TORONTO, ON – Food and farming businesses in the Golden Horseshoe are front and centre in a special Ontario-themed episode of ‘Off The Beaten Palate’, the food and travel television show hosted by Michael-Ann Rowe on PBS. The episode is part of a “Discover Canada” trilogy, with the culinary landscapes of New Brunswick and Alberta featured in the other two episodes. The three episodes premiere on DPTV on June 6th at 7:30p.m. EDT.
“While very few people are actually involved in food production, we all eat,” comments Janet Horner, Executive Director of the Greater Toronto Area Agricultural Action Committee. “It is important for us to realize the economic benefits that food production, food businesses and food tourism will bring to an area. The special climate In the Golden Horseshoe allows us to produce over 200 different kinds of fruits and vegetables for the people of the region, the province and export markets.”
Over the past year, Rowe and her team visited farmers, processors, chefs and artisans in the Golden Horseshoe to capture a slice of the vibrant activity in this food and farming cluster, one of North America’s largest. The show’s tour takes the viewer from vineyards to cafe kitchens, farmers markets to hydroponic farms, each serving up a taste of Ontario. Some of the notable appearances include:
- Curtis Fielding of Fielding Estate Wines, representing the Niagara wine region, home to over 100 wineries
- Tom Wilson, owner of Spirit Tree Cidery in Caledon and former president of the Golden Horseshoe Soil and Crop Improvement Association
- Celebrity Chef Brad Long of Cafe Belong at Evergreen Brickworks in Toronto
- Jeremy Kessler of Kozlik’s Mustards at St. Lawrence Market in Toronto
Representatives from the Greater Toronto Area Agricultural Action Committee (GTA AAC) and the economic development offices of the City of Toronto, Region of Durham and Region of Niagara will travel to Detroit to attend the June 6th premiere event. These Golden Horseshoe representatives will also visit St. Clair College’s culinary school in Windsor, which is hosting a special lunch reception on June 6th. St. Clair College is also the venue for the third Bring Food Home conference (November 17-19), a biennial cross-sectoral conference focussed on issues facing Ontario’s food system. GTA AAC is a planning partner of Bring Food Home.
The ‘Off The Beaten Palate’ episodes premiere in a special “Discover Canada” night on June 6th, airing on Detroit Public TV (DPTV) PBS at 7:30p.m. EDT. Details about DPTV’s service to Canada are available online. A limited number of DVDs will be distributed to partners of the project in the weeks following the premiere.
For more information about the show, visit the OffTheBeatenPalate.com.
About the Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Alliance (GHFFA)
The Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Alliance (GHFFA) is comprised of the Niagara Agricultural Task Force, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, the Friends of the Greenbelt, the Ontario Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the Regions of Durham, Halton, Niagara, Peel, York and the Cities of Hamilton and Toronto, as well as local representatives from the food and farming value chain. In 2012, the GHFFA released the Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Action Plan 2021, which identifies pathways for a more integrated and coordinated approach to food and farming viability in the area to ensure that the Golden Horseshoe retains, enhances and expands its role as a leading food and farming cluster.
About the GTA AAC
The Greater Toronto Area Agricultural Action Committee (GTA AAC) is a unique partnership involving the four regional municipalities of Halton, Peel, York and Durham, the four Greater Toronto Area Federations of Agriculture (Halton, Peel, York and Durham), the City of Toronto, the Toronto Food Policy Council, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food and the Ministry of Rural Affairs; Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada; and the food sector. The partnership developed as the various stakeholders worked together to write the GTA Agricultural Action Plan.
For further information, please contact:
Janet Horner, Executive Director, Greater Toronto Area Agricultural Action Committee, janet@whitfieldfarms.com or 519-925-5975.