To advance education by providing training in farming methods and practices to farmers and prospective farmers in the East Central Ontario area. This includes hands-on learning opportunities, access to expert knowledge, and resources that support both new and experienced farmers in building resilient, sustainable farm businesses. We also work to educate the broader public on issues related to farming, food systems, and community food security—helping to build a more informed and connected local food network.
To protect farmland for the benefit of the public by acquiring interests in, managing, and facilitating access to farmland for farmers. Our work ensures that farmland remains available for agricultural use, today and into the future. By supporting secure land tenure and responsible land use, we contribute to the long-term viability of farming in our region and protect an essential resource for future generations.
To conserve and restore ecosystem health by promoting farmland stewardship practices. We recognize that farmland is more than just a place to grow food—it is part of a living landscape that supports biodiversity, clean water, healthy soil, and climate resilience. Through education, partnerships, and on-the-ground initiatives, we help farmers adopt practices that care for the land while maintaining productivity and farm sustainability.
Farms at Work was created in 2010 to support new farmers, keep farmland in production, and promote on-farm environmental stewardship in East Central Ontario. Our work supports a vision of robust regional food systems that contribute to long-term community food security in this region.
For a number of years, we worked collectively as the FarmON Alliance with other organizations doing similar work in other regions. Our joint research resulted in an abundance of information on their needs in Ontario. This research has guided our educational work ever since, through workshops, farm tours and online resources for aspiring farmers.
The decline in active farmland is a threat to expansion of local food security, so Farms at Work incorporated farmland protection into its work early on, partnering with Ontario Farmland Trust on research projects and offering local events.
Environmental sustainability is also critical to maintaining production levels, especially in the face of climate change. We co-founded what is now the East Central Farm Stewardship Collaborative to ensure that farmers could access the funding and technical assistance they need to improve soil health, reduce soil erosion and increase biodiversity. We also developed a wide range of resources on improving pollination by native pollinators.
While we began in 2010 as part of a national charity, we incorporated in 2021 and received charitable status in early 2025.
As with all changemaker organizations, Farms at Work has worked in creative and unconventional ways. We have promoted new ways of thinking, leading to novel collaborations and impactful initiatives.
grew up in the Niagara region, immersed in its communities and culture of fruit and farms, gardens and dairies. He was surrounded by people who worked with their hands, cared for land and valued their neighbors and the food they grew. He owned a farm for many years in Grey County, and has had a varied career: in earlier years working on many farms, and then as a teacher and business owner. He is a welder and the owner of Gate Fence & Rail, a local fencing and welding business. Trevor studied Agriculture at the University of Guelph and is an environmental advocate, critical thinker and dedicated community member. He lives with his family in Indian River outside of Peterborough.
joined the new Board of Directors after serving as Project Director of Farms at Work for twelve years prior to its incorporation. She was the Environmental Farm Plan Representative and Workshop Leader for Peterborough County for seven years and co-founded the East Central Farm Stewardship Collaborative. She is past Chair of the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Economic Development Agricultural Advisory Committee, and past Co-Chair of the Peterborough Alliance for Food and Farming and the Peterborough Agricultural Roundtable. Pat and her husband own a farm near Peterborough.
is passionate about helping people understand regenerative farming: a collection of approaches that integrate food production, sustainable land management, and conservation in mutually supportive ways. He has lived this out as a founder of Evermeadow Farm with his family in Cold Springs ON in Northumberland County, and wants to actively work with other farmers to demonstrate and promote these practices. Josh shares his knowledge at the community level via conferences and writing, and has taught about the intersections between ecology, politics and regenerative food systems at the University level at Queens and Trent Universities. He holds an MA in Cultural and Political Theory from Trent.
is committed to empowering resilient diverse rural economies. As the CEO of Nottawasaga Futures he brings his skills in financial management, strategic planning, organizational development, and leading community-based projects. He takes a hands-on approach to his work, and is keen to support small businesses and inspire innovation. Martin has a degree in Economics from the University of Toronto.
Heather has worked with non-profit organizations related to food, farming, health, and the arts at the local and provincial level for over 25 years. She has extensive experience in project coordination and food logistics, managing budgets, purchasing, community outreach, facilitation and partnership building. She and her partner operate LoonSong Farm, growing certified organic grains in Northumberland County.
Katie is filled with curiosity, awe and gratitude for this wondrous world. Her farming adventures began at age 7 with a Sanaan goat named Buttercup. At 10 she moved to a 160 acre farm in Douro and at age 30 she returned to that farm to start a market garden, raise animals, and create Wanderlight Alpaca Experience. For 16 years Katie has been delighted to facilitate agricultural education opportunities for herself and her community. She has hosted students of all ages on her farm, visited classrooms from Kindergarten to University, produced a short film about local fibre production and managed grant funding for on-farm water stewardship projects. Katie is excited to return to the Farms at Work team to share her enthusiasm for farming, community and environmental kinship.
Lisa has spent over a decade working in the nonprofit sector, contributing her expertise in fundraising, communications, and donor stewardship to organizations in social services, the arts, and environmental fields. With a background in International Development and Non-Profit Management, she is passionate about fostering connections that support resilient communities. Her work reflects a deep appreciation for how green spaces, local foods, and sustainable practices nurture both the land and the people who depend on it.
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