“If agriculture goes wrong, nothing else will have a chance to go right.”
Those words by M.S. Swaminathan, a luminary in sustainable agriculture and the architect of India’s Green Revolution, reflect the guiding philosophy of Peterborough County when it comes to supporting the agriculture sector in The Kawarthas — including through the Kawartha Local Food Wholesale program.
“There are over 800 farms operating and 180,000 acres that are being actively farmed right now across the county and we want to make sure that continues,” says Rhonda Keenan, general manager of Peterborough County Economic Development. “Our producers are community builders. They want to see the community grow and thrive and, in turn, we would like to see their business grow and thrive.”
With Canada’s Agriculture Day marking its 10th anniversary of celebrating the country’s agriculture and food sector on Tuesday, February 10, Peterborough County is reaffirming its goal of supporting the hardworking people who bring food to our tables and the important contributions of agriculture to Canada’s prosperity, health, and well-being.
“The approach that we’re taking in Peterborough County is that we really need to look after our farms and producers, in part for our own security,” Keenan says. “With everything that’s happening globally right now, it’s important to know where our food is coming from and who we’re supporting when we buy that food. People have become so much more aware of that when they’re making their purchases.”
That’s why Peterborough County is encouraging local food producers and buyers to participate in the Kawartha Local Food Wholesale program. Funded in part by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agri-Business, the program aims to increase the capacity for local food distribution by supporting expanded production and procurement within the county, as well as the City of Peterborough and the City of Kawartha Lakes.
“Small business makes up a lot of our economy in Peterborough County,” says Keenan. “Small business owners are the HR managers, the production crew, the marketing agency — they wear all the hats — so when they’re trying to grow their business, there are a lot of constraints on them and on how much they can actually do in a day.”
For farmers, Keenan adds, that often creates challenges for growing their business beyond farm gates and farmers’ markets. As a result, they may end up working a second job beyond the farm, which further restricts their opportunities to grow.
The Kawartha Local Food Wholesale initiative aims to support the growth of local food producers by streamlining their connections with local food buyers such as restaurants, retail, food services, tourist attractions, golf courses, and more.
Originally launched in late 2023, the program began with local food producers and buyers participating in group training and one-on-one coaching to better understand the possibilities that exist, followed by the development of the Green Circle food hub in partnership with Graze & Gather, a website originally created by Orono farmer Dave Kranenburg as an online farmers’ market.
Today, Kawartha Local Food Wholesale means producers in Peterborough County and the City of Kawartha Lakes can connect with buyers all in one place, expanding local food distribution and the local food economy while also saving producers and buyers time and money.
“Our ultimate goal was to make life easier for everyone and to be able to increase the yield for each of the producers,” says Keenan. “Now we have something that’s ready to go, we have producers that have product that they want to get into the market, and we have buyers that are now wanting to purchase.”
Peterborough County also continues to partner with the City of Peterborough and the City Kawartha Lakes to deliver the Kawartha Choice FarmFresh initiative.
Established in 2003, Kawartha Choice FarmFresh is a free-to-join regional economic development program that provides a brand identity for local food and farm products grown and produced in The Kawarthas, a network for members to share ideas and access resources, and an online database for buyers to find local producers.
“It’s so important to know if the food we’re buying is local and where it’s available,” Keenan says.
Beyond connecting local food producers with local buyers, Peterborough County also supports agritourism projects that are ideal for farms seeking additional sources of revenue. These opportunities include farm-to-table dining experiences, immersive on-farm experiences, educational experiences, and more.
“Interest in learning about farm life and being connected to a farm is a growing trend,” Keenan notes. “It’s about coming out and experiencing things on a farm in a different way, and it’s an experience that helps you connect with where our food comes from while also being another revenue generator for farms.”
“In a time when we’re constantly scrolling on our phones, it’s nice to be able to connect back to nature through farms and the food that is being produced there. We’re constantly seeing a lot of interest from visitors, as well as locals, trying to understand what farming looks like, connecting with farmers, and learning a little bit about their food.”
Over the coming weeks, Peterborough County will be partnering with kawarthaNOW on The Local Advantage with Peterborough County series, which highlights the programs and initiatives supporting the local agriculture sector.
The series celebrates the farmers, producers, retailers, and agritourism businesses that make The Kawarthas thrive, spotlighting the Kawartha Local Food Wholesale and Kawartha Choice FarmFresh initiatives which aim to strengthen connections from farm to table across the region.
To learn more about the Kawartha Local Food Wholesale program and how to participate, visit grazeandgatherfood.ca/pages/kawartha-local-food-wholesale-project. To learn more about Kawartha Choice FarmFresh, visit kawarthachoice.com.
This branded editorial was created in partnership with Peterborough County Economic Development. If your organization or business is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.
