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Pilot Program Proposal

Let’s make Metro Casselman a Leader Amongst Peers—And Competitors

The First-Ever Local Food Counter: Join Prescott and Russell and the Eastern Ontario Agri-Food Network (EOAN) in strengthening our community and satisfying consumer demand for traceable local products.

 

Plus, Fulfill the 4 Pillars of Metro’s Corporate Responsibility Policy Locally: Here’s how a Local Food Counter in Prescott and Russell’s Metro will “respect the environment, delight customers, strengthen communities, and empower employees.”

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Put Metro at the front of the Locavore Movement

“80% of principal grocery shoppers intend to purchase Ontario fresh food.” – Foodland Ontario

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Proposal: Together we’ll showcase traceable Local Food Products and give consumers better access to locally produced and processed foods by setting up a “Local Food Counter” in Metro’s Casselman Store. The Local Food Counter will be an excellent complement to current Metro strategic initiatives in Corporate Responsibility, Local Food Purchasing, and the “What’s Good Now?” seasonal produce section of the Metro consumer website, making Casselman a leader amongst Metro peers—and competitors.    

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+ HELP CELEBRATE 80 Local Producers

EOAN has built strong relationships with local producers, Foodland Ontario, the Canadian Beef Association, and the Beef Information Centre—all of whom support Prescott and Russell’s efforts to create a higher profile for locally produced and processed foods.  

Committed to Helping Metro Further Entrench Customer Loyalty The Eastern Ontario Agri-Food Network (EOAN), a four-year-old not-for-profit organization, offers Metro Casellman self-sustaining marketing for local food promotion, strategic partnerships for producers and retailers, and support to ensure producers meet “shelf-ready” expectations.  

• The Prescott and Russell region is a rich agri-food production centre, and boasts over 1000 farms, including more than 55 000 cattle and calves and over 750 000 hens.

• Several producers are working to

build greenhouses to extend local vegetable production into the winter months.

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It’s ‘Win-Win’: Showcase your diversity of products, offer consumers what they want, and be praised for facilitating economic stimulation in your community.

What Customers See & Do at the Local Food Counter:

1) Trace product origin on a regional map and read producer descriptions through a digital touch screen.

2) Watch multiple chefs create recipes with the same local products on a plasma screen display.

3) Pick up four popular locally produced foods.

The Local Food Counter will showcase a selection of consumer-preferred products (imprinted with the Prescott and Russell and EOAN logos proving the authenticity of the product’s origin) and use interactive and visual tools to foster consumer engagement at the Counter. Additional employees are not required to operate the Local Food Counter.

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Metro Casselman’s Wins: 1. Fulfilment of Metro Policies locally 2. Recognition of Metro Casselman’s Leadership 3. Continue to Improve Quality of Service to Customers 4. Strengthen Your Store’s Community and Region 5. Achieve Greater Efficiency through Partnerships

Detailed Benefits for Metro

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1. Fulfill Metro Policies Locally:

Further Entrench Local Loyalty. A Local Food Counter will draw attention to your support of your community’s job creators, as well as the families and friends of your employees. Win Community and Corporate Accolade. When your Metro is “a prime showcase for regional products” you’ll prove your adoption of Metro’s May 2013 Local Purchasing Policy just like the organic distribution partnership in Quebec. (A huge success for the last three years, the program has added new stores each year, for a tally of 19 in 2014).

A Local Food Counter also Fulfils 4 / 4 pillars in Metro’s Corporate Responsibility Policy:

1. Respect for the environment (at a local level): by supporting solar-panelled poultry farm produce and decreasing transportation of imported products.

2. Delight customers: offer “responsible products” by enabling consumers to ‘buy local’ more easily.

3. Strengthen communities: demonstrate your commitment to “focus investments in our community” and “support local suppliers.”

4. Empower employees: “foster employee engagement” with a showcase of local produce. Encourage employees to share their local produce stories with customers and community, like the Chefs on the plasma screen.  

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2. Recognition of Metro Casselman’s Leadership: Be the very 1st in Metro’s business category to showcase local products. Never before has a certified, traceable initiative been offered in grocery stores. The EOAN and Prescott and Russell logos on each product prove the producers are local-certified and offer source authenticity to consumers.

