COG-OSO is pleased to announce this year’s Eco Farm Day, along with our regional and national partners: COG National and the Growing Eastern Ontario Organically initiative; Eastern Ontario Agri-food Network; and Just Food.

Working together, we will focus on creating discussions on current regional needs and farmer-led solutions to grow the region sustainably.

Join any or all of the 5 sessions below!

Sessions for all farmers:

9-10am: Labour on organic farms

10:15-11:15am: Local Farmers and Food Security to Feed Everyone

Production-specific sessions:

12-1:30pm: Soil health/grazing management for livestock producers

1:45-3:15pm: No-till vegetable production

3:30-5:00pm: Transitioning and Organic Field Crop Rotations in Context

Cost:

Free, but donation via COG-OSO website helps offset costs and ensures such programming can continue next year and beyond.

Session Details

9:00am-10:00am: Labour on Organic Farms

Sponsor: COG-OSO

Language : English with simultaneous interpretation into French

This session will explore a broad set of farm labour issues facing farmers, with a view to sharing partial solutions for, and among, regional organic farms.

Speakers:

David Thompson - Farm Labour Project Coordinator, National Farmers’ Union - Ontario

Racheal Janeck - Pfenning’s Organic Vegetables Inc.

Moe Garahan - Executive Director, Just Food (New Roots program)

Followed by discussion

Moderator: Cailtin Carol - Chair, COG-OSO

Bios:

David Thomspon

https://www.nfu.ca/

https://nfuontario.ca/new/farmlabour/reframing-the-farm-labour-crisis/

David Thompson is the Farm Labour Project Coordinator with the National Farmers Union – Ontario. In 2020 he produced a mixed methods study and report on the unique labour conditions on small and mid-sized Ontario farms. Thompson holds a PhD in Canadian History from Queen’s University with a focus on twentieth-century social movements, poverty, immigration, and working-class culture. Thompson has over 10 years as a labour organizer.

Racheal Janeck

https://pfenningsfarms.ca/

Racheal Janeck is the Human Resources Specialist at Pfenning's Organic Vegetables Inc. in New Hamburg, ON. Growing up in a small farming community in Southern Ontario, Racheal worked at a farmers' market on her summers off during high school and her post-secondary education. Racheal has a BA Specialization in Psychology from the University of Ottawa, and a graduate certificate in Human Resources Management from Mohawk College. While attending Mohawk, Racheal worked for the Sustainability office where she focused on student access to local and organic food on campus. Racheal now holds a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) designation from the Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA) and has been working with Pfenning's for over five years.

Moe Garahan

https://justfood.ca

Moe has been the Executive Director of Just Food since 2004, working with teams to strengthen food access and food localism within the mixed urban and rural settings of the Ottawa region.

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10:15am-11:15am: Local Farmers and Food Security to Feed Everyone

Sponsor: Eastern Ontario Agri-Food Network

Language: English

This session will connect farmers and food producers to the food security and relief providers: food banks, municipal residences, Meals on Wheels, home delivery programs, etc. This sector has traditionally relied on wholesale supply chains where food comes from grocers and industrial sources far away. Like the rest of the population, they are also paying more attention to local sources. They realize that sending a food dollar outside of the community is an economic and social drain on the community. They are now expressing interest in local sourcing including donation programs of excess crops, food recovery programs, "plant an extra row" programs, planned purchases, and spot purchases. But they may not be well connected to local food sources and local farmers do not understand them.

Speakers:

Jane Fantie - co-Director, Vankleek Hill Food Bank

Lisa Duprau - Executive Director, the Agapè Center

Amy Saunders - Food bank Coordinator, Community Food Share

Followed by discussion.

Moderator: Tom Manley - Executive Director, Eastern Ontario Agri-Food Network

Bios:

Jane Fantie

https://www.facebook.com/vhkfoodbank/

https://www.champlainhealthline.ca/displayservice.aspx?id=185858

Jane Fantie is the co-Director of the Vankleek Hill Food Bank since January 2020. Since 2020, the focus has been on supporting the local businesses, farms and farmers that support the food bank throughout the year. The VKH Food Bank is part of the C.A.F.E. (Community Assistance Fund Enterprise) a registered charity. It provides food bank services to the communities of Vankleek Hill, Chute à Blondeau, St. Eugène, Ste Anne de Prescott, East Hawkesbury and St. Bernardin. In 2021, it started a food bank garden project (at The Grand Barn Community Garden) which allows its clients to grow their own food free of charge. They also offer workshops to teach skills & strategies to help lessen food insecurity.

