Local Food Peterborough

Growing Organic Grains and Exploring Plant Health with LoonSong Farm
2026-07-14 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Toronto) | Fifth Wind Farm, 3987 Timlin Road, Cold Springs, nearCobourg, Ontario, K9A 4J9, Canada
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.

Tour Curve Lake’s Aquaponic/Hydroponic System: Shki Maajitaawin Gitigaanan
2026-08-20 14:00 - 16:00 | Curve Lake First Nation
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.

Gather, Learn & Share - a dinner event with your Farming Community
2026-09-10 16:30 - 19:00 | Heritage Cattle Company, 690 Scriven Road, Otonabee-South-Monaghan, Ontario, K9J 6Y3, Canada
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.

Farm Tour: Emergence Flowers & Carrot Top Organics
2026-09-22 18:00 - 20:00 | 1928 Asphodel 6th Line Asphodel-Norwood, ON K0L 2V0, 1928 Asphodel 6th Line, Asphodel-Norwood, ON, K0L 2V0, Canada
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.
