"RURAL CONNECTIONS" Newsletter - January 2010

• Quest for New Farm Value - Value Plus™ 2-Day Workshops
• Green Bin collection starts week of January 4
• Resumption of City rebate program for water efficient toilets
• Career Focus Program from the Government of Canada
• Workshop on Crop Planning for Fruit and Vegetable Growers – February 20^th
• Farmer Training Courses from Just Food
• Committee Meetings
• Rural Development Applications

Quest for New Farm Value - Value Plus™ 2-Day Workshops

Are you looking for or do you have a business idea for your farm? Not sure how to make your idea a reality? The City of Ottawa’s Rural Affairs Office, along with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) are offering a workshop to assist.

Over two days, the participant will identify their specific value-added idea, put their idea into action, evaluate market channels, the importance and components of a business plan, explore how to finance the stages of the business and manage risk.

Dates: Tuesday February 23, 2010 and Tuesday March 2, 2010

Times: 9am to 4pm each day

Location: West Carleton Community Complex - Council Chambers, 5670 Carp Road, Kinburn

Who should attend these workshops?

Farm and rural based entrepreneurs who want to learn how to tap into new market place and value added opportunities.

Workshop Leaders:

Ontario farm business owners, entrepreneurs and advisors will share lessons learned and best practices to engage participants in evaluating new product and service ideas and steps to successfully bring them to market.

The workshop is limited to 25 participants. Pre-registration is required. Cost for the two days is $75.00 and includes lunch both days.

You will benefit from this workshop by learning how to:

• Identify, find and evaluate new value added ideas

• Put your ideas into action using the seven step value added development process

• Evaluate market channels

• Find innovative ways to market your products and services

• Build a business that can support your new idea

• Save time and money in the development process

• Price your products properly

• Manage your risk

Over the two days you will:

• Explore case studies of how innovative rural and farm businesses developed their value added ideas and opportunities

• Explore how a new product evolves from conception to the marketplace

• Identify how a business plan is crucial to a value added venture

• Network with other participants and learn from their stories and experiences

• Take home practical and useful resources and tips

This training opportunity is eligible for cost-share funding through the Growing Forward Business Development for Farm Businesses program. For more information on program requirements, please visit http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/about/growingforward/busdev.htm or call 1-877-424-1300.

Register By: February 16, 2010 www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/busdev/conference/quest/ottawa.htm or contact ruralaffairs@ottawa.ca

Green Bin collection starts week of January 4

Bi-weekly collection of the 220,000 green bins delivered to city residents starts January 4, 2010.

The Green Bin program is an easy way to dispose of household organic waste such as food scraps, soiled paper products and more. Check your new 2009-2011 Collection Calendar to confirm when pickup begins in your neighbourhood.

Ottawa’s Green Bin program accepts a wide range of organic waste including: fruits and vegetables, meat and dairy, grains, baked goods, cooking oils, yard waste (such as grass clippings, twigs, leaves) and houseplants and soiled paper products including pizza boxes, used tissues and paper plates.

For a complete list of items that can be put in the green bin and tips for greening your holidays, visit: ottawa.ca/greenbin or greenbinottawa.ca.

Resumption of City rebate program for water efficient toilets

Additional funding for the Toilet Replacement Program was approved by City Council on December 9 to provide homeowners (including rural residents), with a cash incentive to replace their old inefficient toilet with a City-approved, water-efficient toilet.

Council approved an additional $260,000 in funding for the program to provide homeowners with a $60 rebate for an approved single-flush 6L or dual flush 3/6L toilets. A $75 rebate will be processed for high-efficiency toilets that flush with 4.8L or less.

More than 4,000 rebates have been issued this year, with an estimated annual savings to residents of 51,000 litres. Funding for rebates was exhausted in October due to the popularity of this environmental program. With the $260,000 additional funding, the City will resume issuing rebates, including to those whose applications were received after exhaustion of the 2009 funding.

http://www.ottawa.ca/residents/water/waterwise/programs/toilets/index_en.html

Career Focus Program from the Government of Canada

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) is one of several federal departments participating in the Career Focus Program.

