<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;">Hi folks<br><br>Their PPS comments provided by the Waterloo Food System Roundtable includes statements regarding quarries and urban sprawl. It's good "food for thought."<br><br>Louisette<br><br>--- On <b>Thu, 11/4/10, Marc Xuereb <i><MXuereb@regionofwaterloo.ca></i></b> wrote:<br><blockquote style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(16, 16, 255); margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px;"><br>From: Marc Xuereb <MXuereb@regionofwaterloo.ca><br>Subject: [WRFoodNews] Waterloo Region Food News - Nov 4, 2010<br>To: "'wrfoodnews@wrfoodsystem.ca'" <wrfoodnews@wrfoodsystem.ca><br>Date: Thursday, November 4, 2010, 9:26 AM<br><br><div id="yiv615694047">
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<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;">This edition of WRFoodNews is a long one! Upcoming events
are listed at the bottom and on the Waterloo Region Food System Roundtable's
website at <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.wrfoodsystem.ca">www.wrfoodsystem.ca</a>.</span></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;"> </span></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;">Elmira Produce Auction featured in <i>The Record</i></span></b></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;">The Elmira Produce Auction was featured on the front page of <i>The
Record</i>'s Business section on November 1st. The <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://news.therecord.com/Business/article/804000">article</a> lauds the Auction's
contribution to making more local food available in urban restaurants and
markets, and its contribution to farmer incomes. It also describes some
of the Auction's challenges over the years, and the new wholesale business
called JayWest, started earlier this year by the former Auction manager.
The article is reprinted from a series on published on <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://thetyee.ca/">The Tyee</a> called <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://thetyee.ca/Series/2010/10/28/GrowingTheLocalBounty/">Growing the
Local Bounty</a>, which looks at what's working in Ontario and BC to make the
food system more sustainable.</span></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;"> </span></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;">Roundtable issues statement on Provincial Policy Statement (PPS)</span></b></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;" lang="EN">The Waterloo Region Food System Roundtable submitted a <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.wrfoodsystem.ca/files/www/ROUNDTABLE_COMMENTS_ON_PROVINCIAL_POLICY_STATEMENT_PPS.PDF">six-page
letter</a> to the Province of Ontario on October 31st suggesting several
revisions to the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS), the document which guides
municipal land use policy decisions across the province. The submission
points out the absence of any reference to planning for food systems in the
document, and asks the province to consider putting in policies which protect
prime agricultural lands and which provide better access to places to buy food
in cities. It also suggests putting a higher priority on preserving
agricultural lands than on mineral aggregate extraction. The full
submission can be viewed <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.wrfoodsystem.ca/files/www/ROUNDTABLE_COMMENTS_ON_PROVINCIAL_POLICY_STATEMENT_PPS.PDF">here</a>.</span></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;"> </span></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;">300 Planners learn how to plan for food systems at annual conference</span></b></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;">The annual meeting of the Ontario Professional Planners Institute
drew almost 300 Planners to a two-day meeting focused exlusively on how to plan
for a healthy food system. The conference, which took place October 28
and 29 in Guelph, had numerous presentations by Planners urging greater
attention and resources dedicated to addressing farmland preservation and urban
food access. See the full program <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.ontarioplanners.on.ca/content/symposium/index.aspx">here</a>.
See a presentation made at the conference by the Ontario Ministry of Muncipal
Affairs and Housing on how and why Planners should pay attention to food issues
<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.ontarioplanners.on.ca/members/content/news/newsletter.asp?fn=SYMPOSIUM&id=1765&nav=section&lang=English">here</a>.</span></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;"> </span></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;">Wilmot farm sign dispute</span></b></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;">Wilmot Township pumpkin farmer Kevin Shantz is caught up in a
dispute over possibly conflicting Township and Regional By-Laws about signage
on country roads. Wilmot Township By-Law enforcement officials told
Shantz to take down road signs directing customers to his farm, while Regional
By-Laws explicitly permit such signs. Two articles in <i>Ontario Farmer</i>
describe details of the dispute: one on <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.betterfarming.com/online-news/sign-law-tussle-signals-trouble-wilmot-grower-3393">October
14th</a> and another on <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.betterfarming.com/online-news/wilmot-waterloo-meeting-good-sign-3400">October
19th</a>. Waterloo Federation of Agriculture Vice-President and
Roundtable member <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.wrfoodsystem.ca/index.php?p=view_profile&member_id=41">Mark
Reusser</a> is quoted in the articles as hoping that the Township will find a
way to permit the signs.</span></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;"> </span></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;">Proposed Canada-Europe trade pact threatens food sovereignty, NFU says</span></b></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;">The Canadian government and the European Union (EU) are
negotiating a new "free trade" agreement, the Comprehensive Economic
and Trade Agreement (CETA). National Farmers Union (NFU) President,
Terry Boehm, warns this agreement will further intensify Canada's farm income
crisis: "The CETA would mean many changes, but none more negative than its
effect to extinguish farmers' rights to save and re-use seeds." Read
the NFU's <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.nfu.ca/press_releases/2010/CETA-FactSheet.pdf">CETA
