Interview and Photo Op
(Ottawa ON) – Come to the Ottawa Food Bank farm and meet the bees who will be working hard to feed Ottawa’s hungry.
Thanks to a grant from JustChange Ottawa, the Gees Bees Honey Company has teamed up with the Ottawa Food Bank and installed a beehive at the Ottawa Food Bank’s Community Harvest farming project.
The honeybees who call this new beehive “home” will help pollinate the Ottawa Food Bank’s Community Harvest crops and will also produce honey that Gees Bees Honey Company will sell to benefit the food bank.
Media are invited to attend the official unveiling of the new beehive which has been specially designed and branded for the Ottawa Food Bank. There will be excellent visuals as well as interview opportunities with Gees Bees Honey Company, the Ottawa Food Bank, and JustChange Ottawa.
WHAT:
Unveiling of the special Ottawa Food Bank beehive at Ottawa Food Bank farm
WHEN:
Wednesday, June 8th, 11 a.m. to noon
WHERE:
Ottawa Food Bank’s Community Harvest farming project – Mansfield Rd, Stittsville (location link)
1.2 km West of the intersection of Huntley Rd & Mansfield Rd
WHO:
Michael Maidment, Executive Director, Ottawa Food Bank
Jason Gray, Community Harvest Coordinator, Ottawa Food Bank
Marianne Gee, Co-Founder, Gees Bees Honey Company
Matthew Gee, Co-Founder, Gees Bees Honey Company
Louise Grace, JustChange Ottawa
– 30 –
Quick facts:
- The Ottawa Food Bank’s farm and Community Harvest Program grow and collect nutritious, local produce to help feed the hungry through the Ottawa Food Bank’s community food programs.
- In 2015, the Ottawa Food Bank distributed a total 176,553 lbs. of fresh produce, including 101,000 lbs. of which we grew ourselves. Thanks in part to the bees, this year, we hope to increase the amount of food we grow on the farm.
- Honey Bees and Bumble Bees are iconic pollinators. Pollination ensures that a plant will produce its fruit and a full set of and viable seeds. Bees are vital to food production and perfect farm workers.
- Evidence shows many species are suffering alarming population declines. Beekeepers in Canada saw a 35% decline in the bee population in the past three years (Canadian Honey Council). There is an increased worldwide effort to establish more bee colonies.
Quotes:
“Honeybees pollinate at least a third of the food that we eat. Our hope is that our donated beehive, thanks to the JustChange Ottawa grant, will help produce more fruits and vegetables at the Ottawa Food Bank’s farm.” – Marianne Gee, Co-Founder, Gees Bees Honey Company
“The summer months are tough for the Ottawa Food Bank and our shelves get bare. We are thrilled that we now have bees on our side, helping to increase the amount of fresh, quality fruits and vegetables we can provide to those who are hungry in our community. We are grateful to JustChange Ottawa and Gees Bees for helping to feed 50,000 neighbours each month.” – Michael Maidment, Executive Director of the Ottawa Food Bank
“JustChange Ottawa provides micro grants to help accelerate innovative projects that benefit our community. We’re excited to see that our grant to Gees Bees Honey Company has contributed to this partnership between them and the Ottawa Food Bank, which we’re sure will lead to great things for the community both on and off the farm.” – Louise Grace, JustChange Ottawa
For more information and to RSVP:
Samantha Ingram
Communications Coordinator, Ottawa Food Bank
613-745-7001 ext. 105
samantha@ottawafoodbank.ca
