News release

Ontario fruit and vegetable growers continue support for food rescue initiatives

For immediate release

Guelph ON, 6 October 2025 – During Ontario Agriculture Week and in the lead-up to Thanksgiving, fruit and vegetable growers across the province are once again showing their commitment to fighting food insecurity and reducing food waste.

For the fifth year in a row, the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association (OFVGA) is once again donating $25,000to Second Harvest, Canada’s largest food rescue organization. This ongoing partnership ensures that more fresh, nutritious food makes its way to Ontarians who need it most and demonstrates a long-term commitment to addressing food insecurity.

Ontario Agriculture Week celebrates the people and practices behind the province’s healthy, homegrown food, and this donation reflects the deep care growers have for their communities.

“Supporting Second Harvest’s efforts to fight hunger and reduce food waste is one-way growers are giving back to their communities, while continuing to work hard to supply fresh food for Canadian and international consumers and strengthening the provincial economy,” says Shawn Brenn, potato grower and Chair of the OFVGA. “While many growers already donate produce local throughout the year, this collective contribution helps amplify the impact of those efforts.”

Based in Toronto, Second Harvest is Canada’s largest food rescue organization. It recovers surplus, nutritious food from across the supply chain and redistributes it to non-profits and community organizations in Ontario and throughout Canada. In 2025 alone, Second Harvest rescued more than 95 million pounds of healthy food – ensuring good food ends up where it belongs: on plates, fighting hunger in communities across the country.

“The Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association has had an incredible impact in getting fresh, nutritious food onto the plates of people who need it most, in communities throughout the province. Their ongoing support of Second Harvest is more than generous, it’s transformative," Lori Nikkel, CEO of Second Harvest said. "Today's donation will provide enough food for 125,000 healthy meals. Good food is a powerful tool in the fight against hunger, and it’s partners like OFVGA who make large-scale, lasting change possible."

The OFVGA represents 3,500 fruit and vegetable farmers across Ontario and advocates on behalf of the province’s horticulture sector. To learn more, visit ofvga.org, follow @OntFruitVeg on X or on Facebook at facebook.com/ofvga.

Second Harvest is a leader in food rescue and works with food businesses from across the supply chain to redirect surplus food to non-profit organizations in every province and territory. Learn more at secondharvest.ca.

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For more information:

Ben Murray, Communications Advisor, OFVGA, bmurray@ofvga.org