Innovations in the Local Food Frontier: Greenhouse, Vertical Farming, Aquaculture, Aquaponics

The Northern Ontario Farm Innovation Alliance (NOFIA) and the County of Renfrew have come together
to co-host the 2021 North & Eastern Ontario Local Food Conference virtually, in partnership with the
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). This year’s theme is “Local Food More
Than Ever”, and the sessions will explore the hard-won lessons from a global pandemic that can help
strengthen local food businesses and organizations.
Previously, this extremely successful event was held in Eastern Ontario only, bringing together those in
the local food industry to learn and network. With the constantly changing pandemic, the opportunity to
deliver the conference virtually has allowed the conference to be extended to include Northern Ontario.
This new format will be delivered over a series of free webinars exploring diverse perspectives on local
food.
Throughout March, each session will start at 10:00 a.m. (EST), with virtual participatory chef-led
luncheons taking place at noon on March 17th and 31st. Sessions include:
• March 10th – “Local Food More Than Ever: Harvesting the Lessons of COVID-19”
• March 17th – “Navigating Agri-Tourism During a Pandemic” with a chef-led “Taste of the North”
participatory lunch at noon
• March 24th – “Surviving and Thriving: The Resilience of Local Food”
• March 31st – “Innovationsin the Local Food Frontier: Greenhouse, Vertical Farming, Aquaculture,
Aquaponics” with a chef-led “Taste of Renfrew County” participatory lunch at noon