By Rachel Fioret, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Woolwich Observer
From opening new markets to the creation of value-added products, the Grains Innovation Fund is the Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) vehicle for promoting those in the industry. That fund is now accepting applications for the next round of grants.
The Grains Innovation Fund provides eligible companies and organizations up to 60 per cent of the cost of a project to a maximum of $50,000. GFO, which represents some 28,000 grain farmers, is looking for applications that will use a minimum of 40 metric tonnes annually of Ontario barley, corn, oats, soybeans, wheat, or associated crop residues.
The fund invites innovators spanning the entire value chain, encompassing participants from the grain handling system, food and feed manufacturers, bioproduct pioneers, marketers and retailers.
“Throughout history, grains and oilseeds have played a crucial and adaptable role in fostering innovation across various sectors,” said Paul Hoekstra, GFO’s vice president of strategic development. “The Grains Innovation Fund projects continue to push boundaries, expanding the market reach and utilization of Ontario’s outstanding grain products.”
The financial support from the fund plays a key role in the development and success of innovative projects province-wide and in encouraging businesses to pursue big goals, the organization says, pointing to success stories such as Kitchener-based Henry’s Tempeh Inc.
“The GFO grant allows us to accelerate our growth, and thus expand the demand for organic, locally grown soybeans”, said Philip Diceanu, managing partner at Henry’s Tempeh Inc.
The company makes tempeh, a soy-based food, a staple protein in people’s kitchens.
Still in early stages, Henry’s Tempeh’s current project supports new flavour development while using organic tempeh as the base. “Essentially, it’s a superfood that happens to also soak up flavour extremely well,” Diceanu said.
Soybeans grow incredibly well in Ontario, so they make an excellent and sustainable food source close to home, he notes. Henry’s is using the area’s soybeans to innovate new food options with tempeh.
The innovation fund also helps companies bring their product to market and create public awareness.
“GFO provides much needed funding to grow our presence at trade and consumer events, highlight our healthy products to consumers, and to develop new and innovative plant-based products for commercial release,” said Diceanu.
Grateful for the funding, Diceanu added that “being an independent company, and a certified living-wage employer, we rely on industry partners like GFO to help us finance the cost of doing business so that we can make the best possible tempeh products while ensuring a great work environment.”
Another current recipient of the Grains Innovation Fund is Evolve Builders, located in Guelph.
“The proposed project was to make progress toward commercialization of a new type of sustainable building insulation made from local agricultural byproducts,” said Garrett Johnson, designer and project developer at Evolve Builders.
“The insulation is intended to replace exterior Styrofoam insulation boards and mineral wool products that have highly negative environmental impacts,” he explained.
“Our product has a ‘carbon-negative’ manufacturing process. This means that the carbon sequestered from the atmosphere by the plants used to make the insulation is greater than all the emissions associated with harvesting and manufacturing the insulation,” Johnson said.
“The insulation boards are intended as the first of many future products with a similar intent.”
Johnson noted that the fund has “provided a great benefit”, allowing the company to purchase the required equipment, fund a new work facility, and it paid for a large amount of internal labour.
Additionally, he added that the fund “has provided a major boost in confidence when speaking with potential investors and collaborators who know that somebody has deemed this project worth investing in.”
Through the Grains Innovation Fund, the GFO says it will continue to support unique projects across the province, bringing novel ideas to the market for consumers to try.
More information can be found online at www.gfo.ca.
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