In January 2020 we ran a series of land-linking and farmland conservation workshops in the areas of Guelph, Ottawa, Kingston/Frontenac, Prince Edward County/Belleville, and Peterborough/Kawarthas. The National Farmers Union–Ontario organized this series in partnership with the Ontario Farmland Trust.
Thank you to everyone who attended our land-linking and farmland conservation workshops this winter! We were very excited about the enthusiastic response and the great turnout.
It was great to meet many of you at our in-person workshops in early 2020.
Our 2021 workshops are virtual. Right now we’re in the midst of workshops for agricultural students at post-secondary institutions across Ontario. It’s been really valuable to hear the issues and needs of these current and future farmers.
Whether you are a student, a land-seeker, or a land-holder, we want to let you know about the following upcoming public events:
- Land Access for BIPOC Farmers (February 8, 2021)
- Learning from Land Partnerships (February 11, 2021)
- Land-Linking @ NFU-O Convention (February 25, 2021; use promo code “LL2021”)
To stay up to date about future workshops and events, you can follow the National Farmers Union – Ontario and the Ontario Farmland Trust on social media:
- NFU-O: Facebook / Instagram / Sign up for email newsletter
- OFT: Facebook / Instagram / Sign up for newsletter at ontariofarmlandtrust.ca
We are grateful for the support of the McLean Foundation and the Gosling Foundation in this project.
Existing resources for land-linking and new farmer support:
- Farmlink.net – a website to connect land-holders and land-seekers with a map of opportunities available across Canada.
- Guide d'Accès aux Terres – Including tips, suggestions, case studies, and lease and licensing templates.
- NFU Locals – The NFU-O has 22 Locals across Ontario; you can attend a meeting in your area or reach out to make face-to-face connections in your area.
- Local Food and Farm Co-ops – Resources and support to form a co-op to buy land or start a farm business
- Fair Finance Fund – Loans for farm businesses.
- Just Food Ottawa (justfood.ca) has an incubator program.
- Farms at Work (farmsatwork.ca)
- Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario (EFAO.ca) has many training opportunities and workshops.