New Model Offers more Local Food for Queensway Carleton Hospital Patients

- Greenbelt Fund Announces Third Round of Grants -

OTTAWA, Jan. 27, 2012 /CNW/ - Patients at Queensway Carleton Hospital can look forward to more fresh Ontario food on their plates. With support from the Ontario government, more local food is reaching the plates of hospitals and long-term care facilities. The Greenbelt Fund is providing a grant to Queensway Carleton Hospital to enhance local Ontario food options on their patient, cafeteria and catering menus.

Thanks to the Greenbelt Fund more Ontario food is also being served at daycares, schools, universities and colleges. The grants announced today will support 11 innovative projects adding to the 27 projects already underway.

This grant is helping Queensway Carleton Hospital to develop menu items linked to seasonal availability of Ontario grown and produced food. The hospital is also working with suppliers, such as Healthcare Food Services, to create new menu options made with more Ontario ingredients. These changes should increase patient satisfaction and decrease meal waste.

The Fund is assisting small to large farm operations and food distributors in working together to bring more local food into the food value chain. Results to date include significant increases to Ontario food purchased at institutions across the province and new jobs within the sector. Projects within health care institutions, municipalities and food service are resulting in more Ontario food on menus, growing patient and resident satisfaction.

"This type of innovative funding helps to bridge the gap between farmers and institutional consumers. It takes Ontario agriculture from fresh in the field to fresh on the plate."
- Ted McMeekin, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

"Queensway Carleton Hospital is redefining hospital food as fresh, local and tasty. This investment is good for Ottawa families and good for our local economy."
- Bob Chiarelli, MPP Ottawa West-Nepean

"As a recent hospital patient I can relate to the importance of food to the rehabilitation process. Queensway Carleton Hospital joins nine other health care facility grantees working to bring more Ontario food into our institutions. It's good for farmers, families, the economy and environment."
- Burkhard Mausberg, CEO, Greenbelt Fund

"This grant from the Greenbelt Fund will help to increase the amount of local food for our patients. Providing quality, nutritious meals to our patients and visitors is extremely important and we hope to share our successes with other health care facilities across the province."
- Caralan Dams, Manager, Food Services Queensway Carleton Hospital

About the Greenbelt Fund:
The Greenbelt Fund is a sister organization of the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation.  With funding from the Ontario Government, the Fund is helping to increase the amount of Ontario food served in daycares, schools, universities and colleges, hospitals and long-term care facilities through its program, the Broader Public Sector Investment Fund: Promoting Ontario Food.

This program provides grants to local food industry leaders, producers, distributors, food service providers and public institutions working to serve more Ontario food. Helping to overcome challenges, support economic growth and the sustainability of agriculture in Ontario, the Fund's goal is to help create systemic change to permanently increase the amount of local food in the province's public institutions.  For more information about the program and grants, please visit www.bpsinvestmentfund.ca.

For more information or to book an interview, please contact:
Julienne Spence
Communications Manager, Greenbelt Fund
Office: 416-960-0001, ext. 311
Mobile: [phone] 
[email protected]

Mark Cripps
Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
Office: 416-326-3069
[email protected]

David Salter
Office of the Hon. Bob Chiarelli, MPP Ottawa West-Nepean
Mobile: [phone]
[email protected]