For the third consecutive year, Southampton Foodland has been awarded the Silver Merit certification for outstanding support of Ontario produce.
The Award was presented on Friday, June 21st, by Huron-Bruce MPP and Minister of Rural Affairs, Lisa Thompson, to store owner Martino Catalano, Produce Manager Linda Mellor and her staff.
For more than 35 years, the Foodland Ontario Retailer Awards have been celebrating the creative expression of produce managers and staff for their unique and innovative displays that promote locally grown food.
“Congratulations to the team at the Southampton Foodland store on winning a Silver 2023 Foodland Ontario Retailer Award,” said Thompson. “Local grocery stores like this one play a pivotal role in providing access to Ontario grown and produced food. Through creative in store displays that celebrate fresh, locally grown produce, grocery retailers are not only helping shoppers access some of the best and freshest food available worldwide – they’re celebrating Ontario farmers and strengthening the provincial economy.”
The program runs between January and November and includes four categories of displays that retailers can enter to showcase their efforts to promote in-season, Ontario grown fruits and vegetables.
“It’s always exciting to be able to present an award like this,” said MPP Thompson. “Supporting our local farmers and producers is vitally important to Ontario agriculture and it’s stores like Southampton FOODLAND that provide that on-going support.”
“We thank the government of Ontario for recognizing our efforts to promote Ontario-grown food,” said Linda Mellor, Produce Manager at Foodland in Southampton. “That’s been a key focus of ours not only because we want to support Ontario farmers, but because in doing so we know that we’re helping consumers choose the freshest products available on the market.”
This year, 63 Foodland Ontario Retailer Awards are being presented to 60 grocery stores across the province to celebrate excellence in retail display and promotion in support of local Ontario foods.
Foodland Ontario helps families recognize, prepare and enjoy locally grown foods. Ontario has one of the most diverse agriculture and food industries in Canada, producing more than 200 commodities, including asparagus, berries, tender fruit, apples, greenhouse tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers and so many more. To know when all your local fruits and vegetables are in season, visit Foodland Ontario’s Availability Guide.
