To advance education by providing opportunities for knowledge sharing among 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.
We’d love to hear from you!
If you’ve got a question, comment, or suggestion for future events or programming, please let us know!
