Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association

Fresh Facts
Providing knowledge and leadership to grow the farm fresh experience.

A word from the President- Newsletter #323

Sept. 2017
As we are all aware, Canada passed a milestone this year in its celebration of Volume 33, Number 6
150 years as a country. None of us remember that day of course. I have a faint
memory of seeing the picture of a large birthday cake with many candles on the
editorial page of our local paper. I was not quite four and could not read but I
remember my Mom explaining to me that it was there because Canada was now Inside this issue:
100 years old.
I know many of you have done and are doing some special things on your farms
in recognition of this special year. I think that is neat but I would like to think a Membership News 2
bit about how we can tell the stories of our past particularly our own farms to our Proposed Mini- 3
mum Wage
customers in the years to come. Increase
I have noticed that people are intrigued with the past and how things were done Farmer Mental 4
back then. Some of this is simply nostalgia but other times it is a sincere desire Health
to learn how things were and to help them better understand why things are the
way they are today.
De--stressing Tips 5
In our own case here at Martins our farm has now been in our family since Celebrating Direct 7
1820. I am the 7th generation to live and work on this land. When I tell the story Marketing through
Census Data
to my customers of my great great great great grandfather moving here from
Pennsylvania in an ox-drawn wagon with 15 of his 17 children and carving a Upcoming Events 12
farm out of the bush on the very land that they are standing on their eyes pop
open in interest. They almost feel like they themselves are part of history simply
by coming and supporting us as customers and rightly so.
Your own story may be quite different and perhaps not as old but even those of
you that are first generation farmers have a farm with a history. Do some re-
search. Your local municipal office or library may be great places to start. Ask
long time residents of the area what they know about the history of the farm.
You may be amazed at some of the interesting stories you will discover. Done
up and told properly they can become points of interest that will hold a lasting
attraction to your farm to many of your customers.
I am convinced that in these times of great change that the more we know about
our past the better able we will be to make the proper decisions for the good of
our future.
Good luck in your research and have fun telling your stories.

Steve Martin
OFFMA President
Page 2 Fresh Facts
MEMBERSHIP NEWS
Classifieds
FOR SALE
Whittamores Farm Market has com-
pleted their website of Items for
Sale. Whittamores are closed their
gates forever in November and have
lots of bakery and farm fun items they
are selling. If you are interested in pur-
chasing their Farm Shop and Fun
Farm Yard items, the URL address is
sale.whittamoresfarm.com .
Sales like this are usually first an-
nounced on OFFMAs Members Only
Facebook page. If you havent signed
up, you are missing out on time critical
announcements. Search for Ontario
Farm Fresh Marketing Association and
request permission to join.
FOR SALE
Our own grown & pressed ciders &
fruit blends as well as jams.
No preservatives, pure, natural, great
shelf life & delicious.
Please contact Bayfield Berry Farm for
more information 519-482-1666 or
salesberryfarm@tcc.on.ca
FOR SALE
2L and 4L plastic baskets, made in
Canada, sturdy handles, strong dura-
ble plastic, weatherproof, reliable deliv-
ery. www.shouldicefarm.com
Contact: shouldice1@bell.net,
613-838-4203
FOR SALE
One stationary food stand chip stand
Almost everything will work again if you
unplug it for a few minutes, including you!
Welcome New Member
Shanna Maltby
Codys Cows
Acton, ON 519-853-5320
www.codyscows.com
Codys Cows has a loyal customer
base because their cows are raised on
lush green pastures, free from any
herbicides, fungicides or insecticides.
They sell their meats boxed which
gives their customer more variety. Co-
dys Cows also grows a really good
variety of farm fresh vegetables. They
also attend a number of farmers mar-
kets.
NEW! Retired Member Category
A new membership category was
passed at the AGM last February and
we welcome the first retired member
in that category. A familiar face to
most of you, Bert Andrews.
Bert & Lauraine Andrews
Campbellville, ON
905-691-2672
AggieBert66@gmail.com
Approx. 11' x 18', semi portable struc-
ture, no wheels but can be lifted on to
a trailer.
10' hood with fire suppression and
proper ventilation, steel interior with
stainless steel around cook area.
Building is 4 years old, very spacious
and nice to work in. Asking $22,000.
Contact Jordan at
info@willowtreefarm.ca
FOR SALE
Frozen pitted sour cherries available
for wholesale and retail from
Delhaven Orchards, 519-676-4475 or
delhaven@ciaccess.com
Ads are free to OFFMA membership, send to the
office and we will make sure they are included in
the next newsletter.
 Newsletter #323 Page 3

