Stakeholders in the local food value chain will be making new links at Source It Here, the third annual business to business networking event, to be held on Feb. 28 from noon to 5:30pm at the Loyola House at Ignatius Jesuit Centre.
Presented by Guelph Wellington Local Food, the event brings together farmers, retailers, processors, distributors, and chefs with a common mission: How can they make more local food available to consumers?
This year, emphasis will be placed on determining how larger volumes of local food can be supplied more consistently to institutions and the broad public sector as well as local restaurants and retail stores.
Neil Hanna, an 18 year veteran of kitchens and the food industry, currently operates the bistro at the Guelph General Hospital on behalf of Marek Hospitality, a Canadian owned and operated food service company. “Our mandate is to promote and support Canadian grown and farmed items over any other supplier,” he said.
And when he can get product grown in Wellington County, he gets even more excited. Hanna will be part of the local food chain panel on Demystifying the Components of the Local Food Value Chain.
Also on the agenda are presentations on Local Food Hub Research, by Karen Landman, associate professor at the University of Guelph, and Niagara Food Initiatives by Terri Donia, project manager with Niagara Region, as well as a trade show.
Ignatius Jesuit Centre chef Susan Sprague will be featuring eats made from local food available at this time of year, such as rabbit, sausage, sheep cheese, rutabagas, and relishes.
Source It Here will also be an excuse to celebrate. It’s the kick off of the new branding initiative taste, Real from the Ground Up.
With a vision of supporting the local food economy by offering authentic taste, real farm food and drink experiences for everyone, the new brand is about passion in the way local food is grown, prepared, presented and enjoyed, and how real it tastes.
Those attending will consider that help their bottom line.
This event is made supported by the province, the County of Wellington, the City of Guelph, and the Guelph Chamber of Commerce.
Detailed information and online registration are available at www.guelphwellingtonlocalfood.ca.
