Design and planning of a local food distribution cooperative
Eat Local Grey Bruce connects food buyers with food suppliers in Grey Bruce. The coop envisions a local economy that provides meaningful employment, enhances the environment, supports healthy living, and vitalizes a local food culture. The coop sells food products from around 50 suppliers in an online store, aggregates the products in a packaging warehouse, and then delivers orders to drop-of points or homes. My own role was the initial business planning and design, as well as the establishment phase. I am glad that my successors took this project far beyond of what I could imagine and continue to support the crew as advisor, backup driver, and writer. Please also see my article Lessons from establishing an online marketing cooperative, Growing For Markets, April 2018 (Vol 27, Nr. 4).
Developing a Guide for Actively Managing Watershed-scale Numerical Models
Numerical models are effective tools to assist with decision-making in water allocation, protection of water sources, and for risk-reduction policies for extreme conditions (e.g., flood and drought). Models are now routinely required for various water resources management initiatives. Watershed-scale numerical modelling requires the assembly, coherent integration and analysis of large collections of data, as well as a collection of software tools. This way, numerical modelling processes synthesize water resources information across watersheds. Investments into knowledge infrastructure with modelling can be managed intentionally and with regards to long-term benefits. Link to the guide.
How do ecological farmers perceive climate change impacts?
Through a partnership between Arrell Institute and University of Guelph and the Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario, the project assessed the subjective impact of climate variability on member farmers, and what strategies farmers use to adapt. Negative impacts were complex, impacting pest and weed pressure, field accessibility with machinery, and lower overall plant vigor that impact yields and profitability. One interesting results was that many ecological members, who already rely far less on machinery and chemicals than an average farmer, see far less relevance in agriculture’s role in reducing fossil fuels. Instead, farmers stressed the need for restoring soil health, biodiversity, and watershed functions.
Planning for Climate Resilience on your farm
What can farmers do to improve their climate resilience at home? Guided by this question, this project pulled together knowledge from literature, own experience, interviews and a survey from the EFAO project. Results were aggregated into a self-assessment and full-day workshop. The self assessment tool offers a method to identify vulnerabilities, reactive capacity, and overall risk across the entire business operation. In short, climate resilience impacts the entire food value chain that farmers are integrated within, as well as their community of peers and customers. Planning for climate resilience should consider this holistic context for effective use of limited resources. For a longer summary, please see the August 2019 edition of “Growing For Markets”.
The future of organic agriculture
As member of the task force to the Organic Value Chain Round Table (OVCRT), we reviewed the history of Organic 3.0 and how this movement relates to Canada’s organic sector. Results were presented to the OVCRT board in the form of a discussion paper. The linked blog summarizes the essence and history of Organic 3.0.
Meat markets for regeneration
Especially in rural areas, regenerative and organic meat producers face one fundamental problem: Farmers can only justify a premium price for an outstanding final product, but they often lack reasonably priced small processors. The independent meat processing sector faces many systemic barriers. Regenerative farmers who seek an alternative to mainstream food processing have to accept and navigate these barriers skillfully. In a number of design and business planning projects, Thorsten has collaborated with different producers on market access for premium meat products and presented on various occasions (see e.g. OCO’s Premium Meat Study).
Fresh City Farms: Impacts of local food. Social, environmental, economic dimensions
Toronto’s Fresh City Farms aggregates and distributes local food that is sold online. What are the impact of such a business – socially, economically and environmentally? This impact assessment reviewed changes in the behaviour of customers, economic impacts of producers in their local economy, the environmental practices of suppliers, and greenhouse gas accounting of the local food distribution. Results are consistently positive: consumers benefit the environment by driving less and by shifting to consuming “less but better meat”. With respect to greenhouse gas emissions, the local distribution system is much more efficient than large-scale food chains. Download report
Grey Bruce Centre for Agroecology: Independent consulting coop
The GBCAE was designed and founded as an independent consulting cooperative by and for ecological farmers. Our members have a professional background previous to our farming career, and continue to enjoy this work especially during winter time. The GBCAE offers services that range from grant writing, workshops and facilitation, assessments, business planning and cooperative design, to complex projects such as strategic plans for municipalities to boost their local food sector.