HillSide Gardens BackgroundThe management team including Ron Gleason (CEO) and Dan Vanderkooi (Production Manager) have spearheaded a major overhaul of traceability and information systems. Changes to the operational environment include replacing old manual traceability solutions and partially automated traceability solutions with new fully automated high availability management systems. Whilst maintaining a higher level of traceability, the HillSide business has also achieved greater levels of profitability and productivity.
"ProducePak has provided us with the seamless quality control & traceability our operation was looking for. Our customers are satisfied and confident with ProducePak traceability, and we are saving money using the excellent business analysis tools." Ron Gleason, CEO of HILL SIDE GARDENS, Canada
Implementing a business management solution that combines both traceability software and business management software has helped HillSide Gardens to implement new KPI’s in the business, resulting in better analysis of business operations and staff accountability.
HillSide Gardens pride their business operations on high levels of staff productivity, high traceability, and high quality for consumer products. The HillSide team has created an environment in which innovation and creativity is encouraged, with the future always bringing a better quality product to their clients.
The Award
Presented by his honorable Premier McGuinty, showing that Ontario's agri-food industry continues to strengthen the province's economy. This was the theme of the Premier's Summit on Agri-Food, where innovators were recognized with the province's top awards for agri-food innovation excellence:
Hillside Gardens Limited in Simcoe County receives the Minister'sAward of $50,000 for their innovation in implementing an electronic "gate-to-plate" traceability program.
The recipients are being recognized under the Premier's Award for
Agri-Food Innovation Excellence, a $2.5 million, five-year program (now in its third year) established to recognize innovators who contribute to the success of Ontario's agri-food sector.
The innovations of 55 regional winners, who will receive $5,000 each, will be announced at regional award ceremonies this spring.
Quotes
"In these challenging economic times, we need everyone working together
so we can emerge from this recession even stronger. Our farmers produce the
food we eat; their fields are home to wind turbines providing clean, renewable
energy to Ontario families; and they're harvesting crops we're still finding
new uses for in the auto industry. Agriculture has always been one of the
cornerstones of Ontario's strong economy. These awards are a celebration of
the talent and innovation we have growing here."
- Premier of Ontario, Dalton McGuinty
(http://www.premier.gov.on.ca/home/default.asp?Lang=EN)
"Ontario's agri-food sector continues to lead through innovation. With
these awards, we are supporting the creative ideas growing on farms and rural
communities across this province. Together, we are building opportunities that will make our agri-food industry and economy stronger."
- Leona Dombrowsky, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
(http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/about/about.html)
QUICK FACTS
- Ontario's agri-food sector is one of the province's leading
industries, contributing more than $33 billion to the economy every
year.
- In its first three years, the Premier's Award for Agri-Food
Innovation Excellence has attracted more than 550 applications
highlighting on-farm innovations.
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LEARN MORE
See videos (http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/mm/) of previous award
winning innovations and discover the variety of previous award-winning on-farm
innovations at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs website.
Learn more about other government programs supporting innovation
(http://www.mri.gov.on.ca/english/default.asp) in Ontario by visiting the
Ministry of Research and Innovation website.
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Minister's Award Recipient ($50,000)>>
Hillside Gardens Limited - Bradford, Simcoe County
Ron Gleason is helping to strengthen the gate-to-plate connection. He
redesigned an existing software program for use as a farm traceability
program. It's capable of tracing all field activities from harvest, to
packing, to shipping dates and destinations. Lot IDs are assigned in each step
in the process, and the end product is dated with a bar code sticker. The
wireless, computerized system will only allow product that has been assigned
to a load to be picked and scanned. This improves many aspects of the
business, from rotation and quality issues to recall efficiency and inventory
control. The system provides "real time" inventory and work is underway to
expand its capabilities.
About the Awards Program
Awards - The five-year, $2.5-million Premier's Award for Agri-Food
Innovation Excellence is now in its third year. There can be up to 55 regional
award winners chosen annually, with a cash prize of $5,000 each. From these
winners, a Minister's Award of up to $50,000 and a Premier's Award of up to
$100,000 are selected.
Who is eligible? - A farmer, primary producer, groups of farmers,
combination of agri-food businesses, or an agri-food related organization are
all eligible for recognition under this initiative. A farmer must be one of
the applicants of any group. This program is not intended for the research
community as there are other government recognition programs available to this
sector. Applicant/nominees must reside in Ontario and be a Canadian citizen or
permanent resident of Canada. Ontario Public Service staff and immediate
family are not eligible to apply for this program.
Types of eligible innovations - Examples of innovations for this program
include (but are not limited to) improved farm practices, responding to
consumer demands; environmental stewardship; health and safety on the farm;
energy innovations; education and marketing of agriculture to society, and
local food.
For further information: Sherry Persaud, Minister's Office, (416)
326-6439; Brent Ross, Communications Branch, (416) 326-9342
Source: http://ogov.newswire.ca/ontario/GONE/2009/04/06/c7539.html?lmatch=&lang=_e.html
http://www.ProducePak.com
