TORONTO—Several Manitoulin Island businesses had the spotlight on them as they were among over 50 businesses and organizations representing Northern Ontario agri-food at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.
Esa Keltamaki, communications advisor with FedNor explained in an email that four businesses from Manitoulin Island attended and set up booths at the event. They included Purvis Fisheries, Manitoulin Botanicals, Heartwood Mushrooms and Manitoulin Gourmet-Hawberry Farms.
The four Island businesses were among the businesses manning booths at the Northern Ontario Agri-Food pavilion at the 2024 Fair, the world’s largest combined indoor agricultural fair.
Purvis Fisheries, located in Silver Water, sells fresh fish caught and processed from Lake Huron and the North Channel. They sell varieties of fresh and smoked fish products including trout, whitefish, and sturgeon, as well as smoked fish dip and caviar.
Manitoulin Botanicals is a produce of food, herbal, and body products made from wild plants and herbs, located in Silver Water. They gather from two organic 100-acre lots while respecting the plants and the environment. All products are 100 percent natural with no added artificial colour or preservatives. Some go-to products in their lineup include spruce tip sugar, salt and vinegar, wild strawberry jam, and wild acorn flour.
Heartwood Mushrooms is a mushroom production and processing business located in Little Current. The business has been growing mushrooms for over a decade with an emphasis on health, education, and well-being. They offer fresh mushrooms, mushroom grow kits, mushroom tinctures and tempeh.
Manitoulin Gourmet-Hawberry Farms is a producer of gourmet foods located in Spring Bay on the south shores of Manitoulin. They create a range of products including jams, chutnies, and sauces with ingredients sourced from Ontario-based growers, harvesters and suppliers. Their fine gourmet products have become well-known throughout the years.
Since it began in 2021, the Northern Ontario Agri-Food Pavilion has helped generate nearly $20 million in exhibitor sales. The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, which sees hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, took place in Toronto November 1-10.
