What can growers do?

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Download a PDF version of the toolkit for growers here.

Create Economic Opportunities

  • Sell your products at farmers’ markets and to local institutions or schools.
  • Add your farm to the Grown by the Bay local food guide.
  • Buy from local greenhouses; choose local processors and distributors when possible.
  • Work with local champions to increase consumer and community access to local products.
    • Investigate opportunities to participate on local boards
    • Attend consultations
    • Provide feedback when groups are seeking information related to farming

Promote Education and Skill Building

  • Add your farm to the Grown by the Bay local food guide.
  • Share your expertise by creating or participating in a community garden in your community or at a local school.
  • Participate in a mentorship program or WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Forms) to help train new growers.

Maintain a Healthy Ecosystem

  • Compost in your backyard or in a community garden.
  • Create an Environmental Farm Plan through the Ontario government, to increase your environmental awareness.
  • Apply mulch to your soil to help retain moisture and cut down on watering needs.
  • Choose heirloom varieties or species native to your region.
  • Learn about saving your seeds.
  • Plant cover crops or living mulch.
  • Plant grass buffers to help control runoff.
  • Encourage beneficial wildlife like bees and bats.

Foster Residents’ Health & Well-Being

  • Take time to stretch before and after working in the garden or in the fields. Take proper rest periods throughout the workday.
  • Advocate for local food in public places (parks, schools, restaurants, community centres, etc).
  • Share the positive experiences of growing food with others.
  • Use personal protective equipment when applying organically approved substances to your crops.
  • Access resources for producer stress and resilience, such as the Farm Line Hotline (stress counseling for farmers) at 1-888-451-2903.

Support Equal Access Opportunities

  • Advocate for fair farm wages.
  • Participate in a gleaning project in your community.
  • Donate excess produce to a community or school food program.

Celebrate Culture & Collaboration

  • Organize a farm or garden tour.
  • Explore options to share and swap heirloom seeds.
  • Join a farmers’ market.
  • Connect with local food organizations to get involved with initiatives in your community.
  • Share the positive experiences of growing food with others.