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Mitchell announces $112,000 in funding for local producers By Liz Dadson |
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 Huron-Bruce MPP Carol Mitchell (second to left), is joined by Vijay Kumar (L) of Pine River Cheese, Jenny Amy of the Grey Bruce Agriculture and Culinary Association, Guy Anderson of Anderkin Foods, and Linda Bowers of the Kincardine and District Chamber of Commerce Huron-Bruce MPP Carol Mitchell, minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs, makes the funding announcement in Kincardine Friday morning. video by Liz Dadson |
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Friday brought heavy snow to the Kincardine area, but it also brought $112,000 in funding from the Ontario government. Huron-Bruce MPP Carol Mitchell, minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs, was on hand at the Hive 'n' Hoe store on Kincardine Avenue, to make the announcement of rural development money for two local producers and an organization that supports farmers and their products. Anderkin Foods Inc, operated by Guy and Gail Anderson of Kincardine, received $44,585 through the Rural Economic Development program, to help upgrade and expand the existing facility on Kincardine Avenue. Mitchell said the funding will allow the Andersons to purchase new processing equipment and an updated bottling system. This investment will create two new jobs and retain six positions, while supporting local farmers who house Anderkin hives. "This is what we need as small business people," said Guy Anderson. "This money will allow us to buy the expensive extraction equipment that we require to extract more honey faster. That means we can operate more hives and we can expand our business." The Pine River Cheese and Butter Co-operative, which suffered a disastrous fire last year, received $54,500 through the Ontario Market Investment Fund, to help promote the benefits of healthy, locally-produced cheese curds. A refrigerated van will travel throughout the province, allowing Ontarians to sample the cheese and learn more through demonstrations at local grocery stores, shopping malls, and food-related events. "Pine River Cheese produces the best cheese in the province, especially the cheese curds," said general manager Vijay Kumar. "The consumers are waiting for us to get back into production because we have a great product." He thanked Mitchell for her government's support for the company and said the plant should be up and running by April or May of this year. "We suffered a real disaster (from the fire)," he said, "but the work to rebuild is fantastic. We will end up with a state-of-the-art facility which will provide the highest in efficiencies and food safety." He said the retail store will remain at the Hive 'n' Hoe until the Pine River store is up and running. That may not be until this summer. Kumar said having use of the Andersons' retail space in Kincardine has been great for Pine River Cheese and its customers. Paul Harris, president of the Pine River Cheese and Butter Co-operative's board of directors, said there is a warehouse in Kitchener full of the company's cheese product. It is being shipped, in 40-pound blocks, to a cutting room in an isolated area at the cheese factory. There, it is cut and packaged and sent to the retail outlets, including the one at Hive 'n' Hoe. Harris said the Pine River Cheese retail store will be the last part of the facility to be renovated. Meanwhile, workers are closing in the building with new energy-efficient, insulted walls, and new equipment should be installed and hooked up by the spring, he said.
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 Linda Bowers (R), vice-president of the Kincardine and District Chamber of Commerce, welcomes Huron-Bruce MPP Carol Mitchell to make her announcement of funding for local producers As for the milk produced by local farmers, Harris said the Dairy Farmers of Ontario organization controls the distribution of all the milk produced and is in charge of the transportation. He noted that 80 per cent of the milk from producers who are members of the Pine River Cheese and Butter Co-operative, was being used at the cheese factory. That is now being shipped to Teeswater and Guelph until the factory is rebuilt. Mitchell's final announcement was a grant of $13,200, through the Ontario Market Investment Fund, for the Grey Bruce Agriculture and Culinary Association to increase awareness of, and appreciation for, the region's local farmers through the Grey Bruce Local Food Project. Chairperson Jenny Amy said the first grant the organization received was used to produce 30,000 maps, showing where local farmers and food products are located throughout Grey and Bruce counties. The second grant will go toward more profiles and fact sheets about local producers, and the purchase of a new mobile display and tasting units to promote local farmers and food products at community events. The association will also work with the local health unit which will host a series of 10 cooking classes designed to help people incorporate seasonal vegetables and local foods. "Growing a strong agri-food industry is part of the five-year Open Ontario Plan to create jobs and opportunities that will boost the province's economy," said Mitchell. She was particularly proud of the co-operation between Anderkin Foods and the Pine River Cheese and Butter Co-operative which resulted in opening the Hive 'n' Hoe as a retail outlet for the cheese factory after the fire last fall. Scrolling stops when you move your mouse inside the scroll area. You can click on the ads for more
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