Imported Artists, and Director Gloria Kim the Clean Livin’ music video came to life. The video was filmed just outside of Stratford and starred Organic Meadow founder Ted Zettel, Organic Meadow farmer Stew Slater and his daughter Sophia and the extras were Organic Meadow Inc. staff.
The video shares the story of Organic farmers and their dedication to the animals, the land, the environment and our future. The completed video is posted on Youtube, Facebook, the Organic Meadow website and has been linked to by various other websites and tweeted again and again.

 

“Organic Meadow’s Clean Living video is one of many successful marketing tools this co-op can be proud of. I also find their website highly informative, interesting and fresh.”

 

 

Innovation Award: Southbrook Vineyards

 

Southbrook carries three certifications:

1. Certified Organic Winery (Pro-Cert)
2. Certified Biodynamic Winery (Demeter)
3. LFP Certification Marketing Categories

 

On farm innovations include:
1. The Hospitality Building is LEED Gold Certified (first winery in Canada to gain this certification).
2. All lighting in the Hospitably Pavilion is set to sensors so when rooms are not in use lights turn off.
3. Reflective white roof.
4. Onsite bioswales to filter water.
5. No irrigation for vines.
6. Tractors on the property run on Bio-diesel.

 

Southbrook has created a line of food products that are made locally with organic products. Their food products in 2012 will come from a 20km radius from farm to shelf.

Southbrook has also started a line of wine called Connect. The Connect label was created with the goal of increasing the number of organically farmed acres in Ontario. With 150 acre property and only 50% of it under vine, Southbrook has vowed that they will not plant the remaining acreage until the demand for organic grapes in the area surpasses the supply. They have committed to helping local grape growers gain their organic certification and make a promise to purchase the growers grapes for this Connect Line of wines.

All marketing materials that are printed are printed with soy & vegetable inks and on 100% post consumer paper.

As a supplier to the LCBO Southbrook is the first winery to offer Ontario consumers an organic and local choice in wine under $15. The Connect Family of wines which is 100% organic and is bottled in glass bottles that are made from 100% recycled glass from the Ontario Blue Bin program. The bottles are also lightweight (under 400g) for smaller carbon foot print when shipping. As the Connect Wine Family is Southbrook’s most popular and most highly produced this is the family that they decided would make the most impact with this endeavor. So bottles being shipped to LCBOs around Ontario have 100% of the materials and product made locally and the product is certified organic.

80% of the boxes used to bring in the wine the onsite retail store (which accounts for 80% of the sales in the retail store) are reused on site for new wine releases.  Southbrook recognized a product normally considered waste (or compost) in the wine making practice – grape pumice or the skins of red grapes left over after the pressing and fermentation process take place. Rich in anti-oxidants, Southbrook has dried this skins, powdered them and created a new product for consumers called BioFlavia – turning a waste item into a product for consumption that has MANY heath benefits! The product has become so popular Southbrook has now purchased 100% of the organic pumice in Canada to reach the demand – oh right it is certified organic as well.

 

 

Volunteer Award: Peter Dowling, Howe Island

Most of Peter’s volunteer work has been on behalf of the National Farmers Union from the local level to the provincial level and the national level. With his soft-spoken nature, his focus in recent years on working behind the scenes, and the fact that his work is within a general farm organization rather than an organic specific information it would be easy to miss the volunteer contributions Peter has made to the organic community in Ontario. Peter and Dianne are organic dairy farmers themselves along with their son Tim. Their daughter Emily also has a successful organic vegetable and egg CSA on the family farm.

The National Farmers Union is quite intentional about speaking for the environmental, social and economic benefits of organic farming as a way to maintain family farms and to protect the environment. The willingness of the NFU to take that message to the government and to the public, has played a role in building support for the organic sector. Peter has been instrumental in making sure the NFU in Ontario has included support for organic farming as part of its message over the last couple of decades. In the 1990′s, Peter was the key leader from the farm community in the fight to stop rBST from being approved in Canada.

Although, Peter is not often the public voice of the NFU in Ontario, those who have been the public voice have relied on Peter’s behind the scenes work to help frame the message and his strategic thinking in how to get the message into public and government discussions. Peter also played a key role in working to have the NFU become an accredited Ontario General Farm Organization in 2002. This was an important development for the organic sector in Ontario, because as one of three GFO’s, the NFU had new opportunities to bring its positions on organic farming to the table.

 

 

Education Award: Julie Daniluk

Julie has been a passionate voice for the organic sector for almost two decades. Julie began educating eaters about the benefits of organics one by one as The Big Carrot’s in-store nutritionist. Her audiences grew rapidly as a much-requested speaker at health food and trade events across the country where, no matter the topic- the foundation of Julie’s message has been the connection between health and organic food.

Most recently Julie has had the opportunity of reaching countless eaters with her work as expert nutritionist on The Healthy Gourmet, Dr. OZ and the Marilyn Dennis show as well as her newly published cookbook Meals that Heal.

