Programs and Services

The Eastern Ontario Agri-Food Network develops the regional agri-food sector to support growers, processors, and consumers across Prescott-Russell, Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry, Cornwall, Akwesasne, and beyond.

As a member of the EOAN, you will directly benefit from many of these programs and services. Become a member now!

Communications:

• This website, full of information, resources, food sources. 
• Our Facebook page with news, events, and promotions.
• Our Twitter handle.
• By-weekly e-newsletters to our supporters, members, and consumers to deliver local news, announce local food events, and stay in touch.
• Active media relations to get media coverage of the local food events and developments.

Marketing tools to promote local food:

• The Local Food Portal to enable consumers to shop for local food in one place.
• The Sample the East program to bring local and distant visitors to our local food assets.
• Our local food asset map, with a free listing for members of the EOAN.
• The Local Food Discovery booklet, a fun way to find local food and earn discounts and deals through repeated purchases.
• The Broue & Chew road trip in Prescott Russell.
• The local food display counters located at three local food retailers (Metro Casselman, St-Albert Cheese, and L'Orignal Packing).

Advertising and promotions to support local food:

• Our Shop Local page on the website. 
• Profiles of the EOAN members in our by-weekly e-newsletters.
• Participation in agri-food conferences and trade shows to increase the visibility of local food such as Eco Farm Day.
• Support to local farmers markets such as special newsletter issue in Sept 2021, the paid advertising campaign during the 2021 fall season or the spring vendor recruitment season.

Member services to develop local food capacity and success:

• An interactive videoconference platform for members to interact with their customers and promote their business and their products.
• Collaboration with the Union des cultivateurs franco-ontariens, Canadian Organic Growers, Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario, and Collège La Cité in training farmers and developing markets for farmers.
• In-person and virtual training events to develop local farmers, food entrepreneurs, and youth interested in food and farming careers. Subjects range from food safety to marketing, labelling, packaging, preserving, and much more.
• The Members Serving Members program to enable members to work together.
• Activities to enable members to collaborate on joint marketing programs.
• A focal point to bring employers and workers together in the agri-food sector.
• Conferences that develop local farmers and food enterprises, such as the Eastern Ontario Local Food Conference, Eco Farm Day in Cornwall. 
• Direct help - if you are looking for something or someone, contact the Executive Director of the EOAN for help. 

Collaboration with external partners on regional initiatives:

• The EOAN is a co-producer of the Cornwall Waterfront Farmers' Market along with Kozroots Community Empowerment Projets.
• Local representation in the Canamex agri-tourism circuit.
• Regional tourism programs to draw visitors to our food enterprises, such as PopSilos, Boisés Est, the CAPRAC in Prescott-Russell, the Your Arts Council for Cornwall and the Counties, and the Apples and Art Tour in SDG.
• Collaboration with the economic development offices, the tourism agencies, and the visitor guides in SDG, PR, Cornwall, and Akwesasne.

Food festivals and special events:

• Direct support and sponsorships to local food festivals and on-farm events such as the Apple & Arts Tour in Cornwall and SDG, the Field to Feast at Springfield Farm, Happy Hour events at Fruits du Poirier, and food events at Fiat Farm.
• The Agri-Tour program ran from 1995 to 2011 by the UCFO and the EOAN and was a great event to attract consumers to local food farms and businesses.
• The EOAN supports the annual Eastern Organic Garlic Festival and Market, in partnership with the Kozroots Garlic and Herb Farm.
• The EAON frequently organized an annual local food festival (Foire Gourmande) to celebrate and promote local food vendors. Here is the Facebook page for La Foire Gourmande.
• The EOAN supported the 2019 Field to Fork food festival. 
• There are many local food festivals in our region. Are you organizing a local food festival, special food market, or special event at your premises? Talk to the EAON to promote and support your event.

Public policy and representation:

• The EOAN speaks with one voice on behalf of the local food value chain in the region to municipalities, governments, and regulatory bodies in order to voice your concerns, influence policy, and develop programs in our collective interest. 
• Examples include the development of shared community kitchens that could allow micro-processors to market prepared foods from an inspected kitchen with considerably less costs. 
• Institutional purchasing programs to favour local food sources by hospitals, schools, and governments. To be developed in the coming years.

Food security, food literacy, nutrition, and social development:

• Working on fundraisers through local food sales with local schools, service clubs, charitable groups, and social development agencies.
• Working with school boards on school nutrition with local food purchases. 
• Connecting local food banks and local food sources.