Backgrounder
Agriculture Business Program: Online Food Hub, Food First NL
Food First NL is conducting a pilot project for the Humber Valley area of Western Newfoundland to assess feasibility of a Food Hub to connect consumers with farmers through a shared, online marketplace. Based on the successful model of the Cape Breton Food Hub, Food First NL is partnering with Choices for Youth - an agency serving at-risk youth to create jobs.
Agriculture Growth and Innovation Program: Crop Protection/Season Extension, Garland Smith, Central U-Pick
Garland Smith is a berry producer located at Wooddale in Central Newfoundland, who used his CAP investment to install floating row covers to protect his berry crops and extend the strawberry season well into the fall.
Agriculture Processing and Value-Added Program: Meat Processing Facility, Omiachi Meat Shop
Jonathon Omiachi of Victoria is a new entrant to the agriculture sector and a new Canadian. Through CAP funding, he will increase his meat shop's capacity to process more locally grown livestock.
Future Farms Program: Leadership Summit Series, Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Agriculture, Young Farmers Forum
Usually an annual in-person workshop, the 2020 Young Farmers Forum was a virtual event that covered three themes: Succession Planning, Entrepreneurship, and Marketing. Fifty-nine participants took part in the virtual sessions.
Mitigating Agricultural Risks Program: COVID-19 Mitigation Measures, Legge's Poultry Farm
To address COVID-19 regulations, Legge's Poultry Farm in Harbour Main needed to expand its lunchroom to allow for physical distancing between employees. The farm also rented a mobile unit to use as an additional lunchroom to ensure the safety of its employees while the expansion was taking place.
Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change Program: Alternative Energy, Smiling Land Farm
Located in Bay Bulls, Smiling Land Farm is a new entrant farming vegetables, forage, bees and duck eggs. CAP funding will enable the farm to install a solar panel system to provide a sustainable energy source for duck egg production.
Agriculture Business Program: On-Farm Market, Spring Meadow Farm Inc.
Spring Meadow Farm near Springdale in Central Newfoundland has constructed an on-farm market, including display freezers and coolers that add storage capacity for fresh and processed meats and vegetables. This investment has allowed the farm to increase production, expand product diversity, and improve product availability in the off-season.
Advancing Public Trust Program: COVID-19 Workshop, Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Agriculture
A virtual workshop addressing the timely theme of "Combatting COVID-19 within the Agriculture Industry" will take place in January 2021. Speakers will focus on the challenges and opportunities the COVID-19 pandemic has created for the local agriculture industry.
Agriculture Growth and Innovation Program: Vegetable Storage Facility, Spruce Meadow Farm
Spruce Meadow Farm Ltd. in Happy Valley-Goose Bay was provided CAP funding to construct a vegetable storage facility that will enable the farm to store vegetables longer, and support food self-sufficiency in Labrador.
