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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for OSCIA
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260912T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260912T173000
DTSTAMP:20260728T172417Z
CREATED:20260728T172417Z
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UID:10003367-1789218000-1789234200@membership.ontariosoilcrop.org
SUMMARY:Rotational Grazing in Ottawa Valley with Dobson’s Grassfed Beef and Opeongo Springs Homestead
DESCRIPTION:Join two fantastic farms to learn how their rotational grazing and environmental stewardship practices intersect in the holistic management of their farms. \nBob Dobson has spent nearly 50 years planting trees on his family farm near Cobden. What began as a memory of trees providing shade on a farm laneway has grown into a passion for reforestation\, and influenced his farming practices along the way. Bob and his partner Eva manage Dobson’s Grassfed Beef\, which currently has about 50 head of cattle but over the years has had as many as 400. Their farm management practices include restoration of a riparian buffer to protect water quality\, solar watering systems to keep cattle out of the creek\, rotational grazing\, and planting up to 1000 trees each year – adding up to over 40\,000 trees planted and counting. Participants will hop on a wagon and learn how for this farm\, environmental stewardship\, human and animal health\, and food production are inextricably linked through their ecological practices. \nOpeongo Springs Homestead came to rotational grazing from the other end of the farming spectrum\, purchasing their farm outside of Eganville and taking over a herd of 20 Texas Longhorn cattle just four years ago. They have since grown their herd to 54. Natalie and Kyle emphasize sustainable and ecological grazing practices – including rotational grazing and silvopasture – ethical treatment of animals\, and local\, healthy food production. They recently received Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA) funding to improve their rotational grazing system. With this funding\, they added a solar powered water trough that moves with their herd and temporary fencing materials\, all of which will be included in the tour. These allow them the flexibility to move their herd more frequently\, giving pastures more time to recover. The organic matter in their pastures is extremely low\, but in the short time they have been rotational grazing in this location\, they have seen it improve. \nThe tour will also include a look at their recent addition of pigs to their grazing system\, who are working hard to clear an overgrown area to become additional pasture\, and highlighting this farm’s emphasis on matching animals to environments that suit their needs while also improving the land. In addition to their livestock\, visitors will have the opportunity to visit their self-designed one of a kind (and beautiful!) barn and farm store. \nDriving time between the two farms is approximately 35 minutes. Participants are responsible for their own transportation. \nTicket price includes participation in both tours and light refreshments. \n\n12:45PM – 1:00PM: Arrive to Dobson’s Grassfed Beef\, 1907 Snake River Line\, Cobden\n1:00PM – 3:00PM: Farm tour at Dobson’s Grassfed Beef\n3:00PM – 3:45PM: Travel to Opeongo Springs Homestead\, 2290 Opeongo Road W\, Eganville\n3:45PM – 5:30pm: Tour at Opeongo Springs Homestead\n5:30 pm: Departures\n\nThis event is offered in partnership with the Farmers for Climate Solutions’ Farm Resilience Mentorship Program (FaRM) is an OSCIA-recognized Knowledge Sharing Event (KSE) for farmers with On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF) projects in the Rotational Grazing Category. \nPlease visit the EFAO event website to register.
URL:https://membership.ontariosoilcrop.org/event/rotational-grazing-in-ottawa-valley-with-dobsons-grassfed-beef-and-opeongo-springs-homestead/
LOCATION:Dobson’s Grassfed Beef\, 1907 Snake River Line\, Cobden\, Ontario\, K0J1K0\, Canada
CATEGORIES:ÉPC,Event,KSE,Rotational Grazing Systems,Systèmes de rotation des pâturages
ORGANIZER;CN="Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario (EFAO)":MAILTO:info@efao.ca
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260917T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260917T123000
DTSTAMP:20260728T171755Z
CREATED:20260728T171755Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260728T171755Z
UID:10003366-1789639200-1789648200@membership.ontariosoilcrop.org
SUMMARY:A Flower-filled Field Day in Grey County
DESCRIPTION:Join Amy Kitchen of Sideroad Farm and Annabel Por of Twig and Brindille Flower Farm in Grey-Bruce county for a flower focused day hosted in collaboration with Grey Bruce Flower Growers and the Local Flower Collective. \nWe will start the morning with a KSE session with Amy and Patrick Kitchen at Sideroad Farm\, where they have farmed with their family for 13 years. Amy will lead a tour of their flower production that supplies their markets\, DIY events and wholesale florist buyers at the Local Flower Collective and the Grey Bruce Flower Growers. They also have a robust organic vegetable production\, raise pastured chicken and pork\, and have an active on-farm store. Her tour will include a look at her current production systems and crop rotations; including cover crop strategies to boost productivity\, and a conversation about lessons learned and scaling different types of production. \nFollowing the tour and KSE session\, participants can enjoy their packed picnic lunch before travelling to Twig and Brindille. \nIn the afternoon we will visit Twig & Brindille Flower Farm for a contrasting take on cut flower farming on a smaller scale. Annabel Por has been farming her 3 acre parcel since 2020 and practicing no-till techniques since the beginning. She will touch on the challenges and successes of running the farm as a one woman operation with over half of the production area growing perennials.  We will conclude the tour with a hands-on floral activity. \nAgenda for the day: \n*KSE SESSION: 10:00AM – 12:30PM: Tour with Sideroad Farm (805092 Sideroad 25\, RR3\, Markdale) \n12:30PM – 1:15PM: Bring your own picnic lunch at Sideroad Farm \n1:15PM – 2:00PM: Packing up and travel to Twig and Brindille Flower Farm (423475 Concession 6\, Markdale) \n2:00PM – 4:00PM: Tour and activity at Twig and Brindille Flower Farm \nThis event is also offered in partnership with the Farmers for Climate Solutions’ Farm Resilience Mentorship Program (FaRM) \nPlease visit the EFAO event website to register. \n*The tour with Sideroad Farm event is recognized as OSCIA OFCAF KSE under BMP category Cover Cropping.
