Ontario Goat is working on how best to apply funding windfall

Friday, May 15, 2015

by SUSAN MANN

Gay Lea Foods Co-operative Limited is giving Ontario Goat $20,000 to fund the organization’s advocacy and educational work in Ontario.

Ontario Goat president Anton Slingerland says they yet haven’t decided what specific projects will get funding. But advocacy projects relate to both farmers and consumers and could, for example, include promotion of proper goat care, developing proper growth strategies in the goat industry along with promotion of goat-milk products to consumers.

Slingerland says the organization wasn’t expecting the funding from Gay Lea Foods. In the fall of 2014 the farmer-owed co-op bought Hewitt’s Dairy located in Hagersville, a main broker and a processor of goat milk in Ontario.

In a joint Ontario Goat/Gay Lea Foods/Hewitt’s Dairy press release, Gay Lea corporate secretary and director of member relations Ove Hansen says Gay Lea Foods recognizes the importance of Ontario Goat and the need for a strong producer organization advocating on behalf of all goat producers.

Slingerland says the funding was “a great and total surprise. It’s actually really nice they’re willing to stand behind the organization (Ontario Goat) as a necessary thing.”

In the May 13 release, Ontario Goat executive director Jennifer Haley says the additional funding will enable Ontario Goat to expand its advocacy and educational role within Ontario’s growing goat industry. The funding from Gay Lea will also contribute towards the stability of the organization’s foundation.

By email she says the money will “help support the priorities of the organization” and will be earmarked for current and future projects focused on producer education and industry communications.

Headquartered in Mississauga, Gay Lea Foods began as a dairy processing co-op in 1958 and is now Ontario’s largest dairy co-op with more than 1,200 members and 12 production and distribution centres across Ontario and Quebec. BF