THE SCOTT MISSION IN TORONTO IS IN GREAT NEED OF FOOD AND CLOTHING

Since January, the Scott Mission has seen the number of people visiting their food bank and free clothing stores rise by 20%. Many have never had to visit a food bank, clothing bank or homeless mission before.

The most urgently needed items are:

• Gently used clothing for men, women and children, especially casual clothing
• Shoes, boots and footwear for men, women and children
• Non-perishable baby food, including Similac and Enfalac
• Disposable diapers
• Canned and/or frozen food, including meat, fish, soup, fruit and vegetables
• Meat, such as pork chops, sausages, turkey, chicken and ground beef
• Coffee and tea
• Peanut butter
• Margarine

Finch Haven Orchards has had a long association with The Scott Mission.  The Scott Mission is a Christian, non-denominational urban mission responding to the needs of the poor, homeless, abandoned and vulnerable of all ages. Based in Toronto, the Mission offers practical, emotional and spiritual support to thousands of people every year.

Contact: The Scott Mission
502 Spadina Avenue
Toronto, Ontario M5S 2H1
Phone: (416) 923-8872
Fax: (416) 923-1067

BIG GRILL CATERING

Kevin Finch has launched his catering enterprise – Big Grill Catering with a new web site www.biggrillcatering.com.  When ever possible and in season, Kevin uses only local foods produced by Ontario farmers.  Kevin also features a 12 ft. charcoal grill and apple wood smoker.  For more information and a link to the new site, click on the CATERING tab.

CHINA’S FOOD SAFETY SYSTEM URGENTLY NEEDS REFORM

In news release reported by the Associated Press, Oct. 22 2008, the UN says China's food safety system needs reform.  It states that “China must urgently reform its food safety system to increase oversight and hold businesses responsible for their products.

The call, issued along with a UN report on China's food safety, comes as China is dealing with a scandal over melamine-tainted milk that has sickened tens of thousands of children and been blamed in the deaths of four infants.
Authorities say the industrial chemical, normally used in plastics and fertilizer, was added to watered-down milk to make the products seem higher in protein when tested.”

At Finch Haven Orchards we are committed to ensuring that apples produced on our farm are among the safest and highest quality in Ontario. Specifically, we have implemented guidelines for the European Good Agricultural Practices program (EurepGAP) for on-farm food safety. (www.eurepgap.org). 

EurepGAP identifies a range of programs, services and tools for the agri-food sector to be delivered by the practicing farm.  These include an on-farm food safety program, traceability initiatives, support for the implementation of quality process control systems and data management systems.

ONTARIANS REALLY DO LOVE THEIR APPLES

“With today’s active lifestyles, balancing work and family often means grabbing snacks on the go. And while there are a number of snacks that can fit the bill respondents believe that the apple is the best and healthiest choice.”

According to the Research Dimensions Survey on Canadians Fruit Purchasing and Usage Behaviour, June 2008, 45 per cent of Ontarians surveyed said that regardless of price, they can’t live without apples.

September 10, 2008 Toronto, ON – What is it about apples that 45 per cent of consumers cannot live without? Could it be the taste, versatility, convenience, health benefits, link to tradition, or price? Recent focus groups reveal that it may be all of the above.

“We asked focus group respondents to weigh in on apples and what they meant to them and the results were incredible,” says Melanie Dempsey, professor of consumer behaviour at Ryerson University. “Not surprisingly, some of the apple comments focused on health, but when the conversation started to flow more freely, people were voicing a stronger connection rooted in tradition.”

From the smell of apples baking in their mom’s favourite apple pie, to memories of baby’s eailiest words and food, to family trips to the apple orchard, apples hold a special place in many Ontario consumers’ hearts and play an important role in their heritage. Respondents indicated that in their minds, apples are wholesome and timeless — they loved them as kids and they still do to this day.

“Memory plays an important role in the judgment of quality — previous taste experiences tied to tradition and the family brings back happy memories that influence the perception of taste,” says Dempsey. “For example, one respondent mentioned how she could imagine the taste of biting into the skin of the apple which led her to recall happy memories associated with her childhood and eating apples.”

Pride is another strong motivator for choosing apples. There is a sense of trust when buying Ontario apples. Respondents all agreed that when they buy local they believe that they are getting a quality and fresh product. As one respondent said, “The apple is ours. We own it.”

Could it be price? In the marketplace consumers are faced with a trade-off between price and quality — not so with Ontario apples. Most respondents stated that their apple purchases are not influenced by price most do not even look at the price of apples, in fact they select apples as a habit They are viewed as a household staple.

With more than 15 varieties of Ontario apples to choose from, versatility was an important and attractive feature for respondents. Whether enjoyed simply or “fancied” up for a special occasion respondents could not stress enough that there is no other fruit or vegetable that has the same versatility as an apple. Some of the examples they gave included:

They can be enjoyed right out-of-hand

• They can be easily incorporated into cooking or baking
• They can be both a healthy and indulgent treat
• We can learn with it — “A is for apple”
• They are used as decor — recently a big trend at hotels
• They can be used as paint stamps — similar to potatoes

“It seems that consumers like apples because eating an apple a day makes people feel great,” says Dempsey. “With today’s active lifestyles, balancing work and family often means grabbing snacks on the go. And while there are a number of snacks that can fit the bill respondents believe that the apple is the best and healthiest choice. Interestingly, they don’t feel that they are compromising on taste when choosing an apple over something less healthy, such as a cookie.”

“People really do love their apples,” continues Dempsey. “In fact, when asked what they would do if apples ceased to exist, there was shock and silence in the room. Respondents just could not fathom their world without apples. The message was clear, there is no substitute.”