Website connects buyers and sellers of Ontario food

Aug. 20, 2012, Toronto – Connecting buyers and sellers of Ontario food, Ontariofresh.ca is a tool in finding new business partners to meet the growing demand for local food.

Aug. 20, 2012, Toronto – Connecting buyers and sellers of Ontario food, Ontariofresh.ca is a tool in finding new business partners to meet the growing demand for local food.

The revamped Ontariofresh.ca website allows local food buyers and sellers to search for products, announce the availability of seasonal products, and post contract opportunities by using a sophisticated search function. The website is also a source for industry information and stories from local food champions.

“Ontariofresh.ca . . . enables Ontario to capitalize on the demand for local food,” said Burkhard Mausberg, CEO, Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation. “Whether it’s Niagara’s tender fruit, the Holland Marsh’s vegetables, or award0winning VQA wines, Ontariofresh.ca is helping connect the business of local food.”

Launched as a beta site in November 2011, Ontariofresh.ca has grown to more than 1,200 registered industry professionals. The website serves as a valuable economic tool among food service businesses and food producers to help meet the growing demand for Ontario food. In a survey conducted among Ontariofresh.ca members in early 2012, 20 per cent of respondents had made connections and half of those reported sales resulting directly from the website.

Members on the site include hospitals and other public institutions serving millions of meals each year. In addition, food service operators and distributors, food processors and farms of all sizes and commodities in North America are utilizing the site to make business connections.

“It allows you to search for specific products and size of operation – it’s like Facebook for food, putting a face to people that are buying and selling local,” said Kelly Hughes, local food procurement officer, Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

Create a new profile, or update an existing profile by October 15 and be entered to win a weekend getaway. For more information visit Ontariofresh.ca.