The Ontario Farmland Trust celebrates Food Day Canada on August 5th!

Food Day Canada is all about focusing on the people behind the food. This includes farmers, fishers, chefs, winemakers, brewers, researchers and home cooks, from coast to coast to coast.

Food Day Canada was founded in 2003 by the late Anita Stewart, the first Canadian food laureate at the University of Guelph in Ontario. This year marks the 20^th anniversary of Anita’s mission to promote Canadian cuisine!

We have farmers to thank for so much of the Canadian cuisine grown right here in Ontario.

How can you celebrate with us? It’s simple! It’s all about where you shop, cook, and dine.

Shop – Purchase healthy foods that are grown and processed in Canada, preferably local to your home.

Cook – Read labels to ensure the meals you cook are made with ingredients grown and packaged in Canada. Learn more about where your favourite foods come from and if they are made with Canadian ingredients.

Dine – Visit a restaurant near you that specialized in serving local, in-season, meals. And thank the chef for featuring Canadian ingredients in their recipes!

There are events happing across Canada leading up to August 5. Find one happening near you.

Our Fund Development Manager, Rachel Hopf, attended one such event on Tuesday, July 11, 2023 at the Arboretum, located at the University of Guelph. This event was organized by the Arrell Food Institute, the Ontario Agricultural College, and the Gordon S. Lang School of Business. The event featured a Chef Competition between three local chefs, as well as a variety of information booths from different local organizations and businesses.

“The event was well-attended, and in fact registration was at capacity a week prior”, Hopf shared. “That didn’t stop casual visitors to the Arboretum from wanting to participate too. The day was a lovely celebration of Canadian-produced foods and the work that goes into making this food available to Canadians”.