By Angelo Mazziotti
Guelph Tribune

A second wave of funding from the Greenbelt Fund was announced Tuesday, at the Guelph Community Heath Centre.

The money, distributed by the Greenbelt’s Broader Public Sector Investment Fund program, is to supply more Ontario- grown food to Ontario institutions such as daycares, schools, hospitals, and long-term care facilities.

Guelph-Wellington is working to increase awareness of its diverse local food system. This grant will expand the bounty of local foods provided to 99 public institutions spread out over six municipalities, including three high schools, five daycare centres, three health care facilities, and one university, a news release said.

Local MPP Liz Sandals said this new initiative is important for a number of different reasons.

“It helps clients of a public institution as well as the local economy,” said Sandals. “Whether it be a resident of the Evergreen Centre or a student buying food at a local high school. Now Ontarians more than ever want to get access to local food.”

Sandals went on to say the grant would also help the economy by inserting money into agriculture – one of the biggest economic sectors in the province.

“Making sure that local farmers have local markets helps the farm economy and helps Ontario grow,” Sandals said.

Sandals said since 2003 the Ontario Government has invested close to $80 million into Ontario food and $6 million into the Broader Public Sector Investment Fund. She said this particular investment would benefit institutions, such as the University of Guelph, the Guelph General Hospital, local high schools along with the City of Guelph, which runs food programs in the Evergreen Seniors Community Centre and the River Run Centre.

“When we buy local, everybody wins,” said Sandals.

One local food leader said he couldn’t wait to see the fruits of this latest initiative pay off.

Jamie Draves, president and CEO of Katan Kitchens says he is very excited about the latest round of funding and offered a look into what funding of this kind can generate.

“We prepare foods for individuals with allergies and intolerances,” Draves said. “High quality and high purity in food is essential. With this we can look at creating ‘super-foods’ which are foods that are very nutritionally dense.”

Draves said his company is currently growing trial crops of “quinoa” and “amaranth” which are seeds, used like grains with very high levels of protein to be incorporated into food items. He said they currently supply food to individuals, but hope to soon expand and supply a greater good to a greater population.

“Through these initiatives we plan to make the move into hospitals and long-term care facilities because they are the individuals who could benefit the most.”

In a letter, read aloud from Guelph Wellington Local Food Initiative co-ordinator Kate Vsetula, who couldn’t be present, the benefits of the program were made clear.

“Imagine a region in Ontario where local food is celebrated everywhere. A place where local municipalities have passed and implemented their own local food policies before extending a helping hand to hospitals, schools, child care centres and long term care facilities.”