View a Special Message from Randy Whitteker, General Manager, ONFC

As a co-operative, it’s important for us to keep our members informed about what and how we’re doing. One way we hope to do this is through the responsible use of technology to help us communicate better, more frequently and in easier to access ways. You can view this message from Randy here or by visiting us online.

Click here to view Randy’s Spring 2011 Podcast.

Developing our Community Development Fund

As a not-for-profit co-operative, our goal is to give back not only to our local economy and organic farming community, but also to the communities we serve. It is our focus on the triple bottom line that drives us: the economic, environmental and social impacts that align with our short and long term goals and positive impact we have on our community.
For many years our Community Development Fund has done just that. This year we’ll be putting a renewed focus on our Community Development Fund – ensuring increased activity and support for our community.

For more information about the Community Development Fund at ONFC, please visit our website at: www.onfc.ca and select Community Development Fund from the About Us tab menu.

Remember to look at your Spring Specials!

As always, remember to take advantage of the great savings in our spring specials.
To view our specials and download the latest catalog.xls, visit: www.onfc.ca/cat.
You can find tasty and healthy recipe ideas here too! Visit Kate’s Kitchen at www.onfc.ca/cat and refresh your recipe collection this Spring!

Three Ways to Savour Spring:

1. Anyone can have a garden full of flowers so try something different and plant a savoury garden instead. Many of the herbs and seasonings used frequently in recipes are also pretty garden plants – and there’s nothing like having fresh herbs at hand! Great ones to try include: chives, rosemary, thyme, parsley, basil, cilantro, fennel, lavender, oregano, tarragon, sage, savoury and anise. Visit your local nursery or online for more organic gardening and herb-growing tips. A good site to try is: www.herbgardeningguru.com
2. Spring signals the start of grilling season as well as growing season! Break out the BBQ and try new Ontario Natural Organic Beef Patties. Serve them up topped with delicious gorgonzola or for a twist on the traditional, spice your ketchup with a hint of allspice, ginger, dry mustard and cayenne pepper! (in 1 ½ cups of ketchup add ½ tsp of dry mustard, ¼ tsp each of ginger and cayenne pepper, and 1/8 tsp of allspice.)
3. Attend the Green Living Show – not just for our AGM, but because the show offers terrific tips and interesting ideas that will complement your organic and natural lifestyle. Not only are there amazing opportunities for the whole family to see, taste and experience the bounty of living green, but the show itself has ensured that the environment comes first. Green Living Show entry and AGM dinner are complimentary for ONFC Members!

We’ve got a fresh crop of Ontario Natural products!

Look for our new Organic Beef Patties, Stewing Beef and Lean Ground Beef available now – with more new products including organic soups, sauerkraut, Kimchi – and more to come! Ask your ONFC rep for more information about Ontario Natural products or visit the Ontario Natural section of our website: www.onfc.ca/private_label_products.

Welcoming Spring and a new growing season!

As winter draws to a close and the new growing season begins, we want to take this opportunity to thank you, our Buying Club Members for continuing to grow along with us. Spring is a time for renewal and rejuvenation and we look forward to refreshing our ideas and initiatives to see even greater success together! Please join us at our AGM to find out more about our plans and progress and together, let’s spring into action to make the rest of 2011 a resounding success!