Join Farms at Work for a collaborative farm tour with Josh Blank of Carrot Top Organics and Andrea Hicks of Emergence Flowers!
Josh and his family bought the farm in 2020 and have been slowly but surely fixing and building infrastructure, preparing the soil, and enjoying the beauty and diversity of the land. They launched Carrot Top Organics in 2022 and are excited to provide our family and our community with rich, diverse, and healthy local food from our farm. Carrot Top organics is prized for its diversity of fresh greens, variety of vegetables, and (of course) exceptional carrots! Our vegetables are available through our CSA program and our online store.
Andrea has been gardening since she was a child and in 2022 she launched her farmer/florist business, growing both at her home in Peterborough and on a plot at Josh’s farm. Using organic methods, she grows a combination of bulbs, perennials, and annual flowers. Seed starting begins in the depths of winter in her basement and continues until mid-summer to ensure a full season of flowers. She is able to grow bucket loads of fresh flowers on a small plot of land, offering specialty cut flowers for bouquets, flower subscriptions, and events.
Join Farms at Work and Sunderland Co-op for an evening of learning, good food and connection with your farming community. Hosted at Heritage Cattle Company, this hands-on event will explore rotational grazing, plant health and pasture management, including a pasture walk and demonstration of using a Brix tester to assess plant health.
Enjoy a taco beef dinner featuring Heritage Cattle beef and locally sourced milk, followed by three rotating learning stations: Ask the Vet with Peterborough Veterinary Services, practical electric fencing for rotational grazing, and pasture nutrition with local ruminant specialists. Come ready to learn, share experiences and connect with other farmers.
Join Farms at Work and Curve Lake First Nation’s SMG Aquaponics Corp. for a tour of the brand new Curve Lake Aquaponics and Hydroponics facility.
Explore how Shki Maajitaawin Gitigaanan (“New Beginnings Farm”), a 45,000-square-foot, band-owned operation in Curve Lake First Nation, is strengthening local food production, advancing Indigenous food sovereignty, and supplying fresh produce and farmed fish throughout the region.
See how aquaponics and hydroponics work together in a highly efficient, low-water, zero-discharge growing system, learn how tilapia and leafy greens are produced year-round, and bring your questions about their systems and plans for the future!
Be one of the first to see this modern facility and to learn from those who designed, built, and manage it.
Join Farms at Work for a visit with LoonSong Farm and Fifth Wind Farm, on July 14th from 6pm- 8pm for a 2-part farm visit.
Learn about the ins and outs of growing organic grains in Northumberland County, and also learn about how Brix testing can help you to measure plant health in your fields or gardens on any scale.
Paul Salanki of LoonSong will share his experiences growing organic grains – How is it different from conventional cropping? Hear about cover cropping and crop rotations, planting methods, accessing seed, and harvesting and marketing organic grains along with some of the challenges and complexities of this type of grain farming.
Part 2 of this tour will take us into an adjacent veggie garden, where we will discuss plant health (which is also a primary indicator of underlying soil health) measured by Brix testing, and have the opportunity to try out the measurement tools with several different vegetable garden plants. We will also discuss ways to build soil health (and therefore plant health) in gardens and fields. Ordering of Brix testing instruments will be available.
What do you do when you have difficulty sourcing organic feed for your Angus cattle? If you are the O’Briens, you invent a fully automated sprouting system that turns your organic seed into nutritious fodder!.
Join Farms at Work and O’Brienview Organic Farm for an afternoon exploring the ingenuity and problem solving that has gone into this conveyor system that produces over 700lb of new sprouts at a time. Learn how the system was designed and built, the benefits of feeding sprouted fodder and how this system could integrate into your operation. Come with your curiosity and your questions!
About the Hosts
More than three decades ago, Pauline and Eric O’Brien started a mixed organic farm in Cameron, Ontario. Today, their 350 acre operation includes three generations, a tomato seedling business, an organic market garden and certified organic and pasture finished beef, poultry and pork. Together, they work with great devotion and passion maintaining and harvesting our fields, crops and livestock.
