Check out our in-store demos!

Our In-Store demonstrations have been quite the hit this year across Ontario and Michigan! 350 demos in Ontario and 100 in Michigan started on May 7 and are in stores until June 22.

We want to see YOU in stores this week! Remember, this is one way you can pick up our Ontario Greenhouse Gourmet Recipe book. All you have to do is fill out a short survey! It's THAT easy!

Here's where you can find us this week:

Ontario

Wednesday June 4, Thursday June 5

Ajax-Real Canadian Superstore, Store #1012, 30 Kingston Rd. W.
Brampton-A&P, Store #495, 25 Peel Centre Dr.
Hamilton-The Barn Fruit Markets, Store #228, 751 Upper James
Markham-Longo's Markham, 3085 Highway #7
Milton-A&P, Store #332, 1050 Kennedy Circle
Mississauga-Dominion, Store#717, 225 Erin Mills Parkway
Newmarket-A&P, Store #771, 16640 Yonge St.
Oakville-Longo's Oakville, 338 Dundas St. E.
Oakville-Longo's Wyecroft, 3455 Wyecroft Rd.
Orillia- A&P, Store #479, 70 Front St. N.
Ottawa-Loeb, Store #2316, 4510 Innes Rd.
Toronto-Dominion, Store #719, 2155 St. Clair Ave. W.
Windsor-Sobeys, Store #0885, 7654 Tecumseh Rd. E.

Friday June 6, Saturday June 7

Ancaster-Sobeys, Store #0694, 977 Golflinks Rd.
Etobicoke-Dominion, Store #704, 201 Lloyd Manor
Hamilton-The Barn Fruit Markets, Store #229, 199 King St. E.
Oakville- Whole Foods Market, 301 Cornwall Rd.
Ottawa-Real Canadian Superstore, Store #1009, 190 Richmond Rd.
Peterborough-Sobeys, Store #7535, 501 Towerhill Rd.
Richmond Hill- A&P, Store #778, 1070-A Major Mackenzie Dr. E.
Toronto-Dominion, Store #742, 425 Bloor St. W.
Toronto-Pusateri's, 57 Yorkville Ave.
Windsor-A&P, Store #139, 11729 Tecumseh Rd. E.

Sunday June 8

Bracebridge-A&P, Store #349, Hwy 118 W. #505
Bowmanville-A&P, Store #453, 243 King St.
Dundas-A&P, Store #102, 15 Governor's Rd.
Etobicoke-Dominion, Store #702, 250 The East Mall
Kingston-A&P, Store #152, 310 Barrie St.
North York-Dominion, Store #780, 291 York Mills Rd.
Oakville- Whole Foods Market, 301 Cornwall Rd.
Simcoe-A&P, Store #092, 140 Queensway E.
Toronto-Pusateri's, 57 Yorkville Ave.
Toronto- Whole Foods Market, 87 Avenue Rd.
Windsor-A&P, Store #141, 3663 Tecumseh Rd. E.

Michigan

Wednesday June 4

Bridgman- Hardings, 3651 Shawnee Rd.

Commerce- Kroger, Store #629, 2733 Union Lake Rd.
Novi-Kroger, Store 632, 47650 Grand River.

Thursday June 5

Kalamazoo- Hardings, Store #903
Lincoln Park-Kroger, Store #693, 2060 Dix Ave.
Northville- Kroger, Store #442, 17447 Haggerty
Troy- Kroger, Store #487, 31 E. Long Lake

Friday June 6

Independence- Kroger, Store #651, 5990 Shashabaw Rd.
St. Joseph-Hardings, 2844 Niles Ave.
Sterling Heights-Kroger, Store #673, 2260 18 Mile Rd.

Saturday June 7

Kalamazoo- Hardings, Store #400
Royal Oak-Kroger, Store #782, 30991 Woodward

Shelby Twp.-Kroger, Store #704, 2058 25 Mile Rd.
Sterling Heights- Kroger, Store #457, 43680 Van Dyke

Sunday June 8

Ann Arbor- Hillers, 3615 Washtenaw Ave.
Plymouth-Hillers, 15455 Haggerty Rd.
Somerset-Whole Foods, 2880 W. Maple Rd.
Wayland-Hardings, 300 Reno Dr.

Demos run from 1-7pm weekdays, Sobeys stores run 5-9 pm. Demos run 10:30am-4:30pm weekends, Sobeys stores run 11am-5pm.

We hope to see you there!

What to do when...

Ontario greenhouse vegetables are in season, but you don't see any Ontario greenhouse veggies in your local grocer. The answer is simple-talk to your produce manager. It may seem too easy, but when managers get enough requests for products, they are that much more likely to respond to the consumer demand. So be proactive- If you want to see Ontario greenhouse vegetables in your grocer-start asking them!

Look for Ontario greenhouse vegetables under the Foodland Ontario logo.

Canadian Cucumbers in the Winter?

Who thinks of Canadian produce in the middle of winter? You might be surprised to know- Ontario greenhouse cucumbers are indeed grown all year-round. Even right now, in the midst of a snow storm, cucumbers are growing in greenhouses throughout Ontario. All Ontario greenhouse produce is available for a much longer duration than more conventionally grown produce. Our tomatoes and sweet peppers are available March-November, and research is being dedicated into finding more cost-effective ways to grow those year-round too. So the next time you’re in your grocery store in the middle of February and you see Product of Canada on your English (seedless) or mini cucumbers, now you know that you’re not seeing things!

Food Safety in the World Today

These days it seems there is a food recall or food safety issue every month. Consumers have reason to be concerned about what they are putting on their family’s plates. No specific sector has been singled out in these incidents; it seems to be spread among many different sectors. So what can a family do? With a world that is set on keeping costs low, who is listening to consumers’ outcry to food producers, marketers and retailers that they want safe food?

Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers (OGVG) is listening. We are taking steps to make our industry one of the strongest in North American food safety. Our producers are the first group of producers to regulate food safety in our industry. All OGVG producers, packers and marketers must have a yearly audit by a third party to ensure that they are following important food safety standards. If they do not pass, they will no longer be licensed to grow, pack or market Ontario greenhouse tomatoes, cucumbers or sweet peppers.

It’s a large step in the right direction- we ensure our producers are creating the safest, highest quality food to bring to consumers. Personally, I always go straight to the Ontario greenhouse veggies in the grocery store because I know that it’s the safest for my family. So the next time you are in the grocery store- be sure to think twice before grabbing just anything from your produce section. Grab Ontario greenhouse veggies, because not only do they look and taste great- their producers are leaders in food safety.

Welcome to OGVG Fresh Thoughts!

Hello and Welcome to the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers (OGVG) Fresh Thoughts Blog! We hope that producers, marketers, retailers and consumers alike will find that this blog contains information they may be seeking about our sector!

Feel free to comment on anything you like, but please keep it clean and polite and remember this is a public forum.

For more information about the sector, please visit our website at: www.ontariogreenhouse.com