About the co-op
Our mission
To establish the security and sovereignty of local food in Eastern Ontario by creating a link between producers and processors with consumers, promote opportunities and education to our youth in agriculture and increase production of quality food that is sustainable and harmonious with the environment.
The co-op
To contribute to its mission, Eastern Ontario Local Food Co-op provides an innovative way to promote and buy local food from producers and processors from the counties of Prescott-Russell and Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry.
Modeling from a highly successful system developed by the Oklahoma Food Cooperative, the co-op makes it easy for people to buy food weekly from farmers directly via an internet shopping system and a delivery system.
Eastern Ontario Local Food Co-op is registered in Ontario as a non-for-profit incorporation. It is owned by producers and processors.
Our vision
By offering diversified and stable varieties of local foods and products needed by schools, day cares, B&B, families and restaurants, the co-op facilitates a secure market and establishes security and sovereignty of local food in Eastern Ontario.
By allowing producers and processors to set their own prices and sell their own products directly to consumers threw the co-op system, it secures fair income for small, medium, and large farm producers and processors in Eastern Ontario and allows farmers to do their farming while the co-op takes care of marketing and distribution.
By creating a demand for local food and providing the youth with apprenticeship opportunities with farms and the co-op, Eastern Ontario Local Food Co-op encourages the growth of farms, development of new ones and secures future local food markets in our region.
By creating a secure and healthy local food source, this reduces the impact of imported foods. Our community takes benefits from this money that stays in our region and then contributes to support the local economy, create new employment and business opportunities.
By encouraging sustainable and environmental farming practices, the co-op increases production of food that is sustainable and harmonious with the environment.
By collaborating with other local food marketing initiatives like farmers' market, farm-gate sales, food festivals,etc.. and by offering support, education and special events the co-op not only creates an organization which supports local producers and processors but is a part of worldwide growing local food movements.
By willing to share our knowledge and experiences with others for non profit local food co-ops, Eastern Ontario Local Food Co-op supports the developments of non for profit cooperatives.