Bonnie den Haan, DFO's Region 6 Board member, re-elected as FFCO chair

May 14, 2021

Bonnie den Haan has been re-elected chair of Farm & Food Care Ontario (FFCO), nominated by Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO), at FFCO's board meeting on April 26, 2021.

Den Haan is DFO's Region 6 Board member, representing Dufferin, Peel, Simcoe and Wellington counties.

“I am grateful for my fellow board members and our staff team whose passion and creativity ensured an exciting and successful year for the organization," Den Haan says. "As I begin my second year as chair, I reflect on how far this organization has come, enjoying the fruits of trees planted by past boards, and feel optimistic that the best is yet to come.”

To learn more about Bonnie den Haan, her farm and family and their processing business, read her bio on our consumer website here.

Read the full press release here to learn more about FFCO's executive team.

As well, FFCO recently released its 2020 annual report and year in review video. Den Haan is featured in the chair's message on page 3 of the report.

As one of DFO's agriculture partners, FFCO works to build public trust and consumer confidence in food and farming systems. For more information, visit www.FarmFoodCareON.org.

Savour Ontario launches 2021 Milk & Honey campaign, featuring a recipe collection and local restaurant menus

May 10, 2021

Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s culinary brand, Savour Ontario, is proud to present Milk & Honey.

This year, the four-week campaign running throughout May features a collection of recipes inspired by local food, Ontario dairy and the flavours of spring created in partnership with Feast On chefs across the province and paired with VQA Ontario wines.

Join the 2021 Milk & Honey campaign! Here’s how consumers and industry members can participate:
 

Local campaign:

Eight Feast On-certified food venues across the province will feature their original, dairy-inspired Milk & Honey recipes through safe and local takeout menus, in partnership with Savour Ontario from April 30 to May 27, 2021.

Look out for venues near you serving the special Milk & Honey menus. Partnering venues are all over the province, from Craft Farmacy in London, Ont., to Richmond Station in Toronto, to The Breakfast Pig in Sault Ste. Marie.

Get the full list of participating restaurants on the campaign site by clicking here and scrolling to the bottom of the page.
 

Provincial campaign:

Follow Savour Ontario on Facebook and Instagram and like, share and comment on Milk & Honey social media posts.

The Milk & Honey campaign will also be promoted via the Weather Network app, a new and relevant channel for reaching consumers. When checking the weather to plan the events of your day, the campaign’s seasonal culinary content will be shared to keep Milk & Honey’s recipes top of mind.

Get your free digital recipe collection

Be sure to click here to visit the campaign website and sign up to pre-order the Milk & Honey Digital Recipe Collection. Then, at the campaign’s end on May 28, the recipe collection will be delivered right to your email inbox.

Inside the digital collection, Ontarians will find 20 local food recipes from 10 Feast On-certified chefs and venues paired with outstanding VQA Ontario wines. The recipes include helpful chef’s tips and notes, ingredient substitution options as well as fun and engaging ideas and activities for an elevated at-home experience. Consumers can explore the talent and bounty of Ontario through these dairy-inspired recipes and treat themselves to a chef’s table experience at home or in their local communities.
 

Visit savourontario.ca/milkandhoney before May 28 to participate and celebrate spring with Savour Ontario!

 
For even more culinary content and delicious recipes, check out the Savour Ontario website at savourontario.ca. Visit Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s consumer site at milk.org for information about marketing, farming, nutrition, dairy products and recipes and more. Don’t miss the brand-new Ontario Dairy Guide.

May 2021 quota exchange summary report now available

May 08, 2021

Click here to download the latest May 2021 quota exchange summary report.

View the Quota Exchange Archive page, available in the left navigation, for the full list of past summary reports. 

Raw Milk Quality Program policy book updated

May 04, 2021

La version française arrive bientôt.

Dairy Farmers of Ontario's Raw Milk Quality (RMQ) Program policy book has been updated as of March 30, 2021, with updated policies effective June 1, 2021. 

Updated policy books are posted here on the industry site under Programs & Policies in the left navigation. 

