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Agri-Value Added Strategy
The Grey-Bruce Regional Economic Development Partnership completed an Agri-Value Added Strategy. The purpose of the project was to develop a strategy for Grey and Bruce Counties that addresses the retention, expansion and attraction of agri-food businesses.

Building Bruce
The goals for Building Bruce are as follows:

  To engage the County of Bruce agricultural community in dialogue;
  To identify potential projects/avenues designed to enhance the capacity of the County of Bruce agricultural community;
  To identify a select project(s) and to prepare a business plan(s);
  To report to the County of Bruce agricultural community and local decision makers on the progress of the overall Project; and,
  To implement selected project(s) and business plan(s) through further Project stages.

Building Bruce is a long-term project. It began with two phases in Stage 1: Phase I – Building the Community Capacity Development Plan; and, Phase II – Implementing the Community Capacity Development Plan. Phase I was to generate a list of potential project ideas which would benefit the agricultural community in Bruce County and select a limited number of projects for further consideration. Phase II was to refine these project ideas and develop detailed business plans for each of them.

The Building Bruce Project has been led by a local Steering Committee composed of various rural community members. This dedicated group has championed the Project and devoted numerous volunteer hours to their community. The Steering Committee has seen Stage 1 of the Project to its successful conclusion.

PHASE I – INVOLVING THE COMMUNITY
The goal of Phase I of the Building Bruce Project was to generate a list of potential project ideas which would benefit the agricultural community in Bruce County and select a limited number of projects for further consideration.

An extensive public process during the spring and summer of 2004 resulted in over 80 project ideas from agricultural community leaders in Bruce County (the Key Informants Group), commodity and other agricultural groups and the general public (through public meetings and the Bruce County web site).

In all over 90 individuals were directly involved in discussing the strengths of Bruce County and identifying potential projects. Members of the Steering Committee participated throughout the process.

A detailed description of the public process, as well as a consolidated list of the project ideas, can be found in the August, 2004 report on Phase I of Building Bruce which is attached as Appendix 1 “Phase I Report”.

The key to capacity building in Bruce County was and is the community. It was vitally important to tap into the Bruce County agricultural community for new directions and innovative ideas. This did not only lead to potential business opportunities for the future, but also began to develop a collective ownership of the Project beyond the realm of the Building Bruce Steering Committee.

PHASE II – THE BUSINESS OF IMPLEMENTATION
The objective of Phase II was to take the projects suggested by the community in Phase I and narrow them down to 2 or 3 for the development of business plans that would lead to successful implementation. The selection process started with some 80 suggested project ideas. Of these, two project areas were chosen by the Steering Committee for the preparation of business plans. The selection process and its results are described in Appendix 2 “Project Selection Process”.

The project selection process proceeded in three stages. First all projects were scored; second the top twenty were considered and rescored to yield the 10 most favoured projects. The results of this scoring process are outlined in Appendix 3 “Top Projects”.

In considering the top ten projects for further refinement to 2 or 3 specific projects, the Steering Committee noted that three groupings of “types of projects” were covered by the top 10 projects. These were:

  Marketing/branding products that originate in Bruce County to permanent residents, cottagers and tourists;
  Creating a network (web) of farming excellence in Bruce County to assist farmers to keep up with current best practices in agriculture. This network would include distance education and could be especially helpful to young farmers; and,
  Establishing local energy alternatives to be used on farms such as bio-digesters, windmills, solar and bio-diesel.

After much discussion it was decided to pursue projects in education and alternative energy. The Steering Committee felt that the branding and marketing project area was very important also. However, a recent project “Marketing Grey /Bruce” had addressed this topic already. The Steering Committee felt that this material was still quite current. Also, in the area of tourism, the County of Bruce has an aggressive and effective marketing initiative. The Steering Committee supports these efforts and is prepared to lend its support to them. It was felt that a further project on branding and marketing was not appropriate at this time.

