FoodTrust - Connections

G.W. Visser & Sons have made Environmental Farm Plans (EFP) a part of their operations since the program came to PEI in 1996. Randy Visser says “We supported the concept from day one. As a family business, we’ve always been conscious of the land, sustainability and not depleting the nutrients in the soil. We can’t profit in our business at the expense of the land and the future.”

Gerrit, his son Randy, and granddaughter.

Their commitment to EFP at such an early stage also meant that Randy’s family business was among the first to qualify as FoodTrust producers when it held its first official meeting in 1999. “We liked the fact that the EFP program was a requirement for becoming a FoodTrust supplier,” he says. “It was like getting rewarded for doing the right thing.”

As a means to promote sustainable farming practices, the EFP program is a voluntary initiative that provides a formal process for conducting broad environmental assessments of farm practices and farm properties. Prince Edward Island has the unique distinction of having the most comprehensive and one of the longest running EFP programs in Canada. To date, the program has covered almost 70% of the island’s acreage, and 80% of producers have completed it.

Scott