• EOAN’s traceability program is already in use and being tested with meat producers.

• EOAN will further develop the program for other produce and food manufacturers.

Enjoy the Ongoing Rewards of Being Pioneers of a Pilot Program: The Local Food Counter project will be replicable in other provinces and across Canada, making Casellman Metro a leader amongst your peers for many years to come. Public Recognition of Your Metro: EOAN and Prescott and Russell will recognize your support and adoption of the Local Food Counter wherever possible in public communications. The extent and information provided can be built into the partnership contract between Prescott and Russell and Metro.

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3. Continue to Focus on Improving Efficiency and Quality of Service to Customers:

80% Of Consumers Want Local Food. Logos on the products with “proudly raised” or “produced locally” slogans will foster a sense of belonging and community pride with consumers. These good feelings transfer to the Metro brand based on your willingness to support the Local Food Counter pilot program.

1. Offer  a  one-­‐of-­‐a-­‐kind  service  with  the  first-­‐ever  Local  Food  Counter  display.    

2. Stay  competitive  on  product  offerings  in  quality,  freshness,  variety  and  prices.  

 3. Show  community  leadership  and  prove  Metro’s  commitment  to  “fresh  

food.”  

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4. Strengthen Your Community and Region Thank your customers with a program that gives back to local producers as obviously as a Local Food Counter. Create a cycle of loyalty with consumers who will appreciate your community commitment to support their families and friends. Strengthen the bond of customer trust by offering regional products. Prove you put customers first by not only giving them the products they want but also supporting the jobs local producers and processors create in the community. Boost your store’s local economy and the future of our farms. Ontario is Canada’s second largest beef producing province, supplying 21% of Canada’s total beef. It’s a pillar of the Ontario economy. Locally raised and processed beef is in high demand by consumers. – Peter Vasil, Eastern Retail Manager, Beef Information Center Offering these products to your consumers is the best way to show your local support and further earn their trust.

FIÈREMENT ÉLEVÉ DANS

PROUDLY RAISED IN

PRÉPARÉ POUR / PREPARED FOR

RÉSEAU AGROALIMENTAIRE

DE L’EST ONTARIEN

EASTERN ONTARIO

AGRI-FOOD NETWORK

59 RUE COURT ST.

PO BOX 304

L’ORIGNAL, ON K0B 1K0

Suggested ServingPrésentation suggérée

KEEP REFRIGERATED

GARDER AU RÉFRIGÉRATEUR

BEEFBŒUFBBL

CROISÉ

CROSSBREED

A leader in Quebec, Metro’s Annual sales in 2011 was more than $11 Billion.

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5. Achieve More with Strong Partnerships

It’s easier to do more when you have help. EOAN brings the cooperation and commitment of 80 local producers and food processors so it’s easier to work together to launch this program than trying to do it on your own. Furthermore, the booth will operate without employee efforts.    Work towards greater efficiencies in serving your customers. The Local Food Counter’s unique space, visual features and product display will easily draw attention, increasing the success of the product sales. Consumers will choose to ‘buy local’ on principle, instead of just comparing by price.    

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Local Food Counter Details: Capitalize on the popularity of cooking shows and the locavore movement.

• The plasma screen of chefs cooking with local products and touch screen will allow users to interact with the Local Food Counter in more ways than any other product display.

• Building further legitimacy and consumer awareness into the display, the Counter will have the logos of the region, EOAN, and the producers involved in the local food initiative.

Prescott-­‐Russell’s  Belgium  Blue  Beef  will  offer  5  cuts  of  meat,  pre-­‐packed  and  gas-­‐sealed.  Crossbreeding  Belgium  Blue  cattle  and  Limousin  beef  uniquely  create  the  lean  specialty  beef  brand  that  is  well-­‐known  across  Canada.

International  yogurt  manufacturer,  Skotidakis’  yogurt  and  yogurt-­‐based  dips.  This  family  business  started  with  20  goats  and  grew  to  5000,  proudly  displaying  the  entrepreneurial  spirit  of  the  agriproducers  in  the  region.  