Two project areas – education and alternative energy – were moved to the business plan stage of the Building Bruce Project. These were not specific projects as originally anticipated, but rather, broad areas of investigation that would yield their own specific projects as they matured. Hence, the business plans developed for these two project areas were more strategy based than assessments of individual business proposals.

In order to create a business plan to implement the Steering Committee’s direction on these two project areas, a mission statement, a series of strategies and an implementation plan are required to assess the potential use of an education network and of alternative energy sources. The “business plans” focus on the steps required to allow the farm community to make decisions on adopting and implementing these projects over the next 2 to 5 years. In areas of constantly changing technologies and long term potential, these business plans look for opportunities that can be implemented in the short term.

2010 Grey Bruce Local Food Project
Conceived in 2007, the Grey Bruce Local Food Project (GBLFP) is a joint agricultural economic development initiative between the County of Bruce and the County of Grey.

Goals of the Project

  To increase the net income of primary and secondary farm produce (meat, vegetables, fruit and other products) growers in Bruce and Grey Counties by linking these producers with potential institutional and food service (restaurants) customers in the Counties in a self sustaining manner;
  To increase/establish the use of Bruce and Grey County food products in local restaurants, schools, government food establishments and other institutional uses by linking producers to end users in a self sustaining manner;
  To review the potential for expansion of the project by linking, or improving upon existing linkages, to the general public and other potential consumers;
  To act as a clearinghouse for information on local foods in Bruce and Grey Counties. 

2010 Grey Bruce Local Food Project Components:
  Grower Marketing Program
  Video & Print Media Contest
  Farmers Market Network
  Seasonal Produce Promotions
  Institutional Sector Pilot Project
  Grey Bruce Food Summit

Overall:  In 2008, the Local Food Project (LFP) assembled an inventory of local food businesses (available at www.foodlinkgreybruce.com ) and worked to connect existing supply to existing demand.  In 2009, and again in 2010, the LFP will be working to expand both the supply of and the demand for local food products. 

Growers Marketing Program:  In 2009, LFP ran a Growers Support Program that offered cash grants directly to new and existing market gardeners.  With an expanding Farmers Market system in the region – there will be 15 farmers markets in Grey Bruce in 2010 – LFP will again be assisting new and existing market gardeners to meet the rising demand for fresh seasonal produce.  The 2010 program will focus on helping growers to develop the marketing skills they need to direct market their produce.  A small grant will assist participants to develop a marketing plan, and financial assistance will be available to defray the costs of executing that plan (for advertising, signage, packaging and labeling materials, etc.)  Participants will be required to present a report on their marketing plan at the 2010 Food Summit.

Video & Print Media Contest:  Open to all high school students in Grey Bruce, a prize for best video and best print media promoting Grey Bruce food products will be offered.  Winning entries will be widely publicized across the region.

Farmers Market Network:  The LFP will coordinate a ‘market managers network’ that will allow area market managers to communicate with each other to explore common issues and possible collaborations (for vendor acquisition and for regional market promotions).  The market managers will meet once in the spring and again at the Food Summit.

Seasonal Market Promotions:  The LFP has a promotions and advertising budget that will be used to promote local food items.  The details of this promotion campaign will be worked out in collaboration with the Farmers Market Network, participants in the Grower Marketing Program and identified producers of short season products like asparagus, strawberries, etc.

Institutional Sector Pilot Project: In 2009, the LFP investigated opportunities to increase the use of local food in area institutional kitchens.  We identified local food ‘champions’ working in these institutional kitchens and this year we will be working with them to begin the process of getting local food products into their food chains.

Grey Bruce Food Summit:  Following on the successful 2009 Food Summit held in Elmwood on Nov 2nd, the 2010 Food Summit will once again offer workshops and networking opportunities for local food industry insiders.  Keep Monday November 8th free and if you wish to take part, and aren’t yet connected, contact us.

For further information please contact

Freeman Boyd or Maria Weijs
519-372-0219 ext.1403
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www.foodlinkgreybruce.com

Other studies are available at: http://www.sbdc.ca/studiesA2