August 9, 2012 (Nova Scotia) – Local Food NS is pleased to announce another round of funding through the Local Food Fund at the Community Foundation of Nova Scotia for communitybased organizations that aim to strengthen the local food system in Nova Scotia.

The Local Food Fund is the only charitable funding source in the province with a mandate
dedicated to healthy local food issues. Interested groups are invited to apply for grants of up to $1,000 each. Applications can be downloaded from www.localfoodns.ca or www.cfns.ca. The application deadline is September 14, 2012. Grants will be awarded in October.

This year, one successful applicant will be considered the “Dr. Ralph Martin” signature recipient in honour of Dr. Martin’s dedication to the local food movement throughout Nova Scotia. Dr. Martin was the inaugural Chair of Local Food NS and is a founding director of the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada. A former professor at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College, he is now the inaugural Loblaw Chair in Sustainable Food Production at the University of Guelph.

This year FUSION Halifax and its Health & Wellness Action Team are proud to work with
Local Food NS and support the kick-off of its Local Food Fund. The event will take place on Thursday, August 9, from 5 to 7 p.m. at The Foggy Goggle Restaurant & Bar. Since 2010, the Local Food Fund has supported organizations throughout Nova Scotia with $15,000 in grants, including Cape Breton Farmers' Market Cooperative, Atlantic Canadian Organic Regional Network (ACORN), Ecology Action Centre, Voices Antigonish, and Clean Nova Scotia
Foundation.

"Supporting and convening relationships among partners is an important part of what FUSION Halifax does as an organization," said Meghan Cadue, Director of FUSION Halifax’s Health & Wellness Action Team. “Increasing the profile of this fund in our community -- and, most importantly, the projects it supports -- helps bring sustainable, local food to broader audience, including FUSION members.”

Local Food NS is part of the Spirit Nova Scotia movement. Its goal is to help develop and
sustain a healthy, local food supply for all Nova Scotians. This team of dedicated volunteers has partnered with the Community Foundation of Nova Scotia to create and administer the Local Food Fund. For more information, please visit: www.localfoodns.ca

The Community Foundation of Nova Scotia is a public charitable foundation created by and for the people of Nova Scotia. It works with private donors, communities, and charitable organizations to stimulate charitable giving, establish permanent endowment funds, and support initiatives which make an ongoing difference in communities across Nova Scotia. For more information, please visit: http://www.cfns.ca/

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For further information contact:
Allison Kouzovnikov
Executive Director, Community Foundation of Nova Scotia
1-877-999-5907 or cfns.ca

Adam Sterling
FUSION Halifax
media@fusionhalifax.ca