A  strong  regional  employer  and  the  only  19th  Century  surviving  cheese  manufacturer  in  Eastern  Ontario,  St-­‐Albert  Cheese,  offers  a  flavourful  nod  to  Eastern  Ontario’s  rich  agricultural  history.  A  testament  to  the  quality  in  their  selection  of  cheddars,  mozzarella  and  curds,  this  dedicated  Coop  managed  to  win  cheese  awards  in  2013  despite  a  devastating  fire,  and  celebrated  120  years  in  a  brand  new  facility  by  2014.

Laviolette  Farm’s  fresh  eggs:  a  poultry  farm  partially  powered  by  solar  panels  to  offset  greenhouse  gases.  Laviolette  also  exceeds  the  international  HACCP  standards  and  is  a  key  supplier  of  250  customers,  many  of  them  restaurants.  Their  inclusion  in  the  Local  Food  Counter  proves  Metro’s  environmental  respect  and  determination  to  bring  best  quality  products  to  consumers.

Appropriate  Local  Product  Selection    Four  “proudly  raised  or  produced”  in  Prescott  and  Russell  products  have  been  selected  (as  the  first  products  for  display  in  the  Local  Food  Counter)  based  on  their  ability  to  satisfy  Metro  demand,  provincial  regulations,  and  serve  a  niche-­‐market.  

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Proof of Concept:

Proof of Concept: EOAN’s self-sustaining marketing brings credibility and sustainability to the Pilot Program

How  EOAN  Presently  Promotes  the  Local  Food  Movement:  1. With  EOAN  support,  in  2013,  the  Counties  SDG  and  Prescott  and  Russell  produced  

the  first  Local  Food  Map,  and  added  an  online  map  and  directory  in  2014.  2. 5  years’  experience  bringing  10000  visitors  to  the  region  through  “Foire  

Gourmande”  (an  EAON  partnership  with  the  Table  Agroalimentaire  de  l’Outaouais.)  3. Development  of  an  attractive  Eastern  Ontario  meat  brand  to  package  meat  

products  in  the  region.    4. Food  business  nutritional  labelling  and  nutritional  analysis  services  to  help  regional  

producers  and  processors  affordably  to  meet  retail  expectations.    5. Producers  get  the  opportunity  for  visibility  and  accessibility  to  activities  and  

services  at  a  lower  cost  helping  them  stay  price  competitive.  Plus  EOAN  will:    • Complete  a  Food  Study  in  Autumn  2014  to  determine  how  to  develop  distribution  to  keep  local  food  production  strong.  

• Take  inventory  of  products  and  create  a  market  structure  to  ensure  supply  for  demand.  

• Maintain  strong  relationships  with  the  Canadian  Beef  Association,  Foodland  Ontario,  the  Beef  Information  Centre.  

AND…!  6. Launch  a  Pilot  Program  initiative  with  Metro  to  create  a  local  Food  Counter  in  

response  to  consumer  demand  for  local  food.      

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Contract Proposal:

Let’s Commit To Training Consumers About Metro’s Leadership of Local Food:

Prescott-Russell and EOAN propose a 3-Year Contract To Serve Metro and secure supply of, and demand for, the meat, cheese, eggs and yogurt at the Local Food Counter.

• Start with 4 Products, creating the opportunity to add more at a later date. Local producers are already making plans to increase production. One producer will expand his greenhouse in Autumn 2014 to be able to produce 2000 lettuce heads/week, with potential to double production in future years.

Commitment to Meeting Metro Specifications and Provincial Regulations: All provincial rules and regulations regarding meat processing and delivery will be followed. Meat products will be presented in the specific format Metro requires. Recognition for Metro in all Communications EOAN is excellent at attracting attention, as proven by the 10 000 people who’ve come to Foire Gourmande each year since 2009. Together with Prescott and Russell, they are willing to negotiate a commitment to promote Metro wherever possible throughout the next three years. Plan to Expand the Pilot Project As the pilot site, Casellman will become a leader amongst peers and competitors. Prescott and Russell and EOAN can commit to case study presentations at conferences and events.

What  else  do  you  require  from  us  to  create  the  Local  Food  Counter?  

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