Connect for Food Roundtables Discover Possibilities for Our Food Sector

Strathcona County invites anyone with a stake in the food industry to ‘come to the table’ and contribute to expanding Alberta’s agrifood sector, creating greater socio-economic benefits for the community.

Through the Connect for Food Project, Strathcona County is excited to hear from business owners and/or staff that grow, prepare, sell, educate, and distribute food.

“Grow what we eat. Eat what we grow.” This is the message behind Connect for Food (CFF) Projects, say Perry Phillips and Keleigh Cormier, co-founders of the process. The idea comes from their extensive experiences in and passion for agriculture, food and communities from working across Alberta and beyond. Phillips is an agricultural producer and organizational specialist; Cormier is a certified management consultant (CMC) with deep experience in food and tourism/agritourism.  

Interest has never been higher in having a more resilient agrifood sector, less vulnerable to external factors, and rightfully so, adds Phillips.

Cormier has worked with many businesses and organizations and says CFF-based projects are an excellent way for bringing people together to identify sustainable approaches to a new era for our agrifood industry; “Making connections and building relationships in our food system is more important than ever and there is a lot of interest in and support now for doing just that. That’s exactly what a CFF project can facilitate.”

The agriculture model in Alberta has evolved primarily as a producer and exporter of commodities and food-making ingredients, while importing a significant amount of food, especially from the US. Alberta has the natural resources and much of the technology needed to produce far more food that could ultimately reduce our dependency on imports.

Rather than focusing only on growers, processing or adding value to primary products, the CFF approach considers all parts and stakeholders of the food industry. To work through the complexity of the global food system, all the moving parts and people need to connect.

The CFF Roundtable is taking place Monday, April 7, 2025, at the Ardrossan Recreation Complex. More information on registering is available at strathcona.ca/connectforfood.

This project is an important step of the Strathcona County Agriculture and Food Sector Development Strategy in supporting innovation, economic growth and diversification, as well as tourism. Read more on the strategy at strathcona.ca/agfoodstrategy. CFF Projects are offered exclusively through ClearThink™ Group.

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