Ontario greenhouse pepper farmer establishes fresh way of giving food in tough economic times

Nature Fresh Farms starts major produce donation program for Ontario's
    food banks, hopes provincial government will support other farmers
    through new tax creditHAMILTON, ON, July 10 /CNW/ - One of Ontario's largest greenhouse bell
pepper producers is planting seeds that he hopes will put an abundance of
fresh produce on the tables of tens of thousands of hungry Ontarians. Peter
Quiring, founder and President of Nature Fresh Farms, a Leamington-based
greenhouse operation, is donating half a million pounds of peppers this year
to feed Ontario's growing numbers of hungry families, after connecting with
Hamilton Food Share through a Hamilton-based rehab centre called Turning
Point. Once fully operational, the pepper donation initiative will be the
largest giving program of fresh fruits and vegetables in the country.
    Mr. Quiring hopes his efforts will lead to tax changes that would
encourage other growers to participate, putting millions of dollars worth of
fresh, Ontario-grown tomatoes, cucumbers and other fruits and vegetables on
food bank shelves across the province annually. Mr. Quiring said his company
harvests peppers ten months of the year, ensuring a steady supply of fresh
produce from March through December.
    "We are facing tough times in Ontario, and we all need to do more to help
each other," said Mr. Quiring, whose greenhouse business founded in 1996 has
blossomed into a 67-acre, high-tech operation that is Ontario's single largest
producer of yellow, red and orange peppers. "I was inspired by the great work
being done by the people at Turning Point, who in turn introduced me to this
opportunity to help those who are less fortunate," said Mr. Quiring.
    Turning Point Executive Director John Vereecke brought Mr. Quiring
together with Joanne Santucci, Executive Director of Hamilton Food Share to
explore Mr. Quiring's vision to help feed the less fortunate. Ms. Santucci,
whose organization procures more than two million pounds of food annually for
distribution through a network of community-based organizations, said she was
thrilled at the prospect of receiving fresh food.
    "Fresh produce is something that has been missing from the mix, but we
are set up to handle it with cold storage," said Ms. Santucci. "This donation
is more than we could absorb in the local communities we serve, so we are
working with the Ontario Association of Food Banks to get product to people
across the province."
    Adam Spence, Executive Director of the Ontario Association of Food Banks
(OAFB), said the initiative is much needed because fresh produce is in high
demand in food programs that are feeling the pressure of the economic
downturn. "Our numbers have jumped 20 per cent since last year," noted Mr.
Spence. "Fresh fruits and vegetables are in great demand by food banks and
families turning to us for support, so we applaud Nature Fresh Farms for their
leadership in the fight against hunger. A provincial tax credit program would
help us meet the growing need for more fresh food by providing an incentive
for other farmers to donate."
    Mr. Quiring said he believes other Ontario growers would be willing to
divert millions of pounds of produce to the province's food banks if
governments created tax credits to help offset the costs of managing such
programs. Currently, Ontario's farmers and processors receive no benefit or
compensation for food donations. There are already donated crop tax credits in
place in many U.S. states, including Colorado, North Carolina, and Oregon.
    "There is the potential for redirecting up to ten million pounds of fresh
produce to the hungry, but there needs to be a tax credit to help cover some
of our farm costs," added Quiring. Nature Fresh Farms will be making their
donation as a generous gift, without the benefit of any tax credit.
    The OAFB has been working with a number of agricultural partners
including the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) with the goal of having
a commitment to a donated tax credit program in place by the end of 2009. The
OAFB has pressed the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
(OMAFRA) and the Ontario Ministry of Finance to implement the tax credit.
    "It's important that everyone have access to healthy local food," said
OFA President Bette Jean Crews. "These efforts support Ontario food banks and
local farmers which helps ensure a sustainable food system for everyone."
    Media clips related to this initiative can be downloaded on Newswire, and
high resolution images of Peter Quiring as well as Peter Quiring and Joanne
Santucci can also be downloaded.

For further information: Adam Spence, Executive Director, Ontario
Association of Food Banks, Cell: [phone], E-mail: [e-mail]; Peter
Quiring, President, Nature Fresh Farms, Work: [phone], Cell: (519)
980-6913; Stacey Ferris, Manager of Corporate Communications, Ontario
Federation of Agriculture, Work: [phone], E-mail:
[e-mail]; Joanne Santucci, Executive Director, Hamilton Food
Share, Work: [phone], E-mail: [e-mail]; John
Vereecke, Executive Director, Turning Point, Work: 1-877-523-8369, E-mail:
[e-mail]