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.