NEWS RELEASE
RURAL AGRI-INNOVATION NETWORK (RAIN)
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The Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN) is pleased to announce the Food and Fibre on Foot event happening on Wednesday, July 19, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. This passport style event will be taking place at both the Mill Market and Algoma Farmers’ Market in Sault Ste. Marie.
Food and Fibre on Foot is a market-to-market event for the whole family that celebrates local food, fibre and exciting initiatives by regional producers. There will be food tastings, live demonstrations, and prizes.
The live canning demonstration will take place from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. presented by Central Algoma Food For Everyone (CAFFE) at the Algoma Farmers’ Market.
Food and Fibre on Foot vendors that will be housed at the Mill Market include: Valleyfield Farm, Algoma Highlands, Collholm Farm, Masters Fibre Mill and Alpaca Farm, and Jardin Farm.
Vendors that will be housed at the Algoma Farmers’ Market include: Pearce Farm, Marshall Farms, and Sayers Fishery. Vendors will offer a range of fresh produce, meat/fish, preserves, sheep wool and alpaca fibre.
RAIN, a division of the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre, will be hosting this event to highlight many successful ventures from the Algoma region as a result of funding through the Sustainable New Agri-Food Products and Productivity (SNAPP) program funded by FedNor.
“SNAPP is a great program in support of northern agriculture for agri-food producers to create new products, extend the season, and scale up their production,” said David Thompson, RAIN project coordinator with the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre.
During SNAPP’s first in-take period from November 2016 to February 2017, RAIN approved grants for 21 applicants from the Algoma/Manitoulin region, and distributed just over $313,000 in grants to 63 applicants in total from across northern Ontario.
“Algoma farmers are incredibly hardworking and doing great work in developing products and extending their growing season, which is why we wanted to celebrate achievements and help promote their business within the community,” continued Thompson.
Passports will be given out to attendees upon entering the Mill Market and/or Algoma Farmers’ Market on July 19. Participants will be asked to complete the passport and drop it off in the specified drop box when leaving the market(s), entering them into a draw for a great prize pack from Algoma producers.
RAIN will also have a booth at the Mill Market with information packages about the SNAPP program. The next in-take for SNAPP is now open until August 31, 2017. SNAPP program can be found here.
For more information, please contact Melissa Watson at 705-942-7927 ext. 3135 or mwatson@ssmic.com. Follow @RAINAlgoma on Facebook and Twitter for updates.
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