This summer, the Holland Marsh Growers’ Association (HMGA) is releasing a series of seven videos that highlight the area’s unique farming environment. A new clip will be showcased each week, building up to a major announcement from the HMGA in mid-September.
The Holland Marsh, Ontario’s ‘soup and salad bowl, not only grows produce to feed the Golden Horseshoe and beyond; it is also home to a strong food-focused value chain – storing, processing, and packaging locally farmed crops.
Watch the clips on the Holland Marsh Growers’ Association video page, HMGA TV. Clips released so far include:
- “Moving Farming Forward” – Takes a look at research and innovation in the Holland Marsh, including the Muck Crop Research Station.
- “Safe Food, Sound Practices” – Discusses the food safety principles and practices followed by local producers and processors, as well as their work with CanadaGap and third party auditors.
- “Feeding the Golden Horseshoe and Beyond” – Introduces the farming community of the Holland Marsh and their stewardship of this unique micro-region.
From the HMGA Press Release (8 August 2013):
“Rather than be an isolating factor, Holland Marsh farmers have become part of the solution to some of the immense challenges facing Ontarians. Farming is more than food; it is fibre, fuel, even construction and industrial resources. And we are renewable. Farmers are carbon catchers and oxygen distributors. In an era of high cost North American societies, we have become more efficient in everything that is done – including the usage of chemistries, water, fuel, and land. And we are environmentally-friendly with growing practices ensures clean water; safe, healthy, and nutritious food. Farmers have long been touted as Stewards of the Land – but the Holland Marsh Growers’ Association is reminding our consumers, our fellow citizens, that we are much more – to both you and our society. We are the cornerstone of human existence – and nowhere is that shown more than in the Holland Marsh. And it is yours because it is in your backyard. Visit sometime and view it up close – not speeding north to the cottage, but in a leisurely tour that will highlight cutting edge technology against the backdrop of virtually the oldest profession known to man. Farming and food – the Holland Marsh brings it all together for you.”