News & Events
15
2019
New Funding Available for On-Farm Clean Water Projects!
If you are a farmer or own farmland, the new East Central Farm Stewardship Fund offers you access to additional funding and technical support for your on-farm clean water projects in 2019 and 2020. This funding program is delivered through the East Central Farm Stewardship Collaborative (ECFSC) which operates in Northumberland, Peterborough and Hastings Counties, the City of Kawartha Lakes and Durham Region.
The ECFSC partners work directly with you to support the agricultural use of your land, while helping you to access funding and technical assistance to complete your project. Currently, on-farm clean water projects are our funding priority and include the following:
- fencing livestock out of waterways,
- providing alternate watering sources for livestock
- planting vegetative buffers alongside watercourses and ponds
- installing eavestroughs and diversions around barnyards
- planting cover crops
- restoration of wetlands
This grant can also be added to other sources of funding. Contact any member of the Collaborative as soon as possible as funding is limited. Visit ecfarmstewardship.org for contact information or to complete an online application in minutes.
This program was undertaken with financial support of the Government of Canada through the federal Department of Environment and Climate Change.
Farms at Work is a member of the East Central Farm Stewardship Collaborative.
Have a planting project? Winter is also the right time to contact your local Conservation Authority about tree seedling sales!
04
2019
Farms at Work: 2018 Accomplishments
It was our pleasure to serve the farming community across east central Ontario through a wide range of activities throughout 2018! To see a sample of what we have been up to visit the link below...
http://farmsatwork.ca/sites/default/files/FAW%202018%20In%20Review.pdf24
2019
What's happening with Bill 66
Agricultural groups across the province are very concerned with Bill 66, Schedule 10. Why? Because it would allow municipalities to pass "open for business" bylaws that could lead to development of prime farmland in order to "reduce red tape" and create jobs - without any public consultation, without regard to any planning laws or water protection and with no right of appeal. Developers and speculators will benefit - but will the public? Farm organizations believe that jobs are created by building on properly zoned lands, and by supporting agriculture on prime farmland, which creates jobs along the entire food chain.
If you believe that farmland protection is not "red tape", consider signing the petition created by Environmental Defense here: https://act.environmentaldefence.ca/page/36530/action/1
and/or make a comment on the Environmental Bill of Rights Registry by Sunday January 20 here: https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/013-4125
**UPDATE**
YOU did it!! Agricultural organizations across the province spoke out urgently against a Schedule buried in Bill 66. At Farms at Work, we reached out to farmers throughout the region to encourage them to speak up against proposed law that would have made farmland protection optional for municipalities in Ontario. Don't be misled by the emphasis on the greenbelt - this bill went far beyond that.
You responded, along with thousands of others, and yesterday the Government backed down: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/…/article-ontario-reverses…/
Let's keep working together to protect farming and food for Ontario!
14
2018
Scaling Up Sales Workshop Success!
We had such an amazing day at our Scaling Up Sales event! We all learned a great deal of information from Peggy Ballie for Local Food and Farms Co-op! Our panel of experts were absolutely fantastic! Thank you to Chef Tyler from Rare Grill House, Chef Bryan from One Fine Food and Heather the Food Procurement Coordinator for the Student Nutrition Program. A major thank you to all of the people who came out to learn how to scale up to wholesale!
04
2018
All-farmer Roundtable event a great success!
About 70 people turned out for an afternoon of information sharing, priority setting, entertainment and food on Saturday December 1. In addition to farmers of all ages and commodities, 7 rural municipal councillors were in attendance.
Participants felt a renewed sense of common purpose, and agreed on a need for more regular communication. Farmers also brainstormed practical ways the ag community could improve public knowledge about farming - both in schools and among the general public. Priorities for future farmer events and support for new farmers also garnered many suggestions.
Stay tuned for further opportunities to provide input and take an active role in the future of farming in Peterborough County!
Farms at Work was pleased to be one of the sponsors for this event.
