Small Scale Food Processor Association

RR #1, Site 43, C-53
Fanny Bay, BC V0R 1W0
Canada
(250) 335-3001
frank@ssfpa.net

"We're Big on Small"

Read More Bits
of the SSFPA sound bits Newsletter
October 2004

Membership Drive

SSFPA's current membership fee is $12.50 per member organization plus $2.50 per Full Time Equivalent (FTE) employee. You can download and print membership applications for Processor and Supporter members or e-mail Candace Appleby at c.appleby@shaw.ca with "Request Membership Form" in the subject line.

  • Current Benefits offered to the members of the SSFPA

    • Sound Bits. An information sharing network of relevant issues to members, as well
      as a marketing vehicle for members.
    • Living Inventory. This members' directory provides for Business to Business
      opportunities. The information submitted to the SSFPA by the membership provides a
      constant source of feedback to the SSFPA to directly work towards meeting the ongoing
      needs of the members. Click here to access your current company information in the Living Inventory database.
    • Action Committees. As an SSFPA member you will have the opportunity to be a part of
      the committee structure currently being set up for future development of the food infrastructure system through the incorporation of a shared services co-operative business. This co-operative is being created to meet the market demands from small-scale producers and processors. We are very excited about all the possibilities that have recently come to our attention and look forward to your involvement.

  • Benefits Currently Being Negotiated With Suppliers for the New Shared Services Co-operative (being piloted on the Vancouver Islands, and BC and Alberta for some services)

    • Group Insurance Coverage for Life Insurance,
    • Short term Disability Insurance
    • Long Term Disability Insurance
    • Dental Insurance
    • Critical Care Insurance
    • Extended Medical Coverage
    • Group Discount Business Liability Insurance
    • Group Discount Transportation and Shipping Agreements

 

Planning and Assessment for Value-Added Enterprises (PAVE)

The Planning and Assessment for Value-Added Enterprises (PAVE) program is designed to "ramp up" farmers and producers to food processors, enabling them to gain more value from their products.

PAVE will provide farmers and producers with financial assistance to retain the services of business planning professionals and develop plans for value-added projects. Farmers and producers will receive assistance to hire the appropriate expertise to prepare feasibility assessments and develop comprehensive business plans. These plans will improve the chances for a successful launch or expansion of value-added enterprises. As part of the service to the clients, the consultants will provide counseling that will improve farmer/producers' ability to present their plans to capital providers and to use their plans as a management tool for the launch or expansion of their enterprise. In some cases, these opportunities may be pursued by individuals or by farmer/producers acting collectively.

Read Quick Facts for the PAVE program and, if you want to learn even more, contact one of the following:

  • Cheryl Lockhart in Edmonton, Alberta
    Telephone: 780-495-8393 or toll-free at 1-866-452-5558
    lockhartc@agr.gc.ca

  • Lorne Owen in British Columbia
    (604) 666-3713

  • PAVE web site


We at SSFPA are excited about the PAVE program as it is focused on encouraging farmers and producers to add value to their raw commodities. Adding value improves the bottom line and the sustainability of the whole field to table process.

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North American Network for the Solidarity Economy (NANSE)

Mike Lewis, Executive Director of Canada’s Center for Community Enterprise, is also on the NANSE organizing committee, and he invites the broader Community Economic Development (CED) audience to participate in NANSE:

“Hello colleagues. In Trois Rivière there was a meeting to explore the formation of a North American Network for the Solidarity Economy. The 25 people, representing hundreds of organizations, through their networks, decided to proceed. Attached is a membership form . . . . I would hope you would consider joining and passing on the information to others you believe would contribute to this important, long term project. The plan is to start slow, but to start. It is also connected to the broader international project - the Intercontinental Network for the Promotion of the Social Solidarity Economy."

To learn more, send Mike an e-mail or call him at (250) 723-1139.

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American COOL Rules

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada organized two presentation sessions regarding the mandatory provisions that are being finalized and which were implemented for fish and shellfish on September 30, 2004. The August presentations in Nanaimo and Richmond explained the development of the COOL regime and focused on the rules, including the products covered and exclusions/exemptions. The presentation also included discussions of implementation issues and alternatives under consideration by U.S. legislators.

For those who haven't visited the COOL website yet, we would draw your attention to the Talking Points section, which sets out the following information concerning implementation which is also set out in the COOL Rule:

"The interim final rule will become effective April 4, 2005. Moreover, the requirements of this rule do not apply to fish or shellfish caught or harvested before December 6, 2004. Many of these covered commodities sold at retail are in a frozen or otherwise preserved state, meaning that they were already in the chain of commerce prior to September 30, 2004, and the origin/production information may not be known. It is thus reasonable to delay the effective date of this rule to allow existing inventories to clear through the channels of commerce and allow affected industry members to conform their operations to the requirements of this rule."

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Small Scale Food Processor Association
RR #1, Site 43, C-53
Fanny Bay, BC V0R 1W0
Canada
(250) 335-3001
frank@ssfpa.net