FarmLINK “Meet & Greet”

Do you have land you want to make available to a farmer? Are you a new farmer looking for land? Then come join us at the Guelph Organic Conference for a chance to meet in person! FarmLINK ‘Meet & Greets’ are a great opportunity for farmland owners and farm seekers to connect, access helpful resources and learn what new services FarmStart has to offer you!

When: Saturday January 28th, 12:00pm – 1:15pm
Where: At the Guelph Organic Conference, UC441, University of Guelph
Cost: Free
For more information contact: laurie@farmstart.ca or (519) 836 7046 x 109

Join the Ecological Farmers in Ontario for 3 great workshops!

• Essentials of Ecological Farming – New Farmer Focus (Thurs Jan 26 & Fri Jan 27) 9am – 4pm
• Digging Deeper into Soils – Exploring and Understanding Different Approaches to Monitoring Soil Health and Fertility (Thurs Jan 26) 10am – 4pm
• Ecological Beekeeping (Fri Jan 27) 10am-4pm

For more details on this and all our Winter Events, go to their Courses and Events page!

***FarmLINK “Meet & Greet”  •  Saturday January 28^th, noon – 1:15pm

At the Guelph Organic Conference  •  UC441, Guelph University Centre 4th floor

Do you have land you want to make available to a farmer? Or, are you a new farmer looking for land?

Then come join us at the Guelph Organic Conference for a chance to meet in person!

FarmLINK ‘Meet & Greets’ are a great opportunity for farmland owners and farm seekers to:

•connect with people wanting to meet you

•access helpful resources on land and labour sourcing

•learn what new services FarmStart has to offer you!

For more information contact laurie@farmstart.ca or (519) 836 7046 x 109 

Alexandra English, Training & Resources Program Manager – FarmStart
www.farmstart.ca  •  519.836.7046 ext.104

Please follow FarmStart at http://twitter.com/FarmStart

[MANAGER'S NOTE: FarmStart has a booth in the Expo in the Basement Level, centre section, along with several like-minded non-profit groups]

FarmLINK “Meet & Greet”  •  Saturday January 28th, noon – 1:15pm

UC441, Guelph University Centre 4th floor

Do you have land you want to make available to a farmer? Or, are you a new farmer looking for land?

Then come join us at the Guelph Organic Conference for a chance to meet in person! FarmLINK ‘Meet & Greets’ are a great opportunity for farmland owners and farm seekers to:

• connect with people wanting to meet you
• access helpful resources on land and labour sourcing
• learn what new services FarmStart has to offer you!

For more information contact laurie@farmstart.ca or (519) 836 7046 x 109

Alexandra English, Training & Resources Program Manager – FarmStart
www.farmstart.ca  •  519.836.7046 ext.104

Please follow FarmStart at http://twitter.com/FarmStart

[MANAGER'S NOTE: FarmStart has a booth in the Expo in the Basement Level, centre section, along with several like-minded non-profit groups]

Micro-farm yields big learning curve

Rob O’Flanagan, Mercury staff

GUELPH — Manure is amazing.

That’s just one of the barn-load of insights a Guelph-area couple learned in short order when they started a tiny farm, or micro-farm, on a half-hectare (1.18-acre) lot with a house near the city.

Over 100 people laughed, sighed and groaned along with husband and wife farmers Tim Fisher, 42, and Jennifer Osborn, 37, as they shared what they’ve learned about animals, plants and themselves since taking to the land in 2007. Fisher sported a long ponytail; Osborn, a floppy hat made from wool she processed herself; and their story of an often-bumbling entry into agriculture had the audience enthralled.

The couple’s workshop was part of the bustling 30th annual Guelph Organic Conference, a teeming event that attracted organic agriculture experts and beginners to the University of Guelph. The University Centre hosted wall-to-wall organic food enthusiasts during an expo and tasting fair featuring dozens of exhibitors.

For a breathless hour and a half, the Fisher-Osborn team gave a condensed chronology of their experience of trying to raise their own food — with a little left over to sell — on a tiny piece of land in the country. Both continue to work jobs in the city, but had long wanted to try their hand at very small-scale farming. When an affordable property with a decent house and good outbuildings came available, they bought it and started turning soil.

“We so badly wanted to pull up stacks and go farming,” Osborn said, admitting the couple had no idea how to go about doing it, but that “gathering information like mad” was their first plan of attack. Nothing was a better learning tool than getting their hands dirty, making mistakes and being creative. MORE…