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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-02-13 Minutes AGRICULTURAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE of CLARINGTON MEETING THURSDAY, Feb 13 th, 2014 MEMBERS PRESENT: John Cartwright Brenda Metcalf Don Rickard Ted Watson Les Caswell Mary Ann Found Tom Barrie Eric Bowman Jenni Knox Councillor Partner REGRETS: Mark Bragg STAFF: Faye Langmaid GUESTS: Heather McMillan, Durham Workforce Authority and Jennine Agnew-Kata, Literacy Network of Durham Region Gord and Garry Geissberger, Farmhouse Cider Ted welcomed all to the meeting, everyone introduced themselves. A minute of silence was held for Gary Jeffery. Adoption of Agenda 014-03 Moved by Eric Bowman, seconded by Tom Barrie That the Agenda for February 13, 2014 be adopted CARRIED Approval of Minutes 014-04 Moved by John Cartwright, seconded by Eric Bowman th January 9, 2014 meeting be approved CARRIED Presentations: Heather and Jennine explained the Career Ladders project they are working on and responded to questions from the group. As explained they are targeting the agriculture and agri-food industry as there is the ability to move individuals through a series of skill levels. They th invited the members to contact them and attend the session on Feb 26 (see attachments). Gord and Garry Geissberger provided an overview of their family history in cider making, the different cider presses they have used over time and the more recent portable cider press. The new portable unit allows them to go to farms and farm markets. A number of awards and recognition for the cider press and innovative packaging (bag in a box) have been received by the Geissbergers. Making the second (hail damage) apples into cider turns a $50 box of apples into $400 for the farmer (after expenses). The apples have to be hand picked seconds or hailed apples usually referred to as 'hand picked juice'; grounders which were commonly used some 30-40 years ago can no longer be turned into cider due to health regulations. Other types of fruit and vegetables (providing they do not have pits) can also be processed through the cider press. Each farm can personalize the packaging boxes and the boxes can be recycled. The pasteurization means that the cider has an unrefrigerated shelf life of 1year, once opened it is 3 often recognized when out on the road because of this exposure. th Agricultural Advisory Committee of Clarington February 13, 2014 Business Arising from Minutes CBOT Agricultural Summit th March 18, to attend contact Laura Wood at CBOT, 9:30 to early afternoon, focus on 3 distinct areas, agri-business, opportunities in agri-business and intergenerational transfer. Looking for 50-75 attendees. Correspondence and Council Referrals -Food Innovation Excellence and the DEAC Environmental Awards (circulated to committee members). The Region has asked Regional staff to coordinate a meeting with area municipal planning staff, chief building officials and DAAC to develop a plan to improve the standardization of related processes in the area municipalities related to agriculture. Liaison Reports DAAC Looking forward to participating in Greenbelt Review and also the issue of standardization of building processes. Date of DAAC tour changed to September 11, most likely will be on one farm in Clarington with others participating. th DRFA Looking for partnerships and other groups they can participate with. Feb 7 was food freedom day, 1 week earlier than in 2013. Would like to see food literacy added to Local Food Act, provincial organization is working on this initiative. Locally the issue of the ag education rd trailer and its replacement needs to be addressed. Upcoming dates, March 3 is Durham Day th is the next meeting at 8 PM at Nestleton United Church. April 1, 2, 3 will be Farm Connections, if you would like to volunteer please let Brenda know. This year there will be media packages, volunteers are needed in specific areas of expertise to be on call if the media would like further aspects on a particular area of farming or in relation to a specific commodity group. October 16, 2014 Farm Connections is working on a gala as a celebration of agriculture. th Three purposes to recognize outstanding farmers, educate and as a fundraiser, the goal is $25,000. CBOT- Tuesday, Feb 18 is Roger Anderson Luncheon at the former Hilltop in Courtice. th Future Agendas It was suggested that a speaker from Enbridge be invited to address the compensation provided to farmers along the route and the improvements they have made to monitoring, maintenance of the lines. -up reactor could happen. It was suggested that the tour would begin at 7:00p.m. Tour of the EFW is also a possibility, and a tour of Port Colbourne value-added site. th Agricultural Advisory Committee of Clarington February 13, 2014 Other Business fencing comments on Page 5. Committee members are requested to review and provide st additional comments by Friday, Feb 21. Nancy Rutherford is working on organizing a tour of the Cold Storage facility in Trenton. Trenton has advised that they have room for small and large storage for the Durham area. The Federal Abattoir interested groups was presented and there is not a verified need, also there were a number of questions over the co-op structure of the organization. It is anticipated that a small group may proceed. The Region is wondering if there is interest in having a value-added workshop in Durham. The th suggestion from the group was to have the members that attend the Feb 27 workshop in Milton to comment afterwards (at the next meeting). reenbelt Study in anticipation of the Greenbelt Review is underway and there