All updated are documented at the back of the English policy book, in Appendix 1.

Download the latest English book here.

DFO launches new Ontario dairy guide, available to industry and consumers

April 30, 2021

Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s (DFO) marketing department recently launched the 2021 Ontario Dairy Guide as a reference document for people to learn more about local dairy. It celebrates how Ontario dairy products are all inspired by a single delicious, sustainable and local ingredient: Milk.

The guide features:

• key facts and nutritional information on a variety of dairy categories, including milk, butter, cheese and more;
• new recipes and culinary content for cooking and baking with dairy at home;
• a list of all Ontario-based dairy processors, which will be helpful for Ontario consumers looking for fresh, local products, whether everyday products or specialty types—organic, grass-fed, non-homogenized milk and many others.

DFO launched the guide at the Restaurants Canada (RC) Show, highlighting how DFO is focusing on Ontario dairy and local processors, and partnering with them.

The guide is available to download here on DFO's industry website under Publications and Processors.

As well, on the consumer website, the guide is available here. 

Organic New Entrant Quota Assistance Program

April 28, 2021

To ensure there are new entrants to maintain the organic milk supply, DFO is giving priority access for up to two (2) positions from the 2022 New Entrant Quota Assistance Program (NEQAP) to organic applicants.

The Organic New Entrant Quota Assistance Program (ONEQAP-2022) is for the application period of April 5, 2021, to May 31, 2021.

Once the selection process is complete, DFO will then open the application period from July 1, 2021, to Oct. 31, 2021, for the unfilled NEQAP positions.

Click here for the Organic NEQAP application.

DFO sponsors upcoming AgScape AGM on April 26 and May 5, 2021

April 23, 2021

DFO is proud to be a sponsor for AgScape's upcoming virtual annual general meeting (AGM). AgScape is an agri-food charitable organization that works with schools to empower students with agricultural knowledge for future careers.

Join AgScape for its free event scheduled over two days through pre-recorded video, live-streamed presentations and online networking.

Live presentations:
April 26, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
May 5, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

This year’s theme is Thriving in a changing world, which celebrates AgScape's 30th anniversary. Topics include how AgScape has adapted to COVID-19 and the importance of bringing together members and key stakeholders together at this time.

The keynote and panel topic is "Succeeding In the New Virtual Education Environment."

For more information and to register, visit AgScape's website here.

proAction Environment Reference Manual available here on DFO's industry site

April 21, 2021

The proAction Environment Reference Manual in English and French, originally released in November 2020, are available here on DFO's Industry Resources website.


Find it in the following places:

• Click About proAction in the top navigation, then click the cover images of the manuals on the main page;

• Or, click proAction Documents in the left navigation. The manuals will appear on the main page as well as filed under Reference Materials;

• Direct links to the manuals: English | en français
   

For more information about proAction, the industry's quality assurance program, visit Dairy Farmers of Canada's proAction site: English, en français.

Visit DFO's improved consumer website

April 16, 2021

Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) recently launched the third phase of its website evolution. This final phase takes a year’s worth of learning and data to improve the user experience.

The updated site launched on March 31 and includes design and content changes based on consumer feedback and data audits.

DFO has improved the information available to people looking to learn more about Ontario’s dairy industry, and made sure all content is fully accessible and easy to navigate.

You can check out the updated website at www.milk.org, DFO's consumer website.

DFO's Dairy Education Program announces virtual presentations and Growing Up Dairy initiative

April 14, 2021

Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s (DFO) Dairy Education Program and its updates were in the spotlight recently in DFO's Milk Producer magazine.

Educators were able to return to classrooms through virtual presentations in January, fulfilling the high demand from schools. A longtime educator talked about what she loves best about her job and how she’s adapted to online teaching using digital programs and resources.

As well, the Dairy Education team introduced its new Growing Up Dairy initiative, which launched in January. Students can virtually follow the day-to-day activities of a dairy farm and the growth of a dairy calf, and relate it to curriculum requirements in language, science and more.

Read the story in the March issue of Milk Producer magazine on page 8.

To learn more about DFO’s school programs, click here.