Pollinator Garden Creates a Buzz

By Carl Fletcher, Direct Farm Marketing Enthusiast

Can a garden of pollinator plants in- The Howes

crease:
the population of native polli-
nating species on your farm,
the number of beneficial insect
species,
the pollination rate and
productivity of your main
crops,
the range of products available
for your market,
and be a curbside focal attrac-
tion for your customers?
Over the past six years Kevin Howe
of OFFMA member Howe Family
Farm Market, Aylmer ON has ex-
panded his pollinator plant garden to
a dazzling two acres of flowers, veg-
etables, herbs and other plants. The
mix of many plants provides flower-
ing species through the summer.
The Howes major crops are straw-
berries, watermelons and pumpkins.
Honey bee hives are brought in for
pollination but the more native polli-
nators on farm hopefully the greater
the pollination rate and the possibil-
ity of reducing the cost of honey bee
hives.
Other efforts to support natural polli-
nators such as the native squash
bee include planting alyssum, bach-
elor buttons, and cosmos among the
watermelons, and planting native
bush and tree species on unproduc-
tive land at the edge of the field.
are working
with Sue
Chan of the
U of
Guelph to
monitor the
population
of native
squash Flowering species to help attract honey bees.
bees on
their operation. The Howes hosted a
Native Pollinator Habitat Farm Tour in
August.
Kevin says the results so far indicate
that more experimentation needs to be
done in terms of the variety of flowers
used, and the timing of planting.
The goal is to lure pollinators into the
fields before the watermelon crop sets
flowers. We are hoping that the flowers
do not out-compete watermelon flowers
as a preference for bees.
The flowers at our markets garden def-
initely increased the amount of benefi-
cial insects like minute pirate bug, syr-
phid flies, lady bugs, and bee species,
however we are also seeing an abun-
dance of pest species like tarnished
plant bugs, Japanese beetles, and
thrips.
So far the pests havent had much im-
pact on our economically important
crops like strawberries and watermelon.
As long as we dont see an increase in
damage from these pests, we will con-
tinue to experiment with pollinator
plantings.

Look Out New York City, Here We Come!

OFFMAs New York City Foodie Tour

November 14, 15 & 16, 2017
Taste your way through New York City
See the enclosed flyer for details and registration form
Deadline for registration is October 5, 2017
 Page 4 Fresh Facts

So.was it all worth it?

By: Jessica Kelly, Direct Farm Marketing Specialist, OMAFRA

In late June, Amy Strom (Stroms Farm & Bak-

ery), Leslie Zinger (Top Market Meats) and Pat
McArthur (Heatherlea Farm Shoppe) were panel-
ists for the Ag Womens Network Farm Retail
Roundtable. The event was inspired by a Face-
book post from Romy Schill, looking for advice
about how to make the leap from selling lamb and
fibre products from her garage. Just as you
would expect from a panel of three OFFMA mem-
bers, there was honest and frank sharing of chal-
lenges and lessons learned, coupled with conta-
gious enthusiasm and encouragement.
One memorable reality check was Pats tales of
planning and constructing a new building and the
Amy Strom, Leslie Zinger, Romy Schill and Pat McAr- accompanying stress, setbacks, and budget
thur at Ag Womens Network Farm Retail Roundtable changes. As I reflected on this evening, I wish I
had asked Pat one very important question: So
was it all worth it?
Think about a recent change or investment at your farm. How would you answer
this question? Perhaps you would head for your Quickbooks or an Excel
spreadsheet to do some cost-benefit analysis. Or maybe you would create a
pro/con chart or rely on gut feel.
This seemingly simple question can be tough to answer, yet is it often the tough
questions that are most worth asking. Dollars and cents, staff happiness, cus-
tomer satisfaction, day-to-day efficiency and function, work-life balance, fit with
long-term goals and dreams the list of potential considerations is lengthy and
will vary depending on what decisions or investment is being assessed.
Here are some example decisions and a sampling of potential sowas it all
worth it? considerations:

