County gains $93,000 market investment grant

The Prince Edward County Economic Development office has secured $93,396 toward work to attract investment and create jobs in local,
agriculture-based food production.
Prince Edward-Hastings MPP and Minister of Education Leona Dombrowsky said the grant application submitted to the Ontario Market Investment Fund (OMIF) is approved by the province in the amount of $93,396.
The goal of the project is to assist and encourage existing and new investors to expand their businesses through creating value-added food products from local agriculture. This Regional Economic Development Project is building on the successful and award-winning ‘Invest in Cheese’ initiative that is already a partnership between Lennox & Addington, Frontenac, Hastings and Prince Edward Counties.
The four community partners are positioning themselves as a thriving region for local, agriculture-based food production and are ready to assist stakeholders in the expansion of current businesses and attract new investment to the area.
“This is another great win for our Economic Development team and agri-business,” said Mayor Leo P. Finnegan. “It’s great to see that we are a part of regional economic development in one of our core areas of strength, agriculture. I expect that this program will continue to attract investment and create jobs in value-added food production.”
Karin Desveaux-Potters, Economic Development, Gastronomy, says that based on the successful results and momentum built on the existing wine and cheese industries, the objective is to encourage and facilitate the start-ups and expansions of other producers in related areas throughout the region, leveraging the current trends in local food production and demand for local food.
“The benefit to the community is that these types of expansions and start-ups will keep farming vibrant and viable, add value to existing farming operations through new opportunities in products such as preserves, vinegar, mustard, deli-style items, cheese, micro brewery, etc., and create new job opportunities,” she said.