26 During the pandemic, the milling process for the all-purpose and bread flours produced a lot of bran, which would ordinarily be a waste. Instead, with support from the Grain Farmers of Ontario Market Development Fund, the McKeowns came up with ReLit, a kitty litter that uses the bran. It’s dust-free, nonclumping and compostable, unlike clay-based litter that usually winds up as household waste in landfills. ReLit can go into in green bins, garden compost heaps, and even manure piles. “By diverting that waste and getting the composted litter and its nutrients back on the land, the environmental benefits are significant,” she says. A provincial government program helped pay for a Fanshawe College student to develop a marketing plan for the company seven yearsago. Melissa retained the student after graduation and continues to employ her today. Solar power panels help drive the mills, and the compostable paper bags used for packaging are certified organic, which means that every single bag is traced to every address to which it is shipped. When the website was recently rebuilt from its original state, Melissa ensured they could track and know which lots were associated with which orders. “That really helps when it comes to (organic) certification time in the fall,” she says. OVERCOMING OBSTACLES Sourcing locally-grown hard red spring wheat was very difficult in the beginning. “Ithink I called every organic grower in Ontario trying to find it,” she says, noting that contacting organic seed companies that bought the grain resolved the issue. There were also times early on when older farmer-suppliers insisted on talking only to Trevor, who would refer them back to Melissa, who handles the contracts — something many farm women and agribusiness professionals can relate to. “We want to be the most sustainable company we can possibly be,” she says. “We want to do the best we can with the soils to leave them in better shape than we found them and no more waste in the landfills.” Melissa’s advice to women looking to set up an agri-business is to do their researchto ensure there’s a market for their product and put in the time and effort required. “You have to have a vision for the company — rather than saying that I just need to make more money for the farm,” she says. “And at some point, you have to make the jump and build the plane as you go.” Find out more about 1847 Milling at www.1847.ca.l continued from page 25 The Grain Farmers of Ontario Grains Innovation Fund supporting development of new and reformulated products or processes which have the potential to expand the market for Ontario barley, corn, oat, soybean, and wheat crops or crop residues will be open for applications on August 15, 2023. The fund will close November 3, 2023. The 2024 Grains Innovation Fund total fund value has been increased from $150,000 to $250,000 and individual projects which satisfy the eligibility criteria established for this fund can receive up to 60 per cent of the cost of the project up to a maximum of $75,000. The project must also meet at least one of the following criteria: • Open new markets for Ontario grains or grain residues, • Expand the use of, and demand for, Ontario grains or grain residues, • Promote Ontario grains or grain residues as the best choice, • Support development of novel value-added products derived from Ontario grains, • And/or increase the value (premiums) of Ontario grains or grain residues. Interested companies are encouraged to contact Grain Farmers of Ontario before preparing and submitting an application to discuss project ideas and eligibility. Visit us at www.gfo.ca/market-development/. GRAINS INNOVATION FUND
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