Constructing a new farm mar- Implementing a new point- Hiring a retail or farmers mar-
ket building of-sale (POS) system ket manager
- Cash flow impact during con- - Investment in new equip-
- Cost of manager (wage, bene-
struction ment and ongoing operat-
fits, bonus, deductions)
- Return-on-investment and pay- ing costs
- Increased sales
Financial back - Cost of staff training
- Maintained or improved sales
- Capacity to service debt - Technology investment
metrics (sales/employee,
- Changed operating costs can be paid back before
sales/ square foot, etc.)
- Increased sales it needs to be replaced
- Increased range of products, - Improved shopping experience
Customer - Improved check-out expe-
services, etc. resulting from dedicated ener-
Impact rience
- Improved shopping experience gy focused on retail

- Stress of planning, budgeting, - Time to evaluate POS op-

construction process
- Value of getting to start
Staff and
fresh with layout and design
Owner
- Improved work environment
Impact
for staff
- Contribution to long-term vi-
sion and succession plan
tions
- Stress of changing tech- - Better utilization of team
nology and related set- members strengths
backs - Reduced stress and more time
- Reduced staff frustration available for owners
- Improved access to data
for decision making
 Newsletter #323 Page 5

Sowas it all worth it? The answer may

be no, which can be disheartening, but its
important to remember that it is a lesson
learned and an opportunity to re-direct
your course. Entrepreneurship is a con-
stant cycle of evaluating and improving.
There is no linear path to success.

Jessica Kelly, OMAFRAs Direct Farm Marketing Specialist, has created an In-
stagram account: @jkelly.localfood.
She hopes to share ideas and inspirations from visiting on-farms markets and
farmers markets in different corners of the province. Feel free to follow along!

