Local food

Expanding your local food business

Scaling up to access new markets workshop, and food processing development centre tour.

Are you looking to scale up within your existing markets, whether those are farm-gate sales or farmers’ markets? Are you looking for assistance with product development to scale up, or packaging and labelling advice?

Are you looking to expand your markets into food service or retail? Have you been working out of a commercial kitchen, and are now ready to expand? Are you uncertain about the regulations that are needed?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this workshop has something for you. The workshop will include a tour of the Food Processing Development Centre, and opportunities to learn about other resources to help you with your business.
Workshop details: 
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 11 
Time: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Location: Business and Entrepreneur Centre; 606 18 Ave. Nisku, AB T9E 7V8. Followed by a tour at the Food Processing Development Center: 6309 – 45 St. Leduc, AB
Cost: $25 (Includes lunch)
Register: online by Oct 4, 2023. For more information, contact Sharon Faye, Local Food Coordinator at sharon@leduc-county.com or 780-770-9271.
Register online   Learn more about the workshop

Preparing for CanadaGAP: webinar series 2023

Are you a fresh fruit and vegetable business interested in, or expanding into the retail, wholesale or food service markets? The Preparing for CanadaGAP webinar series will help to create an understanding of the application process and break down its requirements and process into clear steps.

Participants will walk through the CanadaGAP manual with presenter, Erin Hiebert, Manager of Food Safety and Skills Development at the Saskatchewan Food Center.

Join the group exercises and have your business questions answered about this certification standard. Guest speakers from the industry will join to share their experiences with CanadaGAP preparation and certification.

Registration

For more information and to register for the October 18 information session and/or the six-week series starting in November, contact Sharon Faye, local food coordinator with Leduc County, at 780-770-9271 or sharon@leduc-county.com. The registration deadline for the six-week series is October 23, 2023.

Learn more

• local food products
  • fruit/vegetables
  • meat/poultry products
  • specialty food (honey, mushrooms, herbs)
• greenhouses 
• landscape/nursery businesses
• on-farm craft beverages
• preserves/ready-made products
• agri-tourism destinations
• businesses that source local ingredients to produce value-added products

To be featured on the interactive map, you need to meet certain criteria and fill out an application form.

Criteria

• You must own your business.
• Your business must be located within Leduc County or one of the municipalities within its boundaries (Beaumont, Devon, Leduc, Calmar, Thorsby, Warbug).
• You must meet at least one of the following requirements:
• You are a producer of food, horticulture, other agriculture products, or raise animals/products that are sold into local market channels.
• You host agri-tourism activities on your farm.
• You source ingredients from Alberta that are your main ingredients to produce value-added products.

If you meet the above-listed criteria, you may fill out an application form.

• After you've submitted your application form, county staff will review it and you will be notified if your application was successful. 
• There is no cost to be listed on the local food listing, but you must complete an annual audit of information to ensure everything is up to date.

Please note: if you indicate specific certification/classification/or holding certain permits as part of your business features, such as organic certification, you may be requested to provide a copy of the certification to the county.

Online application form Downloadable application form