About 35 farmers and municipal leaders gathered at the Emo Legion last Wednesday to get a progress update on the Rainy River Future Development Corp.’s Rural Agricultural Initiative.
The purpose of the initiative is to expand producer opportunities in all aspects of the agriculture industry. It is a three-year project, funded by FedNor, which began last April with the hiring of Jeannette Cawston as ag co-ordinator.
Cawston hit the ground running by getting involved in a lively skit at the Rainy River Federation of Agriculture’s spring dinner.
Since then she hasn’t slowed down. Her activities have included working on encouraging interested farmers to relocate here, helping to find a large-animal vet for the area, and looking at alternative energy sources (possibly switch grass or reed canary grass) for the biomass boiler.
Cawston also is working for district municipalities. For example, she sits on the “MOM’s Way” committee and the agricultural task force for The Common Voice, as well as working with municipalities on their strategic plans.
Some early successes have been the local foods harvest dinner held back in the fall, an information booth at the Emo Fair this past August, and TV ads for Clover Valley Country Store.
The store offered local products at the market up until Christmas.
Cawston has been working with Shaw Cable throughout the growing season to produce a series of eight TV programs entitled, “Building an Appetite for Local Foods.”
The series promotes awareness of district agriculture by profiling a number of producers and events.
As Cawston says, “Everyone should know about all the wonderful things that are going on in the district.”
The programs are being aired on Shaw Cable throughout Northwestern Ontario.
Cawston also has been looking at things that have worked in other areas and trying to find ways to adapt them locally.
In February, she will be accompanying a group of farmers’ market vendors to Madison, Wis. to attend the North American Farmers’ Direct Marketing Convention.
She also will be attending the International Agriculture Equipment Conference in Toronto.
In related news, the RRFA will be holding its annual spring dinner in April. This year’s event will be a giant potluck, with a special program designed to foster goodwill and co-operation among all people of the Rainy River District.
Anyone interested in helping with this event is invited to a soup-and-sandwich planning meeting today (Jan. 30) at 5 p.m. at the Chapple municipal office.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
