Many businesses have felt the impact of COVID-19, including our local farms and agri-businesses. You may not know this but many local farmers have adapted their businesses during COVID-19 to offer online purchases, delivery and curbside pick-up. Now is great time to show them our support by purchasing fresh produce and goods from them which also helps kick-start our local economy.

Halton is home to a vibrant and diverse agricultural community and you can find many local farms offering fresh produce, farmers markets, nurseries, and garden centres. Our online Simply Local map is one way that you can learn about what is offered at farms near you. If you are on the go, you can also access the map from your phone or tablet using the OneHalton app. You can also sign up for our Simply Local eNewsletter to receive updates on seasonal produce, recipes and more.

In June, local farmers’ markets will start to open up across Halton making it even easier to get fresh produce, close to home. Our Halton Region Public Health team is working closely with local farms and farmers’ markets to ensure that all relevant regulations and best practices are being followed to keep everyone safe. I encourage any Halton farmers and vendors that sell food at farmers’ markets or curbside at their farms to call 311 to speak to a Public Health Inspector for advice about their plan.

The extra things we enjoy at our local farms such as fruit picking, hay rides and food events may look a little different this year, so let’s show our agricultural community that we are here for them. By actively supporting local farmers and agri-businesses, we can help keep Halton a great place to live, work, raise a family and retire. To learn more about agriculture in Halton and our Simply Local program, visit halton.ca or use the OneHalton app.