News/Events - August 2015

Upcoming Growing Forward 2 Workshops

Here's a list of some of the GF2 Workshops coming up in our area. To register for any of them, visit: www.ontariosoilcrop.org

Growing Your Farm Profits

Start the business planning process by attending one of these FREE two-day interactive workshops:

  • Lindsay
    • Day 1: September 29
    • Day 2: October 6
  • Bloomfield
    • Day 1: November 25
    • Day 2: December 2

Environmental Farm Plan

Producers are invited to attend FREE EFP (4th Edition) Workshops to learn about best management practices, develop an action plan for their farm and to learn about cost-share funding opportunities. 

  • Sunderland
    • Day 1: October 19
    • Day 2: October 26
  • Brighton
    • Day 1: November 23
    • Day 2: November 30

Bio-Security Workshops

At this one-day workshop, an experienced verterinarian will show you the benefits of having an on-farm biosecurity program, and identify key practices which will enhance biosecurity measures on your farm. 

  • Crop & Plant
    • September 8, Brighton
  • Beef
    • October 15, Peterborough
  • Bee producers
    • November 18, Peterborough

Food Safety Webinars

Keep up to date on the latest food safety practices and help strengthen your GF2 appliciation by attending one or all of the following webinars: 

  • Lindsay
    • Day 1: November 17
    • Day 2: November 24
  • Kemptville
    • Day 1: November 6
    • Day 2: November 16
  • Elginburg
    • Day 1: January 18
    • Day 2: January 25

September is Local Food Month

Local Food Month Peterborough

The City and County of Peterborough have officially declared September as our community’s annual Local Food Month. Festivities planned for the inaugural season have been organized by partners Farms at Work and Transition Town, along with a working group of volunteers. Community members can participate in many different ways – from attending local food tours, to visiting restaurants serving local dishes, buying at farmers markets and joining the fun at the Purple Onion Festival on September 20. 

Tours start next week with a FREE bus tour to local farms who have areas planted that support native pollinators. Come and find out how you can do the same – in town or on the farm! Next up is a tour to Lang Pioneer Village to see Red Fife Wheat being milled at the historic mill, or take a tour of Harley Farms, where you can see sheep, pigs and cattle in the field tour and then visit the on-farm store.

This is just a first taste of the activities available throughout September. Challenge yourself to find out how easy it is to support local farms and farmers, as well as the food businesses that process and distribute food grown close to home!

Pick up a free comprehensive Local Food Guide at any local farmer’s market in the County, or at selected locations selling local food. Visit the official website at localfoodmonthptbo.ca, or give us a 'like' on Facebook to keep up on all the local food happenings throughout the month of September. 

Eat Think Vote

Eat Think Vote

Eat Think Vote, led by Food Secure Canada, is making food an issue in the upcoming federal election.

The Eat Think Vote campaign recognizes that agriculture in Canada is facing an unprecedented succession crisis. Half of the country’s farming population is over 55 and over 80% are looking to retire in the next ten years. The time to support new farmers and farmers transitioning to more sustainable forms of production is now. To read more about supporting new farmers, click here.

Eat Think Vote wants to see the creation of federal programs designed to reduce the barriers new farmers face in accessing land, capital and training, all of which are priorities for Farms at Work as well.

Read about the proposed national food policy for Canada, and consider signing the petition for a national food policy supporting a just, healthy, and sustainable food system in Canada.

To find an Eat Think Vote event in your community, click here.

TRACKS Youth Pollination Day

TRACKS Youth Flint Corn Pollination

On Friday August 7th, youth from Hiawatha First Nation joined Farms at Work and the TRACKS Youth Program at the Three Sisters Garden to take part in an engaging and participatory Pollination Workshop.

The youth gave their thanks to the garden, learned to recognize corn, bean, and squash plants, listened to the Anishinaabe legend of the three sisters, and then took part in a pollination workshop to understand the role of the male and female flowers on both corn and squash plants. Some of the youth even helped to demonstrate pollination by acting out the role of the bee during squash pollination, or the wind during corn pollination. The youth also had the opportunity to grind some dried corn for eating!

Now that the pollination season is drawing to a close, we look forward to hosting the youth again in the fall to take part in the harvest!

Recycle Your Plastic Containers, Seed Bags and More!

CleanFARMS

Seed and pesticide bag collections

There are now more opportunities than ever to recycle your ag waste products, thanks to CleanFarms

This year, CleanFARMS will offer a program in major agricultural regions of Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes to collect and safely dispose of empty seed and pesticide bags. Depots for free collection are located throughout Ontario.

What bags will be accepted? 

  • Empty pesticide bags: paper, plastic and multi-material
  • Empty seed bags: paper and polywoven plastic bags; regular and bulk bags

If you are unsure whether your bag is included in this collection, please call CleanFarms at: 1 (877) 622-4460 x 2227

Preparation steps

  1. Obtain a free plastic bag from your local collection sites
  2. Ensure that seed or pesticide bags are empty
  3. Place the empty bags in the collection bag
  4. Return your full, tied bags to a particular retail location. Bags will be accepted free of charge and sent for safe disposal 

Bulk bags that cannot fit in the plastic bag should be piled in a bulk bag. 

Note: The empty seed and pesticide bag program is for seed and pesticide bags only (not feed bags).