Lisa Duprau

http://agapecentre.ca/

The Agapè Centre is the largest food bank and soup kitchen program in Cornwall, Ontario serving over 1600 people each month, 500 of which are children. It provides food and clothing for families struggling with poverty and food insecurity. In addition, it partners with local community organizations to improve access to food and basic resources and to create awareness of the issues we have locally concerning poverty and food insecurity. Its dedicated team collaborates with Feed Ontario, local grocery stores and wholesalers to stock the shelves of the food bank for distribution to those in need throughout our community and surrounding areas. It strives to improve access to nutritious food and healthy options for people struggling with hunger. The Agapè Centre relies 100% on donations of time, food, money, clothing and other household items from the community. Without this support, it could not continue to serve our most vulnerable citizens.

Amy Saunders

https://www.communityfoodshare.ca/

Amy began working with Community Food Share over ten years ago as the coordinator of the Morrisburg location. She has recently taken on additional responsibilities as coordinator of the Winchester food bank. Community Food Share has existed in Dundas County for over 30 years, beginning as the Dundas County Food Bank. Community Food Share continues to operate the Healthy Choices Food Bank, operating out of Winchester and Morrisburg, plus satellite locations in Finch and in Williamsburg. The name change to Community Food Share serving Dundas and Stormont reflected the larger role that the organization plays in living the vision statement that no person or family in our community goes hungry. CFS works with dozens of community partners and agencies to provide its clients with healthy food choices. Volunteers have been invited to glean produce at area farms, orchards, and at Upper Canada Village. On the larger stage, the registered charity is a member of Feed Ontario, subscribing to the policies and procedures used across the province.

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12:00pm to 1:30pm: Needs, Challenges and Successful Practices for Eastern, Ontario livestock producers

Sponsor: COG National and the Growing Eastern Ontario Organically initiative

Language: English and French interpretation available

This session is based on a series of farmer-to-farmer neighbourhood meetings in each of the following subregions: West of Ottawa, East of Ottawa, Outaouais, and South of Ottawa where farmers discuss their successes, continued needs and challenges regarding soil health/grazing and markets. One representative from each meeting will form this panel for Eco Farm Day, summarize the results of their discussions, and open up a broader discussion on the region.

Panel: Hear from dairy farmer Julia Booijink of Jamink Farm, mixed livestock farmer Mike MacGillivray of Kirkview Farms, Marshall Buchanan of Ottawa Valley Farm to Fork, and Outaouais farmer Erin Krekoski from Rock’s End Farm.

Moderator: Eric Payseur, Canadian Organic Growers

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1:45-3:15pm: No-till vegetable farming

Sponsor - Just Food

Language: English

Speaker: Daniel Mays - Frith Farm, Maine, Author: The No-Till Organic Vegetable Farm

In this session, Daniel, author of will present the intensive human-scale practices implemented on Frith Farm, including permanent no-till beds, cover cropping, interplanting, integration of perennials and animals, and a horizontal labour management structure. Daniel will also cover the farm's financial viability, along with more holistic measures of farm health.

This is an intermediate-level session, geared toward those with some experience with commercial farming and/or no-till practices.

Moderator: Phil Mount, Associate Director, Just Food

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3:30-5:00pm: Transitioning and Organic Field Crop Rotations in Context

Sponsor: COG National and the Growing Eastern Ontario Organically initiative

Language: English and French interpretation available

Speakers:

Jennifer Doelman - Bonnechere Haven Farm

Matthew Dewavrin - Les Fermes Longprès

Brett Israel - 3Gen Organics Farm

Moderator: Ruth Knight

This session is a Part Deux from the Guelph Organic Conference session that examined regenerative field crop rotations for organic production. In this session, other aspects of farm management relating to rotations will be discussed in the context of a whole farm system as it operates on the three farms. The speakers represent three different farm contexts and levels of experience with organic farming systems–from just starting transition to seven years in to celebrating twenty-five years of organic farming.

Bios:

Jennifer Doelman

Jennifer is a farmer, beekeeper, and independent Certified Crop Advisor. She farms in the Upper Ottawa Valley with her husband, Mike, & their children. A graduate of the Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program (AALP), Jennifer believes that collaboration, strong connections, and diversity are the key to a healthy farm, a healthy community, and a healthy economy. To that end, she is very involved in local and provincial organizations that emphasize environmental stewardship, community and agricultural development.

Brett Israel

Brett Israel is the 3rd generation of 3Gen Organics near Wallenstein, ON. The family grows wheat, rye and barley along with feed for their pigs and other cash crops. They sell pork, eggs and vegetables from their newly built farm store.

Matthew Dewavrin

Matthew Dewavrin is co-proprietor with his brother and cousin of Longprès Farm in Les Cèdres, QC, where they farm 1500 acres of field crops and mill wheat on farm. They have been certified organic since 1997.