County council supports agricultural diversification with $50,000 over five years
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County councillors have pledged $50,000 over five years to an organization that says it’s dedicated to changing the future of agriculture in the South Central Ontario Region.
The mandate of Erie Innovation and Commercialization (EIC) is to diversity agriculture and food production in a region, that includes the counties of Norfolk, Middlesex, Elgin, Oxford and Brant, making it a globally competitive rural powerhouse.
“The agricultural sector is no longer just people growing corn and soybeans,” said Dr. John Kelly, vice-president of Erie Innovation and Commercialization.
Kelly, who made a presentation to county council Wednesday morning, pointed out new and developing agricultural markets that are underutilized.
For example, a new Ferrero Rocher in Brantford, he said, uses only hazelnut produced in Turkey, Italy or the U.S.
“They don’t use a single hazelnut from Canada,” he said.
The organization has also launched new organizations such as the Ontario Lavender Association and the Ontario South Coast Wineries and Growing Associations.
“We organize people and get them to see the advantage of working in a group,” Kelly said.
Earlier this year, Norfolk County also agreed to provide $20,000 in funding per year over five years to the agricultural organization.
Later this month they will be approaching other municipalities in the region they represent.
Without funding grants from other partners, Kelly said the organization would be forced to close.
EIC was originally a four-year project led by the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association and funded by an investment of $73,000 through Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.
It was designed to focus on helping former tobacco growers diversify their growing opportunities, increase production capacity and help jumpstart the economy.