OAFVC Blog

Forget any stereotype you believed about modern farmers and farming in general. Next time you pass a farmer’s field see past the pastures and grazing cows and consider that in 2016, the agriculture and agri-food system generated $111.9 billion of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and contributed 6.7% of Canada’s total GDP. These staggering numbers mean farmers are contributing to more than just a meal on a table but to the growth of Canada as a nation.

Navigating the business grants available to you can leave a small business owner with more questions than answers. Let us provide some options and clarity. Learn what financial resources are available for businesses like yours in the Northumberland County: there are many categories that you can apply under and get the funding you need.

There are five factors that affect your food processing costs during a growing season, including:

Our lives as Canadians are busier than ever and that influences what we eat. Because we are so busy, and simply spend less time in the kitchen preparing food than we used to, we want food that is quick to make, but also good quality and affordable. That’s why it’s important that Canadian food production businesses provide us with alternatives that are fresh, healthful, and convenient.

Crop diversity in Canada is being influenced by the changing face of Canadians. An increasingly diverse population within Canada is altering the overall Canadian palate growing the demand for non-traditional food items. For example, Canada’s growing Asian population has led to an increased demand for and consumption of seafood, fruits, seeds, and nuts.

When you hear the term agri-food you might immediately think of farming. And you’d be right! The agri-food sector does include farming, but it also includes the entire journey your food takes from farms, like those in our Northumberland County community, to your table. Agri-food combines the words agriculture and food representing a holistic view of the activities involved in quality-controlled food production.

We have already talked about the myths involved in packaging materials but there still remains some clouded and inaccurate views about food processing industry. If you’re looking to start your own food business you will want to know the facts and truths, and not get caught up in silly food processing myths that could affect your business strategies.

You may not have used a commercial kitchen facility like the Ontario Agri-Food Centre (OAFVC) before. To give you an idea of what the food production cycle looks like at a commercial kitchen, here are the 9 on-site products OAFVC offers local agricultural and food entrepreneurs, such as yourself:

February is the month love comes to our minds. So we wanted to share with you what we love about agri-food in Northumberland County. There’s so much happening in the agri-food sector in our county, and we chose 5 parts of the agri-food chain we thought you’d love to know more about.

It’s the season of romance again and you should be prepared for the usual red, white, and pink hearts for your Valentine’s Day food packaging. Sure, you can argue that the regular themes are a bit overused but they set the tone of the day and someone, somewhere once decided they should be associated with romance and going against that grain could be tricky. 

A food processing room has everything your agri-food business needs to safely and efficiently get your products flying off the shelf this year.  Using a commercial kitchen’s food processing room is a great way to support local businesses while expanding your own.  

Curious about how your business can grow with the help of a commercial kitchen? Northumberland County’s Ontario Agri-Food Venture Centre (OAFVC) is where your food business can leverage modern appliances to see the growth and increased profits you are striving for.  If there’s some mystery about what goes on inside the OAFVC, let’s shine some light on what a commercial kitchen can do.