July 16, 2010, Kingsville, Ont. – A computerized traceability program has earned Cedar Beach Acres one of 55 regional awards in the Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence program.
Rob Mastronardi and Amy
Butcher have filled Cedar Beach Acres, a 16-acre greenhouse operation, with
cocktail tomatoes, Roma and beefsteak tomatoes, eggplants, red, yellow and
orange peppers, and mini-cucumbers, all marketed under the “Pure Flavour”
brand.
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| Rob Mastronardi and Amy Lee Butcher of Cedar Beach Acres, with
award presenter MPP Bruce Crozier (at right).
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They farm with pinpoint precision as a result of a
traceability system that tells not only where each vegetable came from, but who
picked it, what the yield was from the row from which it was picked, and what
inputs were used to grow it. This allows Cedar Beach Acres to trace its produce
through the process, have better control inventory, and reduce costs.
Check out this video of the Premier's Award For Agri-Food Innovation Excellence 2009
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Click on the image to view the video!
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The computerized system was adapted as a result of OMAFRA’s
2007-08 Traceability Project, and has given the farm a strong competitive edge
in the marketplace.
The
five-year, $2.5-million program, announced as part of the 2006 provincial
budget, recognizes that farmers have always been innovative in the running of
their businesses and will foster even greater innovation across the province’s
agri-food sector.
There will be up to 55 regional award winners annually, with a
cash prize of $5,000 each.
“Ontario’s agri-food industry continues to evolve, adapting to
a range of new realities and increased global competition,” said Premier Dalton
McGuinty. “It is thanks to the spirit of innovation that prevails among the
members of this dynamic sector that these 21st century challenges are
being effectively addressed and turned into winning ideas,”
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