Season's Greetings!
Dear friends and supporters of Farms at Work,
Before we sign off for a break over the next couple of weeks, we wanted to take a moment to wish you all the best during the holiday season! In whichever way you choose to celebrate, we hope you enjoy some quality time with friends, family and great food!
We are also thrilled to announce that this month FAW is celebrating its FIFTH BIRTHDAY! Can you believe it?
Over the last five years, we have worked hard to create programs and opportunities for the benefit of the farming communities across east central Ontario. Here are some of the unique programs we delivered in 2014:
- Launch of our second Mentorship Program on Sheep Rearing (two more on the way)
- Sellout workshops on Seed Saving, Building Your Own Seed Winnower, and Pollinators and Beneficial Insects
- A Farm to School Program for grade 3 students, where a farmer presents curriculum-linked material (thanks Katie and Erin)
- Direct support for Chartwells in connecting with farms to procure local food for Trent University
- Launch of our online Find Local Food platform - a free servce for farmers and food purchasers
- Development of the Livestock Stream of Workshops at the EFAO Conference in Orillia
As we reflect on our growth over the last five years, and as we enter this holiday season, we realize that Farms at Work has so many wonderful things to be thankful for, including:
- The amazing staff at Tides Canada Initiatives, who free us up to do our "real work", by helping us with financial reporting, regulatory requirements and human resources (and much, much more!). Many of our accomplishments would not have been possible without their continued effort and support, so thank you!
- Our own dedicated staff who always go the extra mile, thank you!
- Our wonderful Steering Committee, who continue to offer advice and strategic vision for our work, thank you! (And we're always looking for new members, by the way!)
- Our generous funders (probably close to a dozen each year), without whose continued support none of our work would be possible, thank you!
- And most importantly, YOU – the farmers, students and supporters from across east central Ontario and beyond who continually inspire us with your passion, commitment and tenacity. Thank you!
We wish you all the best this Holiday Season!
While we consciously strive to develop sustainable, self-supporting programs, as a non-profit, charitable organization, we do rely on the generosity of our funders and grantmakers. If you have been touched by our work in some way, and are so inclined this holiday season, please consider making a tax deductable donation to Farms at Work.