Local Food and Farmer Verification
In 2006 the verification of Local Food was central to the initial development of the Savour Ottawa initiative. The Savour Ottawa team was a leader in establishing the MyPick Local Farmer verification program at Farmers’ Markets Ontario, and Savour Ottawa was set up as the regional coordinator of local verification.
Savour Ottawa branding on local farmers’ markets ensured that vendors produced what they sold, and came from within the Savour Ottawa Buy Local region of Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec. After award-winning work over a decade, singular in providing regional verification services to eaters, local farmers’ markets were then in a position to work with Farmers’ Markets Ontario directly on verification.
Food and beverage businesses that process and sell ‘local food’ must affirm that they use ingredients from the Buy Local Region in their production.