will be a public meeting in Clarington in March. Information on the date, location will be sent when known. This will be the opportunity for the Ag community to make a case for the retention of higher value ag lands included within the greenbelt (as per the resolution of this committee). The Sustainability Advisory Committee would like to meet with the Ag Committee to determine what the priorities for sustainability in relation to agriculture should be. It was determined that a sub-committee of Jenni, Eric, Don and Ted would meet with members of the Sustainability Committee. The committee would like to discuss a tribute to Gary Jeffery at the next meeting. John moved to Adjourn Next Meeting th March 13, 2014, 7:30pm. Gord Weir and Fred Horvath with lessons from the Ice Storm and issues that could be addressed. th Agricultural Advisory Committee of Clarington February 13, 2014 CAREER LADDERS: HELPING COMMUNITIES TOWARD INTEGRATED AND RESPONSIVE SERVICE DELIVERY All too often when workers want to advance in their careers, they have to remove themselves from their current jobs to participate in traditional educational and training opportunities. For many workers, this is not a realistic option. They do not have the luxury to forgo wages or have the time to take part in traditional training programs. While there is no set formula for creating economic mobility, an approach known as `Career Ladders' or 'Career Pathways' is showing promise in a number of jurisdictions. The central premise of the approach is that training and educational delivery should be organized as a series of incremental and stackable certificates that are aligned to progressive occupational pathways. For communities and employers, career ladders systematically align career advancement and training opportunities to local economic and industry workforce needs. For low - income adults, career ladders allows them to access flexible training options that are usually accompanied by wrap - around supports, such as childcare and career counselling, enabling them to clearly move and progress with their career goals. I'ROJfC.1- PARTNERS Initiated by Fssential Skills Ontario in partnership with Literacy Link South Central (LLSC), the Literacy Network of Durham Region (UNDR) and Literacy Northwest, Career Ladders: Helping Communities Toward Integrated and Responsive Service Delivery, is an initiative that will examine the applicability of a career ladders approach could be applied in communities across Ontario. funded by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU), the initiative focuses on populations currently under - represented in the labour market - particularly job - seekers on income support with a high school diploma or less. The project will examine the applicability of career ladders in three communities and determine whether the framework would support both adults and employers in these communities and create a road map for potentially creating a career- ladder for a particular industry. WHA -I COMMUNITIES S W11 I INS PROJEC I W(_)RK Wffll The career ladders in this initiative will be specifically designed to benefit three communities in these regions: Durham Region Thunder Bay Region Brant, Haldimand and Norfolk Region The research and findings of this initiative will also be of value to local industries within each community - specifically employers who are facing skills shortages within their current labour force. The research and findings of this project will be targeted and strategically communicated to all relevant stakeholders in the employment and training field. w 4 ' Literacy Link Literacy�i --� Northwest T �I wlp Vw durharyi 'wF or 1< f e r ce LF. authority Technology is advancing at a rapid rate and the world of work is changing. At the saine time that low- skilled adults are finding themselves underprepared to compete for jobs or advance in their careers, employers are finding it difficult to retain and recruit workers with the skills necessary for their businesses to remain competitive. Essential Skills Ontario and its partner, the Literacy network of Durham, are working on a new initiative that will test the emerging concept of Career Ladders in Ontario in the food processing industry. Career Ladders - a promising new approach that organizes regional training into a series of incremental and stackable certificates that workers can access and are designed to meet the needs of both participants and employers. Essential Skills Ontario and the Literacy Network of Durham Region would like to invite you to join us Wednesday, February 26 from 1:00 -4:00 p.m. at the Centre for food at Durham College, for a for a lively discussion on the concept of Career Ladders and the benefits of implementing a framework in Durham region's food processing industry. This town hall will give employers the opportunity to speak about the challenges currently facing their workforce as well as key areas for improvement. Location; Centre for Food School of Skilled Trades, Apprenticeship and Renewable Technology Durham College 1610 Champlain Avenue Whitby, Ontario UN 6A7 Lightsnacks and refreshments will be served To RSVP please email Paige Marlow at p� x =°Ic�v_e�lttrlr .i�tryya..c no later than Friday, February 21st. For more information please visit ht- : w m ().Ca /c <r_e c i s s s ac —_ We look forward to seeing you there! This town ball is in partnership with: ® City of Oshawa Durham College ® Durham Region Unemployed Help Centre ® Durham Workforce Authority ® Essential Skills Ontario Literacy Network of Durham Region Regional Municipality of Durham ® University of Ontario Institute of Technology a Community Development Council Durham