Fact Sheet</a> and more background on the CETA at <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.nfu.ca">www.nfu.ca</a>.</span></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;"> </span></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;">Trade panel strikes down Ontario/Quebec butter regulations</span></b></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;">In other trade news, a trade panel set up under Canada's Agreement
on Internal Trade (AIT) has ruled that Ontario and Quebec regulations violate
the AIT and must be repealed or subject to fines. The regulations helped
protect dairy farmers in the two provinces by limiting products (like margarines)
which are largely oil-based, forcing the products to contain at least 50% dairy
products. Farmer groups fear the ruling may set the stage for further
challenges to the provinces' supply management systems which limit production
and imports. See article in the <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/alberta-wins-dairy-trade-ruling/article1772328/">Globe
& Mail</a>.</span></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;"> </span></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;">Waterloo Kitchen Table Talks a success</span></b></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;">About 50 people participated in discussions in Waterloo on October
15th about a proposed national food policy, as part of the <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://peoplesfoodpolicy.ca/">People's Food Policy Project</a>. The
discussions focused on the 13 priorities identified at the <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.wrfoodsystem.ca/foodsummit">Waterloo Region Food Summit</a>
held in November 2009 in Kitchener. See story in <i><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://news.therecord.com/article/794752">The Record</a></i>.</span></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;"> </span></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;">Questions about Walmart's plans to expand local food purchasing</span></b></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;">Walmart has committed to buy buying more food from local farmers
as part of a stated plan to enhance its sustainability as a corporation.
But it's all a matter of how you define "local", according to Jim
Prevor, who wrote about it in his <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.perishablepundit.com/index.php?date=10/21/10#2">blog, the
Perishable Pundit</a>.</span></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;"> </span></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;">City orders family to tear up veggies from front garden</span></b></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;">By-Law officers in Toronto ordered a family to remove a vegetable
garden from their front yard, citing a by-law that permits only
"natural" gardens. Asked what constituted "natural",
city staff responded that grass or flowers would be permitted, but not
vegetables. See article in the <i><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.yourhome.ca/homes/outdoorliving/gardeningandlandscaping/article/877949--the-real-dirt-city-squashes-front-yard-veggie-plot">Toronto
Star</a></i>.</span></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;"> </span></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;">Ontario releases fund for buying more local food in public institutions</span></b></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;">The Ontario government created a $6 million fund to help public
institutions such as municipalities, universities, schools, and hospitals
purchase more local foods for serving their staff, clients and the
public. The fund </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif";">recognizes
that, in order for more local food to be offered at public sector institutions,
"changes are needed along the entire value chain involving producers, processors,
distributors, contract caterers, and even the customers served", and is
therefore accepting applications that address the whole value chain. The
deadline for the current round of applications was November 1. See </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.ontariofresh.ca/en/fundinfo.html">http://www.ontariofresh.ca/en/fundinfo.html</a>.</span></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal" style=""><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;" lang="EN">Upcoming Food Events<br>
</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;" lang="EN">Full details on upcoming food-related events in Waterloo Region
can be viewed under <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.wrfoodsystem.ca/events"><span style="color: purple;">Upcoming Events</span></a> on the
Roundtable's website. To share news of your event, email details to the
Roundtable's <a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:MXuereb@regionofwaterloo.ca" target="_blank" href="/mc/compose?to=MXuereb@regionofwaterloo.ca">Site
Administrator</a>, who will post it to the website. Some upcoming
highlights include:</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;"></span></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;">Making Connections: FoodNet
Ontario AGM</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;"> - November 8, London</span></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;">Food Secure Canada AGM - </span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;">November
26-28, Montreal</span></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;">The Perils of Processed Food</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;"> -
November 30, KPL Forest Heights Branch, Kitchener</span></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: "serif"; color: black;"> </span></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;">Marc Xuereb</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;"></span></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;">staff support to the Waterloo Region Food System Roundtable</span><span style="font-family: "serif"; color: black;"></span></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;">c/o 99 Regina Street South, 3rd Floor</span><span style="font-family: "serif"; color: black;"></span></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;">Waterloo, ON N2J 4V3</span><span style="font-family: "serif"; color: black;"></span></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;">519.883.2004 x.5872</span><span style="font-family: "serif"; color: black;"></span></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "serif"; color: black;"><a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:MXuereb@regionofwaterloo.ca" target="_blank" href="/mc/compose?to=MXuereb@regionofwaterloo.ca">MXuereb@regionofwaterloo.ca</a></span><span style="font-family: "serif"; color: black;"></span></p>
<p class="yiv615694047MsoNormal"> </p>
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