Julie’s enthusiasm, commitment and depth of knowledge in her field make her an invaluable ambassador for Organics and a very worthy candidate for the OCO Education Award.

 

 

Lifetime Achievement Awards:

 

Cathleen Kneen

Cathleen Kneen’s contribution to organics started many decades ago as a farmer on the east coast with her husband, Brewster. Cathleen’s work in the food systems movement has always been cutting edge. Her mentorship of community food activists across the country has created a generation of folks dedicated to including farmers and food producers in the food security conversation. She has championed organic production as an integral part of both emergency food and long term sustainability. Recently retired from her role as Chair Food Secure Canada, we trust Cathleen will find a new home for her passion and analysis.

 

 

Hugh Martin

Hugh Martin has contributed greatly to the growth of the organic movement, over many years, without a great deal of recognition.  Hugh spent 34 years with OMAFRA, many of those years as the Organic Lead. In the year 2012 we are likely to take for granted that we have a well established organization like the Organic Council, that has established strong links with the provincial government and particularly the Ministry of Agriculture, cooperating on multiple levels. But in the beginning, it was not so.

In order to understand the achievement of Hugh Martin, we must recollect what it was like back in those early years of the 1980’s.  We were a radical fringe movement – as far out of the mainstream as you could be without being arrested.  We considered anyone within the establishment, i.e. the government, to be the enemy, and they felt likewise.  The first, and for a long time, the only person within OMAFRA to return our calls and take an interest in this new approach, was Hugh.  He quickly became the go-to guy within the government for everything organic.

This may seem like a smart career move for a young civil servant as we look back, from the vantage point of Hugh, receiving an award.  But at the time it was anything but.  Hugh occupied a no-man’s land, with one foot in each camp, earning the distrust of his colleagues for cavorting with upstarts, and suspected by organic people as a “government spy”.

It took a special kind of person to manage such a perilous situation.  With patience, perseverance, careful diplomacy and courage Hugh managed to survive those early days and be vindicated, as organics gradually grew to be recognized as a credible and permanent part of the farming landscape.  We owe him a great debt of gratitude and recognition that is long overdue.  Together, we recognize Hugh Martin for a lifetime of achievement in serving the organic food movement.

 

 

 

Join us on the Saturday of the Guelph Organic Conference
@ River Run Centre in downtown Guelph.
Tickets: $45 general public, $40 students and OCO members. (Plus HST)
Dinner and music at 7pm
Awards at 8pm
Cash bar and music to follow the awards

Reserve your tickets!

 

Full List of Nominees

Outstanding Livestock or Grain Producer:  
Hans Hachler
Dan Konsolman
Laepple Organic Farm – Linda, Fritz, and Family.
Keith Sheardown
Rob Fleishauer

Outstanding Dairy Producer:  
Ruby Zubler
Sunholm Farms, Grant Martin (of Ethel)
Ventry Hill Farm: Paul and Dorien DeJong
Pieter Biemond
Marte and Joanne Pronk – ThisLDo Farm

Outstanding Horticultural Producer/ CSA:   
Fertile Ground CSA – Angie Koch
Everdale
Gillian Flies and Brent Preston of The New Farm
Blossoms farms and retail

Outstanding Processor/ Value-added:   
Harmony Organic
ShaSha Bread Co
Thomas Canning
Steen`s Dairy

Outstanding Direct Farm Marketing/ CSA (includes Farmers Markets):
Kitchener Farmers Market
Everdale’s Harvest Share CSA

Outstanding Retailer (includes Restaurant and Box Delivery-non-farm)
The Big Carrot
Vincenzo’s, Waterloo
Cafe Pyrus
Indulge Kitchen (Kitchener Farmers Market)
Fiesta Farms
Essence of Life (Kensington)
Tutti Fruitty (Kensington)

Outstanding Supplier (Broker, Sales Rep, Distributor, Direct-to-Retail)   
Pfennings Organics
Shannon Hayes

Outstanding Marketing Campaign
Organic Meadow’s ‘Clean Living’ video
Yorkshire Valley Chicken

Innovation Award
Pfennings
Southbrook
ShaSha Co
Ignatious Farm
Lloyd and Beth Simpson’s Polycarbonate Dairy Barn Addition
London Area Organic Growers

Lifetime Achievement Award:   
Hugh Martin
Cathleen Kneen
Shasha Shaun Navazesh
Harro Wehrmann

Volunteer Award:   
Shasha Shaun Navazesh
Tony Mcquail
Peter Dowling, Howe Island

Education Award:
Maureen Bostock
Farmstart
Jenny Butcher
Julie Daniluk
NFU Local 316 (Kingston area)

 

Nomination Process:

Nomination for the Awards were done using our online form or by downloading (.pdf /.docx) and sending your nominations to our office. Nominations were due January 6th 2012, after which our nomination committee will select awards recipients.

 

For more information about the Awards, nomination criteria, being an event sponsor or food donor, please contact our office.

 

Check out the 2011 Ontario Organic Awards Recipients!

 

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