New Faces at OMAFRA that would be worth getting to know

Erich Weber
On August
14, 2017, Er-
ich Weber
joined
OMAFRA as
a Business
Finance Spe-
cialist in the
Agriculture
Development
Branch. In this role, Erich will be in-
volved in projects that are related to fi-
nancial management, taxation, and
business structures and arrangements
in the agri-food sector.
Most recently as an accountant with
BDO Canada LLP, Erich handled finan-
cial statements and corporate tax re-
turns for agri-food sector clients. Erich is
currently involved with the Junior Farm-
ers Association of Ontario as their Di-
rector of Finance, and is involved in the
operation of his familys farm (beef cow/
calf and cash crop).
Previously as an analyst with Agricorp,
he created and analyzed reports on var-
ious programs administered by
Agricorp.
Erich earned an Agricultural Business
Bachelor of Commerce degree (Co-op)
from the University of Guelph and holds
a Chartered Professional Accountant
(CPA) designation.
Mark Fergu-
son
Mark Fergu-
son recently
joined
OMAFRAs
Agriculture
Development
Branch as the
Business
Management
Specialist on August 8, 2017. Mark
looks forward to taking on a number of
projects and initiatives across the
branch and the ministry relating to
farm business planning and strategic
development, farm succession, human
resources and sustainability.
In his most recent role with Engage
Agro as Marketing and Business De-
velopment Coordinator, he supported
the companys business, product and
market development initiatives.
Mark previously worked with Synthesis
Agri-Food Network as a Consulting
and Education Project Coordinator.
Mark holds a degree in geography and
environmental studies from the Univer-
sity of Guelph, a Diploma in Agricultur-
al Business from the University of Sas-
katchewan and a Master of Science in
Rural Planning and Development from
the University of Guelph.
Page 6 Fresh Facts
Be Aware - Good Animals Can Come With Bad Bugs
By Leslie Forsythe, Forsythe Family Farms Inc.
Animal attractions on farms are al-
ways popular with the public and pro-
vide an avenue for your customers
and their children to emotionally con-
nect with your farm. Although human-
animal contact has many benefits
there can be health problems associ-
ated with these - infectious diseases,
exposure to rabies, and injuries.
Zoonotic diseases are defined as dis-
eases that can be transmitted to hu-
mans from animals. Approximately
75% of recently emerging infectious
diseases affecting humans are dis-
eases of animal origin; approximately
60% of all human pathogens are zo-
onotic. Such problems can have sub-
stantial medical, public health, legal,
and economic effects.
OFFMAs visit to farms in England in
2011 revealed the emerging protocol
for protecting customers while provid-
ing animal attractions. This came
about because of Godstone Farm, a
popular open farm that had the largest
ever outbreak of E. coli linked to ani-
mal contact in the UK. Incidents first
occurred early August 2009, the barns
were closed September 4th and the
farm fully closed September 12th. The
fallout - Ninety-three people, 76 of them
young children under the age of 10,
were infected with the potentially deadly
O157 strain of E. coli after visiting the
farm. To find out more and the results of
inquiries following this outbreak you just
need to google Godstone Farms e coli.
Who are the high risk groups?
All publications are consistent in identi-
fying who is in the High Risk Group:
Pregnant women and the elderly, be-
cause they have reduced immunity
Children under 5 years because they
have immature immune systems and
may engage in inappropriate behaviour
Immuno-compromised persons with
suppressed immune systems due to
immuno-suppressive drugs or disease
The cognitively impaired because of
potentially high-risk behaviour
Where do we start
Answer these questions when consider-
ing farm animal displays as an attrac-
tion:
1. Who will look after the animals and
care for them and their environment?
2. What animals do I like and can
work best with?
3. When will they be needed on the
farm?
4. Where on the farm are they best
located to minimize any cross contami-
nation?
5. Why do I even want to bother?
6. How am I going to cover the cost of
having them?
Signage Is Important
At entrance to the farm, transition areas,
the animal area, hand washing sta-
tions... Anywhere you can think of to
allow the visitors to know about how
they should behave.
 Newsletter #323 Page 7

Well-designed safety information
should:
Alert visitors to the nature and se-
verity of hazards and risks and pro-
vide information about restrictions.
Give visitors the information to un-
derstand risks to which they are like-
ly to be exposed, and the precau-
tions they should adopt.
Give information about the nature
and extent of risk control measures
provided by you.
The list of e coli incidents continues
to grow and it is our responsibility to
make the public aware of this risk
and help reduce the risk through our
practices, including signage and dis-
plays on the farm.
It is worth the effort.
Resources
A must read Recommendations to Pre-
vent Disease and Injury Associated with
Petting Zoos in Ontario February 2011
www.health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/programs/
publichealth/oph_standards/docs/
guidance/petting_zoos_references.pdf
www.gov.uk click on publications article
- Farm visits: avoiding infection February
2011
http://ucanr.edu/sites/UCCE_LR/
files/151951.pdf explains e coli 0157:H7

OFFMA has been promoting CANADA150 farm activities and we will continue to do so until
the end of the year, using #offma150. Have you ordered your stickers and tattoos? They are
free of charge, you only have to pay for shipping. Contact the OFFMA office today. Heres an
interesting comparison of then and now.
Information gathered from an article that appeared in Small Farm Canada.

