“Before breaking ground, this venture was ground-breaking”, said Jeff Leal, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs at the launch of Ontario’s new Agri-Food Venture Centre (OAFVC) in Colborne on May 1st.
Offering Ontario farmers and food producers important support through a unique opportunity to expand their business with value-added production, the new 15,000-square-foot facility comes to the delight of many.
Designed with farmers in mind, the centre will support value-adding opportunities to increase farm revenue, as well as excite and assist others with recipe development, and staff will work with Ontario food processing start-up companies and expansions. The facility will also help farmers and producers extend the seasonality of their products.
We were able to attend the grand opening of the centre on May 1st, where Premier Kathleen Wynne, Minister Jeff Leal, and Northumberland-Quinte West MPP Lou Rinaldi were also present for the tour and opening celebration. The creativity and value of the centre was commended by many – a significant addition to Ontario’s vibrant food and farming sector. Wynne explained: Ontario wasn’t just built, it was grown.
The OAFVC will be operated by Northumberland County as a non-profit small-batch food processing facility. Services will include: wash, cut, quick chill, labelling, flash freeze, cold, frozen and dry storage, a fully equipped commercial kitchen, packaging, and a training facility. Their website provides a pricing list.
The facility and equipment will be tested throughout May, planning to be open for business by mid-June. You can now book a tour of the facility here!
The centre was developed in response to findings from the 2012 Regional Local Food Business Retention and Expansion Project. The facility was funded through $1.48 million from Northumberland County, $490,000 from the province’s Local Food Fund, $225,000 from Community Futures Development Corporation Network, $159,000 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, $135,000 from Community Futures, and $5,000 from the Northumberland Federation of Agriculture.