Even Green Thumbs Require Cultivation

National Farmers Union – Ontario Newsletter
The Rural Voice | August 2024

Hands-on and in-depth agricultural knowledge from seasoned farmers is invaluable and Ignatius’ New Farmer Training Program (NFTP) offers it for free!

Whether you are new to farming, wanting to branch out into new fields, in need of a refresh, have employees who want to expand their knowledge and/or you’d like to make connections with Ontario’s ecological agricultural community, Ignatius’ on-line NFTP webinars are designed by farmers for you.

“I joined the Ignatius’ NFTP because I aspire to become an organic farmer. I have volunteered at other farms [but] my farming knowledge and experience is very limited… Ignatius’ NFTP program gives participants a great start in their journey to becoming farmers and I would recommend the program to anyone who has such aspirations.” ~ Fred Khalichi, 2024 NFTP participant.

If you missed terms 1 & 2 (April to July), not to worry, you can register and catch up on the first 24 webinars, or just handpick the ones that appeal to you most. Participants who complete all four terms (that could be you!) receive a certificate in the Ignatius Farm New Farmer Training Program.

Term 3 (Monday and Wednesday afternoons (September – October) takes a deeper dive into a number of agricultural topics over seven webinars, with potential sessions on medical herbs, advanced composting, seed-saving, crop- planning, and what to look for when buying/renting land.

Term 4 (November 4-20) offers 12 webinars on farm business and entrepreneurship training and will cover everything from farm design, financing, budgets and record keeping, and marketing and distribution, and more.

You also won’t want to miss the virtual and in-person field trips, including an in-person visit to Everdale and Heartwood Cidery on October 2nd.

“I am really enjoying all the learning in the program, especially in the horticultural area. I have enjoyed learning about how to grow crops organically and address specific issues like disease and weeds. The optional, in-person workshops and farm visits have helped cement this learning.” – Andy Marshall, 2024 NFTP participant

To register go to www.efao.ca/ifnftp/ and follow the links. For specific inquiries, please contact farmeducation@ignatiusguelph.ca

This programming is a collaborative project with the Ignatius Jesuit Centre, the Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario, Everdale, and the National Farmers Union – Ontario. Ignatius’ NFTP is an Employment Ontario project funded in part by the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario.

A subscription to The Rural Voice is one of the benefits of being an NFU-O member