Shop Local in Eastern Ontario

Meet Your Producers

Eastern Ontario is thriving with fantastic and entrepreneurial farmers and producers of food and beverages. Meet your producers. When buying locally, consumers also want the story behind the food that connects the consumer with the producer, business, family, values, and production methods. Your farm or food business can also participate. Learn more about the EOAN's video reporting and marketing program.

Sample the East

"Sample the East - Discovering Seasonal Routes" is a series of curated single and multi-day trips to attract local and distant visitors to our region. Each route is very localized with venues within a few minutes of each other.

The routes highlight foods and beverages along with outdoor adventures, arts, restaurants, and accommodations to make each trip unique and memorable.

Local and distant visitors will appreciate the suggestions that we have put forward to savour the local flavours, discover hidden gems, and connect with our people in eastern Ontario.

Local Food Discovery Booklets

The Eastern Ontario Agri-Food Network presents the Local Food Discovery booklet. The booklet invites new and returning consumers to local food vendors and farmers' markets.

Consumers can obtain the booklet by visiting any of the vendors, making an initial purchase, and then applying the booklet to future purchases from all the vendors.

The Discovery booklet consists of more than $240 of special offers and discounts from 20 participating farmers and food vendors. There are currently over 2,000 booklets in circulation. Each vendor has 12 opportunities to check/stamp/initial a deal so that customers may visit them several times.

In this photo, business owner Christine Bonneau-O'Neill at L'Orignal Packing reviews her listing in the booklet with Stéphane Sarrazin, the 2021 Warden of the United Counties of Prescott-Russell.

The Benefits of Local Food

Shopping locally, especially for food and beverage does wonders. Discover the great food and beverages, the unique flavours, and the beautiful people behind it all.

Buying local food builds the local economy for mutual prosperity. It supports small scale family farms and food artisans. It grounds you in local identity and flavours. It creates bonds and relationships between producers and consumers.

Learn more about the benefits of a local food economy.

According to CBC Ottawa, local growers say they're anticipating even more demand for their products this season, as the pandemic continues to influence people's buying and eating habits. (Photo courtesy of Leela Ramachandran and CBC Ottawa.)

The Map of Local Food in Eastern Ontario

 

Find your local farmer and food artisan on the food asset map for eastern Ontario. They are all open for direct sales to consumers.

Some vendors sell at other retail locations and/or local farmers markets. Some vendors will deliver to your home. Some farms offer venues for special events.

You can become a member of the EOAFN and register your local food business on the food map. The membership and the map are free for farmers.

Local Food Markets

Meet the farmers and food artisans at central locations such as farmers' markets and other public markets.

Visit the many markets that remain open for the fall and winter:

• The Cornwall Waterfront Farmers' Market at the Cornwall Square on Thursdays from 2pm to 5pm, from March 3rd to May 26th.
• Vankleek Hill Farmers' Market, on Saturdays from 9.30am to 12.30pm.
• Ottawa Farmers' Market at Lansdowne Park, on Sundays from 9am to 3pm. Lansdowne is also home to their December Market on Saturdays and Sundays in December!
• Ottawa Organic Farmers' Market, on Riverside Drive in Ottawa, on Saturdays from 10am to noon.

Local Food Hubs

Consult this list of local food hubs where farms and businesses offer a one-stop-shop to provide a wide range of local products.

Food producers in Eastern Ontario often work together, co-market, distribute, and re-sell each other's products. It is a great way for consumers to find a wider range of local products in one location, for small producers to find another channel to market, and for larger producers to expand their offering with other local products and be more attractive to customers.

Thank you to Cornerstone Organics for this great photo of their offering.

The Broue & Chew Road Trip

Discover Prescott and Russell’s agri-food route and indulge in the variety of local products grown and prepared by local artisans. Follow the routes outlined on the map, or simply follow your taste buds. BROUE & CHEW, for authentic local food and drinks!

Local Food Counters

Look for these dedicated local food counters at selected retail outlets in the region:

• L'Orignal Meat Packing in L'Orignal ON. 
• The Metro grocery store in Casselman ON. 
• St-Albert Cheese in St-Albert ON.