1867 Chores 2017 Chores

Check on pregnant Canadas first veteri- Update the farm Today, we rely on the
mare nary college didnt store website Internet for every-
open until 1862 in thing from market-
Toronto, most farm- ing to data manage-
ers had no access to ment.
vets.
Chop and haul wood Since wood was the Fix combine Most farmers must
main source of fuel, be part mechanics
youd want to keep to keep their fleet of
25 acres or so of equipment in work-
your 100 acre farm ing order.
as a woodlot.
Plow the fields Handing a horse- File corporate re- Although most farms
drawn plow took a turns continue to operate
lot of strength and as family operations,
skill. a growing number
are choosing to reg-
ister as corpora-
tions.
Can vegetables Canning was an es- Harvest the okra Farmers today are
sential skill in growing everything
1867made easier from bison burgers
by newly introduced to blueberries to
Mason jars. quinoa to kale.
Head for the logging For many farmers, Got to work The majority of farm
camp working at winter families these days
logging camps rely on off-farm in-
brought in essential come to make ends
income. meet.
 Page 8
Ontario Farm Fresh
Cathy Bartolic, Executive Director
2002 Vandorf Rd. Aurora, ON L4G 7B9
Phone: 905-841-9278
E-mail: info@ontariofarmfresh.com
www.ontariofarmfresh.com
2017-18 OFFMA Board of Directors
Steve Martin, President
Martins Family Fruit Farm
Kristin Ego MacPhail, Vice President
Ego Nurseries Ltd.
Leslie Forsythe, Past President
Forsythe Family Farms
Cara Ferguson, Associate Member
Edana Integrated Marketing
Nicole Judge, Spirit Tree Estate Cidery
Erin McLean, McLean Berry Farm
Colleen McKay, Your Farm Market
Jordan McKay, Willowtree Farm
Dana Thatcher, Thatcher Farms
Karen Whitty, Whitty Farms
Jessica Kelly, OMAFRA Advisor
Leslie JudgeSpirit Tree Estate Cidery
retirement you could be sure to find Les at Nicole and Toms Spirit Tree Estate Cidery in Caledon.
Always ready to lend a hand, tell you a story, and send you off smiling. Les spirit will be felt for
years to come.
Fresh Facts
Upcoming Events
Nov. 14-16 Foodie Tour of New York City
Nov. 30 AMIs Advanced Farm Management Program developed specifically for
Direct Farm Marketers. Five days of intense learning to help run
your business more efficiently. Contact Deanna at AMI for more info,
Deanna@takeanewapproach.ca
Dec. 5-7 Great Lake Expo, Devos Place Conference Center, Grand Rapids
Michigan, check out glexpo.com for more info. Watch OFFMAs member
only Facebook page for updates on carpooling and hospitality suite.
April 2018 Tour to Ireland
Bill HeemanHeemans
After a lifetime apprenticeship working in the field and
greenhouses, Bill Heeman has been upgraded to head
grower in Heaven. He passed away surrounded by his
loving family on June 28th in his 84th year.
Bill grew up Holland and on one fateful day biked over
to a neighbouring town for a dance where he met Su-
san. After a short courtship, Bill bought two tickets to
Canada and proposed marriage to Susan and the rest
of their life together here was a long and beautiful hon-
eymoon.
A born entrepreneur, driven to always try to innovate
and do things better, Bill was fiercely competitive and instilled many important lessons
in his family and staff who worked for him will never forget, lessons weve engrained in
our culture and will hold dear after his passing.
Bill served as the conscience of Heemans, always adding keen insights and helping
guide our journey under his watchful eye. Whether it was walking the berry fields and
always telling us to pick more or checking to make sure plants were transplanted
properly and we had enough patio pots on hand for sale in the summer.
As a regular at the Berry Beanery for coffee at 10am and 3pm with Susan, one of the
highlights of his days was connecting with customers whom hed formed tight bonds
with over coffee, reminiscing and staying connected. Bill is missed by family and
friends alike but he has left behind an incredible horticultural legacy.
Passed away suddenly on Sunday, August 13th, Leslie (Les) Judge,
at the age of seventy-nine. Loving husband to his beloved wife of 52
years Finola and father to Nicole Judge from Spirt Tree Estate Ci-
dery.
A graduate of Shropshire Agriculture College, UK, Les made his way
to Canada in 1959. First as a farm hand, before dedicating 33 years
to Nortel. His love of rugby went almost as deep as his love for his
family. Les was a founding member of the Brampton Rugby Club,
and shared many stories, laughs, and games with members of the
Niagara Club as well. Les enjoyed the game not only as a player,
but referee. Heading overseas to England, Ireland, Argentina, Chile,
and Prague to ref and play in the Golden Oldies World Cup. In his