Food and Farming

Making Food & Farming Connections

The objective of the Making Food & Farming Connections Project is to facilitate an increase in local food trade between farmers, food processors, restaurants and retailers.

Bi-annual trade meetings are held to bring these key local food system players together for consultation and networking.

One product of these trade meetings is the Eat Local Caledon Farm to Table Directory. In 2008 over 45 local producers that are interested in selling to local culinary buyers were listed in the directory with their contact and product information. In addition, over 25 local culinary food buyers that are interested in purchasing from local producers were listed. The Farm to Table Directory has proven to be a useful tool in connecting producers and businesses and has been used by several restaurants to find local ingredients when they are featuring local menus. The 2009 Eat Local Caledon Farm to Table Directory will be published and distributed to participating farms and businesses in early spring.

The second Making Food & Farming Connections Trade Meeting of 2009 was held on Monday, May 4th at the Caledon Community Complex in the Lion's Den. David Cohlymeyer, farmer and chef and owner of renowned Cookstown Greens, spoke about his experiences with the local food and farming system. This was a true opportunity to hear the secrets of the trade from a top local grower, who knows how to sell to restaurants.

Cookstown Greens has been “cultivating and celebrating Terrior since 1988”, when David, the chef turned farmer started selling vegetables from his 2 acre backyard garden in Cookstown, near Alliston. Cookstown Greens steadily grew from a 2 acre family garden to over 30 acres with four year-round greenhouses and winter root-cellars managed by a dedicated team of 9 full-time year-round employees (including seeders, transplanters, cultivators, harvesters, washers, packers, and deliverers).

“Cookstown Greens ecologically grows specialty organic produce: salad greens, microgreen seedlings, unique vegetables with unusual colours, edible flowers, fancy garnishes, flavourful heirloom tomatoes, and colourful high Brix heritage root vegetables. These are featured at many critically acclaimed Toronto and Ontario restaurants and hotels!” See Cookstown Greens for more information.