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Alberta Local Food Council to support growth in sector

Oct 23, 2018 | 7:11 AM

EDMONTON- The province’s first-ever Local Food Council meets this week. 

The Alberta Local Food Council has a diverse cross-section of members who represent Alberta’s billion-dollar local food industry.

It will provide recommendations on provincial policies, programs, pilot projects or initiatives to support the continued growth and sustainability of Alberta’s local food sector.

Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Oneil Carlier states, “Our new Local Food Council is a tremendous group of engaged, energetic and community-minded people who are invested in the local food process. I very much look forward to the thoughtful advice and recommendations that the council will provide to support the continued growth and sustainability of Alberta’s $1 billion local food sector.”

“Growing up on an egg farm provided me the roots for my love of agriculture. I am an Albertan through and through, and working with other producers helps me to learn more about our collective industry. To be successful, we must take a forward-looking and proactive approach and work collaboratively as a local food sector. Consumers are increasingly interested in how we farm, and I’m excited to share our local food industry with Albertans.” says Susan Schafers, Egg Farmers of Alberta, and Alberta Local Food Council co-chair. 

Jeff Senger, Sangudo Custom Meats, and Alberta Local Food Council co-chair adds, “In our local food business, I shake the farmer’s hand when he drops off his live cow, and I shake his hand when he comes to pick up his steak. There is a trust and responsibility at our small local level that works for us and our customers. I want to help other local food entrepreneurs establish these types of connections with the land, their product and their customers across Alberta.”

Lacombe area greenhouse operator Eric Doef is also a member of the council.

Doef is a second-generation partner at Doef’s Greenhouses, a state-of-the-art, year-round greenhouse near Lacombe.

Eric and his family have a passion for providing local food to Alberta markets.

He is well connected to the Alberta greenhouse industry and was recently awarded the Top 10 under 40 by Greenhouse Canada magazine.

The council has broad representation from Alberta’s local food sector across the province, including small producers and processors and those with specialized and academic knowledge and they will examine:

– Potential barriers and challenges for local food producers and local food processors, including specific challenges faced by small producers and processors.
– Local food aggregation and distribution.
– Risk-management tools for local food producers and processors.
– Increasing access to local food.
– Consumer awareness of local food.
– Certification opportunities for local food producers and local food processors.

Council members were selected from a public recruitment process and will report to the minister within one year.