We were very fortunate to speak with a wide variety of local food stakeholders in both the Sudbury and Nipissing Districts as well. We first met with Arik Theijsmeijer of FedNor, who provided valuable information regarding available federal and provincial funding programs for producers of various sizes in the North. We then stopped by Eat Local Sudbury, and spoke with manager Erica Lagios about the work that the organization has done and the challenges and opportunities she sees for the distribution of local food in northern Ontario. 

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Our next meeting was with Pierrette Desrocher of OMAFRA in Verner, and she was kind enough to provide us a tour of the agricultural and local food activities of West Nipissing. While showing us the wide variety of crops grown in the region she also took us to Leisure Farms which is an agritourism and u-pick operation. She then introduced us to Isabelle Legault of Field Good Farm , who spoke to us about her motivations for starting a farm in northern Ontario, and the challenges and opportunities she sees for the future of farming in the North.  

 

We then ventured to Warren to meet with Peggy Baillie, who is part owner/ operator of Three Forks Farm, and is also the executive director of the Local Organic Food Coops Network. She provided valuable insight into many different aspects of local food in the north. We began our last day in Sudbury by visiting and chatting with many producers at The Market Sudbury. While at the market we briefly chatted with Stephane and Erin of Smart Greens Sudbury, who grow a variety of greens using indoor hydroponic technology. Lastly, we visited the vibrant North Bay Farmers' Market and perused the variety of goods available for purchase. 

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Again, we would like to thank all of the local food stakeholders who took the time to chat with us about their thoughts and experiences with the expanding local food movement in the north. We highly value your input and will be in touch regarding the next steps of this research project.