Provincial Support for pickOntario - Choosing Local Flowers Just Got Easier!
November 25, 2014
Guelph, ON – Ontario’s Rural Economic Development program awards $772,500, over a two year term, to Flowers Canada (Ontario) Inc. (FCO) to improve marketing of Ontario-grown flowers and plants. Flowers and plants provide a number of benefits and are a vital part of our life.
The funding will build on FCO’s established pickOntario marketing initiative which aims to engage and educate consumers about Ontario grown flowers and plants, to ‘buy local’ and to inspire further innovation and growth throughout all parts of the floriculture sector.
FCO currently supports over 212 floriculture greenhouses that have a combined production space of 29.7 million square feet, throughout rural areas of Ontario with the majority of the farmers located in the Niagara Peninsula. These floral farmers produce fresh cut flowers, bedding plants, potted plants and propagation material, employ over 7500 people, and use the latest innovations in greenhouse farming. Ontario is the third largest producer of greenhouse floricultural products in North America and generates $736 million in farm gate sales.
“This investment will help increase awareness and demand for locally grown Ontario flowers and plants. Through support from the Rural Economic Development program, our government is strengthening the economy andcreating jobs across the province,” confirmed Jeff Leal, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
Dean Shoemaker, Executive Director of Flowers Canada (Ontario), commented “The sector is poised to meet the Premier’s challenge to agriculture and to partner with the province to grow markets and create more jobs in rural Ontario. To accomplish these goals it is important that government and the sector work closely together to meet both the opportunities and challenges.”
Nikki Gomes, Flowers Canada (Ontario)’s Marketing Director, comments “By selecting local you are receiving quality, freshness, variety and are supporting greenhouse growers and over 7500 employees. Look for the branding of pickOntario to ensure you are buying home grown Ontario products and to guarantee satisfaction. With the support of the province we will be able to increase our momentum to drive the floriculture sector.”
Flowers and Plants provide a number of benefits, including:
- Plants in hospital recovery rooms have been shown to reduce the time required to heal
- People can receive a twenty percent increase in memory and concentration in the presence of plants at work along with an increase in creativity and problem solving.
- Flowers are a natural and healthy moderator of moods, having an immediate impact on happiness with long-term positive effect on moods by lowering levels of stress and anxiety.
- People who keep flowers in their homes feel more relaxed, happier, and express more satisfaction with life. A necessity!
pickOntario, supported by Flowers Canada (Ontario) Inc. is a marketing campaign designed to help raise awareness, interest and demand for Ontario-grown cut flowers and potted plants. For more information on pickOntario, please visit www.pickontario.ca. You can also contact the FCO office directly by calling 1-800-698-0113 or emailing marketing@fco.ca.
