Programs and Services

The Eastern Ontario Agri-Food Network develops the local food movement to connect growers, processors, and consumers across Prescott-Russell, Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry, Cornwall, and Akwesasne.

As a member of the EOAN, you will directly benefit from many of these programs and services. But you need to be a member to earn those benefits. 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:

• Our Shop Local page on the website. 
• A regional collective e-commerce program that is in development for 2021.
• Our local food asset map, with a free listing for members of the EOAN.
• The Local Food display counters located at three local food retailers (Metro Casselman, St-Albert Cheese, and L'Orignal Packing).

Collaboration with external partners on broad initiatives:

• The Canamex agri-tourism circuit.
• Regional tourism programs to draw visitors to our food enterprises, such as PopSilos, Boisés Est, the CAPRAC Gallery, the Your Arts Council for Cornwall and the Counties, and the Apples and Art Tour in SDG.
• The economic development offices, the tourism agencies, and the visitor guides in SDG, PR, Cornwall, and Akwesasne.
• The Union des cultivateurs franco-ontariens is a strong partner with the EOAN in training farmers and developing markets for farmers.

• Special seasonal paid advertising campaigns, such as the buy local campaign for the 2020 holiday season.
• 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.

• Advertising and promotion such as the paid advertising campaign during the 2020 holiday season.
• The development and recruitment of local farmers to add vendors to farmers markets.

Farm tours:

• The Agri-Art Tours are special weekend events that connect local residents and tourists with local food producers and artists. The 2020 edition of Agri-Art Tour was sadly cancelled because of the COVID pandemic. Having learned to deal with the pandemic, we are now in the planning stages for the 2021 edition of the Agri-Art Tour.
• 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.

Food festivals and special events:

• The EOAN supports the annual Eastern Organic Garlic Festival and Market, held in Cornwall in 2020, in partnership with the Kozroots Garlic and Herb Farm. Plans are underway for the 2021 edition of the garlic festival and market.
• 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. Look for more such events in 2021.
• 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. 

Development and Training:

• Depending the on the COVID regulations at any give time, the EOAN organizes periodic networking events of farmers and businesses along the local food value chain including social activities, rendez-vous for Happy Hour, farm visits, and other direct contacts facilitated by the staff of the EOAN.
• Direct help - if you are looking for something or someone, contact the Executive Director of the EOAN for help. 
• 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. Training events were put on hold in 2020 because of the pandemic. Stay tuned for new training events in 2021. 
• The EOAN engages in joint training events with other organizations, school boards, and colleges to offer professional development in business and farm management. Watch for upcoming programs with COG, la Cité Collégiale, and St-Lawrence College.
• Nutritional panels to put on labels of your processed foods. The services was interrupted in 2020 but will be revived in 2021. 
• Agri-Food consulting services including agronomy, business planning, food safety, and more. Watch for more news in 2021. 
• Support and participation in conferences that develop local farmers and food enterprises, such as the Eastern Ontario Local Food Conference, Eco Farm Day in Cornwall, and many others. 

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 current 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.

Member benefits:

• Group purchase plans for products and services that members may appreciate. This is a new domain to be developed in 2021.