URL:https://membership.ontariosoilcrop.org/event/a-flower-filled-field-day-in-grey-county/
LOCATION:Sideroad Farm\, 805092 Sideroad 5\, Markdale\, Ontario\, N0C1H0\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Cover Cropping,ÉPC,Event,KSE,Recours aux cultures de couverturev
ORGANIZER;CN="Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario (EFAO)":MAILTO:info@efao.ca
END:VEVENT
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260922T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260922T173000
DTSTAMP:20260826T171524Z
CREATED:20260826T145823Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260826T171524Z
UID:10003398-1790082000-1790098200@membership.ontariosoilcrop.org
SUMMARY:Veggie Talk at County Left Farm & It’s Giving Farm
DESCRIPTION:Join us in September at two incredible EFAO member farms just north of Toronto! \nThe day will start at County Left Farm where Angelina and Kyle have been growing high quality produce together since 2020. Participants will have the chance to see first-hand how their intensively-managed 1.5 acre area supplies enough produce for two Toronto-area farmers markets and a CSA program. They’ll share how thoughtful production planning\, crop rotations\, and strategic cover cropping help build soil fertility\, improve productivity\, and make the most of every square foot. Participants will also hear the story of securing a long-term lease in Rouge National Urban Park and about their vision for the farm’s future.\nFollowing the visit at County Left Farm\, participants will travel the short distance to It’s Giving Farm\, where Ekow Stone\, Fianna Dirks and their team will welcome us to their 7-acre farm at the northern edge of Rouge National Urban Park. Since establishing the farm in 2023\, they’ve been growing diverse vegetables for two Toronto farmers’ markets while continuing to grow and build their ecological farming operation. \nThrough EFAO’s Farmer-Led Research Program\, Ekow\, Fianna\, and their colleague Michelle have explored regional plant breeding and variety evaluation\, asking how crops can be better adapted to local conditions\, ecological farms and the communities they serve. \nParticipants should be able to see Michelle’s zinnia trial in full bloom and learn about her work with the East Coast multi-coloured carrot population through the Canadian Organic Vegetable Improvement Network (CANOVI). Depending on the season\, there may be carrots to examine and taste. Ekow will also share a multi-year project to breed an early\, productive and disease-resistant okra for Southern Ontario\, with plants—and hopefully pods—to see. \nThroughout the tour and visit\, they’ll share how research fits into their farming practices\, share some of their past and current trials\, discuss lessons learned\, and explore how farmer-led experimentation can support more resilient and productive ecological farms like theirs. \nAgenda: \n12:45pm – 1pm – Arrive to County Left Farm (5293 York Durham Line\, Pickering) \n1pm – 3pm – Tour and conversation at County Left Farm \n3pm – 3:15pm – Travel to It’s Giving Farm (1469 Concession 2\, Uxbridge) \n3:15pm – 5:15pm – Tour and conversation at It’s Giving Farm \n5:15pm – Departures \n  \n\nThis event is hosted in partnership with the Farmers for Climate Solutions’ Farm Resilience Mentorship Program (FaRM). \n\nPlease visit the EFAO event website to register. \n  \n*This event is recognized as OSCIA OFCAF KSE under BMP category Cover Cropping.
URL:https://membership.ontariosoilcrop.org/event/veggie-talk-at-county-left-farm-its-giving-farm/
LOCATION:County Left Farm\, 5293 York Durham Line\, Pickering\, Ontario\, L0C1A0\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Cover Cropping,ÉPC,Event,KSE,Recours aux cultures de couverturev
ORGANIZER;CN="Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario (EFAO)":MAILTO:info@efao.ca
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260924T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260924T120000
DTSTAMP:20260901T172329Z
CREATED:20260901T172329Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T172329Z
UID:10003400-1790244000-1790251200@membership.ontariosoilcrop.org
SUMMARY:Regenerative Grazing at Timberline Farm
DESCRIPTION:Jared James has been raising 100% grass fed beef at his farm near Harriston since 2014. Timberline Farm is 149 acres of mostly pasture\, with 20 acres of forested wetlands\, a sugar maple grove\, and a large pond. It’s home to a herd of about 90 cows\, 2 farmers\, 2 horses\, 4 cats\, 4 chickens and a whole lot of nature. Join us on Timberline Farm for a tour and conversation about Jared’s pasture management\, breed selection\, grazing rotations and what makes this regenerative farm unique. He’ll also share about his Experimental Acres trial\, a microgrant programme through the County of Wellington for farmer-led trials that aim to improve soil health and resilience to climate change. This year’s trial explores pearl millet as a cover crop/forage within a diversified mix. \nAt Timberline Farm the principles of permaculture and organic farming are used to create an environment where livestock and natural ecosystems thrive together. The farm’s forests and wetlands are an oasis for wildlife and the pastures provide valuable habitat to an abundance of grassland species. