News & Events

Making Pasture Work for Farmers with E. Ann Clark

Webinar series, online discussion forum & summer pasture walks

Course fee: $130.00 | Registration required

Are you ready to take your pasture game up to the next level? Or just getting started? Join pasture specialist E. Ann Clark for a two-part webinar series and online discussion forum to discover the benefits of pasture and to learn how others are converting grass into money. Plus, join in on pasture walks this June and July to see how it’s done.

Webinars: March 13 and 20 | 7:00-8:30 PM

Over two online sessions, Ann will share findings drawn from almost half a century of pasture work, including 14 years as a custom grazier in Warkworth, Ontario. She will mix hard evidence as well as practical experience – her own and that of commercial graziers – to make a compelling case for grass in our area. Participants will receive presentation materials in advance to review and give time to raise questions/comments relating to their own farm. Visit the link below for more information on both webinar sessions.

Online Discussion Forum: March 13-27 | 7:00-9:00 PM

Just in time for the 2025 grazing season, join an interactive online forum to connect with fellow novice graziers and landowners.  Share your questions, experiences, and insights, and get personalized advice from pasture expert E. Ann Clark.

Pasture Walks: June and July (dates TBD)

See how others manage grass and stock this summer on two pasture walks. Consider hosting a pasture walk at your farm to showcase your successes, discuss challenges, and get advice from Ann and other graziers.

Learn more and register herehttps://3common.com/event/67aa7603a15b5f226466de88

Intake for Net Zero Farms Program is OPEN! 

This Green Economy Peterborough program is a pilot designed to help a cohort of farmers in our region take a look at their farms' business and production from a greenhouse gas lens.  Agriculture is one of the few industries that can be both a sink and a source of greenhouse gases and thus is positioned very uniquely to be a big part of the solution to climate change.  Your farm may have already taken steps towards this and we are inviting you to be part of this year's cohort of farmers who take the next step to quantify your actions with a custom Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report

If you or any farm you know are interested in this program please visit our website at Net Zero Farms Pilot Project or feel free to reach out to me at any point with questions: beatrice.chan@greenup.on.ca

The application deadline is Dec 15, 2024 with pilot project farms being discounted 75% for their participation as early adopters.

https://greenup.on.ca/gep-net-zero-farms/

 

Season Extension with Circle Organic

Sunday, November 10 | 1-3pm
Millbrook, ON
$10 - 25 Sliding Scale | Ignatius Farm New Farmer Training Participants free!
Register here: tinyurl.com/FAWcircle

Curious about extending your harvests and practicing long-term vegetable storage? Come explore season extension in action at Circle Organic, a certified organic, four-season family farm in Millbrook, Ontario! This event is offered in collaboration with the Ignatius Farm New Farmer Training Program and is free for registered program participants. Learn from farmer Julie Fleming about Circle Organic's innovative techniques for extending the growing season into the winter: 

Season Extension: Learn about their use of greenhouses and row covers to allow for four-season production
Succession Planting:  See how they ensure continuous harvests by carefully timing plantings 
Cold Storage Techniques: Tour their low-energy root cellar, designed for long-term storage of harvested produce, ensuring freshness well beyond the traditional growing season.

This tour offers practical knowledge and inspiration for farmers and gardeners curious about maximizing production during the fall and winter seasons. Space is limited - register today!

On the Loss of Melissa Spearing

Melissa Spearing photo
The Board and staff of Farms at Work are greatly saddened by the recent loss our friend and incomparable colleague Melissa Spearing, Acting Chair of our Board of Directors. Melissa's insight, energy and thoughtfulness contributed enormously to our past work, and to our strategic plans for the future. We have been deeply fortunate that she chose to demonstrate her dedication to our mission by being part of our leadership team for the past seven years.

Her loss is heart-wrenching for all those who knew her, most especially her family. Our deep condolences to them.

To read more about Melissa and her impressive accomplishments by the age of 40, please refer to the Farms at Work website where she self-described her background: https://farmsatwork.ca/farms-work-board-directors.

Rest in peace, Melissa. 

Grass-Fed Beef and Pastured Poultry with Aird Family Farm

Monday, Sept 30 | 5:00 - 7:00 pm
Northumberland County
$10 - 20 sliding scale. Kids free
Register here: tinyurl.com/fawaird

Join Aird Family Farm and Farms at Work for an evening exploring grass-fed beef and pastured poultry in Northumberland County. Established in 1885 and now in its fifth generation of family ownership, Aird Family Farm has practiced regenerative farming for the past 10 years. 

Grass-Fed Beef: get up close with AIrd's herd of black angus cattle, raised on 100% grass-fed diet

Pastured Poultry: Learn about their pasture-raised meat birds and laying hens, which thrive on diverse, untreated pastured and organic feed

Regenerative Pasture Management: Gather insight into effective pasture management practices, including rotational grazing, which work to enhance soil health, ecosystem resilience, and on-farm biodiversity