The provincial government has honoured farm innovation in Bruce and Grey Counties.
Four businesses and organizations will receive five thousand dollars each for winning the Premier’s Agri Food Innovation Excellence award.
The Grey Bruce Agriculture and Culinary Association was honoured for bringing together producers, processors, restaurants and tour operators to promote local food.
There are now 157 paid members of the group.
Healing Arc and Everspring Farms in Teeswater won for introducing the Sea Buckthorn crop — a citrus type berry used in foods as well as medicinal and environmental purposes.
Saugeen Country Dairy in Markdale won for being the first on-farm dairy in Ontario to make and sell organic yogurt — and it has been since 1994.
WoolDrift Farm in Markdale was also honoured for being the first commercial sheep milking operation in the province.
There were 55 regional award winners in total.
Sunrise Produce in Alliston received 5 thousand dollars as part of the Agri-Food Excellence awards.
The farm developed 3 new potato varieties that were grown across 300 acres of land in Ontario.
Forager Foods is the only Huron County business to receive a Premier’s Agri-Food Innovation Excellence Award.
Forager operates a 900 square-foot specialty store which carries only food produced from within a 45-minute drive of Bayfield.
The company has plans to create a chain of similar stores across southwestern Ontario.
This is the third year of the awards, which has 2.5 million dollars available for local farmers.