At AAFC, the Career Focus Program will contribute $864,000 to projects that employ recent graduates in agriculture, agri-food, agri-food science and veterinary medicine. Each project will be eligible to receive up to $20,000 in matching funds.

The program will help create some 80 agricultural internships for graduates across the country. Each internship may last up to 12 months. The minimum duration is four months, but internships must last long enough to provide meaningful experience to the participant.

How the program works

The program is administered by the Renewal Division of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and its five regional offices. Organizations that want to sponsor internships must submit project proposals to AAFC, recruit graduates and share the cost of each project. Please note: the Career Focus Program is not a summer employment program.

For more information, please visit: www.agr.gc.ca/careerfocus

Workshop on Crop Planning for Fruit and Vegetable Growers – February 20^th

Canadian Organic Growers (COG) presents a full day workshop, appropriate for all fruit and vegetable producers, conventional and organic. The workshop is based on the upcoming publication from Canadian Organic Growers, Crop Planning for Diversified Vegetable Growers, by Frédéric Thériault and Daniel Brisebois.

The workshop, to be held Saturday February 20^th 9 am – 5 pm at an Ottawa-area location to be announced, covers a 10-step approach to crop planning, from setting financial goals to developing and implementing a crop plan, to analyzing harvest and sales data to improve future plans. Activities and discussions will help participants gain an understanding of the crop planning process and benefits so that they can make their farms more efficient and profitable.

Cost is $50 ($45 for COG members) and includes lunch and a copy of Crop Planning. The instructor is Frédéric Thériault, co-manager of Ferme Coopérative Tourne-sol, and co-author of Crop Planning.

To register, contact COG at office@cog.ca or calling 1-888-375-7383, or register online by visiting www.cog.ca/workshops/.

This training opportunity is eligible for cost-share funding through the Growing Forward Business Development for Farm Businesses program with OMAFRA. For more information on program requirements, please call 1-877-424-1300 or visit www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/about/growingforward/busdev.htm.

For information, contact Colin Lundy, COG Farmer Outreach Coordinator, at colin@cog.ca or phone 613-493-0020.

Farmer Training Courses from Just Food

This winter, Just Food (www.justfood.ca), a non-profit organization sponsored by the Social Planning Council of Ottawa, will offer Farmer Training workshops. To register, please note which course you would like to attend and send an email to info@justfood.ca with your name, phone number and full names of those accompanying you, or call 613-236-9300.

Hosting Interns on your farm

Monday January 25^th, 6 pm – 9pm

Cost: $20

Learn about the possibilities of hosting an intern on your farm, including what should be provided, education and training suggestions, salary, legalities, and an introduction to the CRAFT program (www.craftontario.ca).

CSA Mini-School  

Saturday, February 13^th, 9 am – 4 pm

Cost: $60

This full day workshop for those interested in starting a CSA (Community Shared Agriculture) production will cover advanced market gardening techniques (using a bed system, equipment, irrigation, steps in scaling up), and will introduce the basics of planning proper succession planting for a CSA farm. In the afternoon, the steps in setting up the CSA itself will be reviewed, including where to find and how to retain CSA customers, and efficient distribution systems.

Committee Meetings

Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee
http://www.ottawa.ca/cgi-bin/docs.pl?Elist=14413&lang=en
Thursday 14 January 2010, 10:00
City Hall - Champlain Room, 110 Laurier Ave West, Ottawa

Rural Issues Advisory Committee
http://www.ottawa.ca/cgi-bin/docs.pl?Elist=14553&lang=en
Tuesday 19 January 2010, 19:00
City Hall – Colonel By Room, 110 Laurier Ave West, Ottawa

Rural Development Applications

Information is available online for development applications subject to public consultation at www.ottawa.ca/devapps. Recently updated development applications in rural Ottawa are listed below:

Ward 5 - West Carleton-March NIL