2023 Economic and Tourism Development Year-End Report
AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY
HARVEST HASTINGS
Agriculture plays a major role in the economy of Hastings County. The County is pleased to partner with and support the work of the Harvest Hastings Board and their initiatives for the year. Harvest Hastings operates a website www.harvesthastings.ca that garnered over 19,000 visitors in 2023. The site features more than 200 listings of our local farms, products and businesses. It helps the general public and consumer learn what is produced locally, who the producers are and where to purchase from them.
The organization supplements the website with a printed magazine, and in 2023 they distributed 3,000 copies. Since part of their role is to promote sourcing local, they coordinated a local food dinner on April 28. Catered by a local chef, the dinner drew more than 100 people who enjoyed a menu that contained nearly 80% ingredients from Hastings County farms. They plan to host another dinner in 2024.
FORESTRY
The forestry sector also plays a major role in our local economy. The County continues to partner with and support the work of the Bancroft Area Forest Industry Association (BAFIA). As part of the Town of Bancroft’s downtown revitalization, and to promote the forestry economy, BAFIA installed a mural displaying a horse drawn carriage with harvest lumber on a building in the downtown. One of BAFIA’s major initiatives is hosting “Forestry Day” for students. In 2023 they helped educate more than two hundred students on skills that could be utilized within a forestry career. For students in grade 7 or 8, they were taught how to collect data for a proper forest inventory, how to conduct tree marking as well as maintenance for regeneration of harvested areas.
BAFIA also provided visitors with educational experiences at Eagles Nest Park.
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