For over a decade, Farms at Work has been supporting the growth of resilient thriving farms that contribute to food security across east central Ontario and working to support farmers, new entrants, and farmland owners through education, mentorship, and research.
Get Tickets here: https://farmsatwork.ca/obrienviewfarmtour/
The Belmont Farmstead is expanding its operations and now is the time to ask all your plant propagation and farm-business questions! Operating her business now for 15 years, Amanda is an experienced horticulturalist dedicated to soil health, biodiversity, and sustainability. She grows thousands of seedlings each season, offers individual support to ensure thriving gardens, creates beautiful botanical displays for local businesses, and has recently purchased a seed business to further grow her impact and scale. Ask your questions on the ups and downs of farm-business development, management and growth, learn about native seedling propagation and how you can balance the needs of your business, community, and environment for positive impact. Whether you’re a seasoned grower, native plant enthusiast, new farmer, or simply passionate about local food, don’t miss this opportunity to grow your network and learn with Amanda from Belmont Farmstead!
Tour highlights include: greenhouse seedling production, native plant propagation techniques, scaling a farm-based business, and lessons learned from 15 years of building a diversified horticultural enterprise.
Seeking non-farming owners of farmland!
Farms at Work is inviting registrations for a Farmland Owner Workshop, designed for non-farming owners of farmland. Hear from a range of knowledgeable speakers and network with organizations who can help you!
This is a hybrid event: Connecting in person is always the best! But if you can’t make it we still want to see you – register to participate online.
Topics to Expect
- Why is every acre of farmland important?
- Farm Business Registration, Property tax and your farm
- Finding and keeping a great farm tenant
- Farm Insurance
- Environmental stewardship of your farmland
- Funding opportunities and other resources
- Long term options for your farmland
Help us address the topics you are most interested in! Please complete our Farmland Owner Survey in addition to registering for the workshop.
Register for in-person and online participation here: https://3common.com/event/farmland-ownership-opportunities-connections-and-answers/690b7bf691721e9a0cba9e85
Alpacas for Fibre and Agritourism
- Location: Wanderlight Alapaca Experience: 874 Lynch’s Rock Road. Douro Dummer
- Time: Friday. November 28th: 2:00pm – 4:00pm
- Questions? Email Education@Farmsatwork.ca
How do you raise alpacas for optimum fibre production? How do you incorporate agritourism into your farming operation? Come with your curiosity and questions!
Join Wanderlight Alpaca Experience, Averegan Farms and Farms at Work for an afternoon exploring the breeding, care and delight of alpacas. This hands-on tour will include time connecting with the Wanderlight Alpacas, and is geared toward farmers and business owners but open to folks of all interests and ages.
Tour Highlights
- Care and Health of the Alpaca Herd
- Genetics and Breeding of Alpacas
- Shearing, Fibre Processing and Sales
- Adding Agritourism to your Farm
***Online ticket purchases are preferred, but registration onsite at the event will also be available. Please arrive by 1:45 for in person registration.
Some alpaca products will be available for purchase.
About the Hosts
Donna Simmonds of Averegan Alpacas has been breeding and showing alpacas and processing alpaca fibre for 20 years. From breeding decisions, crias, shows and day-to-day care all the way to shearing and sorting the gorgeous fleeces and processing them into the softest yarns for our alpaca products – she loves it all and is excited to share her expertise.
Katie Maitland founded Wanderlight Alpaca Experience in 2020 to connect guests with the joy of alpacas, the beauty of her family farm and a glimpse into agriculture. Since then over 5000 people have visited Wanderlight, learning about alpacas, nature and farm life. From inspirational stories to practical matters of insurance, marketing, and booking, Katie is ready for your questions!For over a decade, Farms at Work has been supporting the growth of resilient thriving farms that contribute to food security across east central Ontario and working to support farmers, new entrants, and farmland owners through education, mentorship, and research.
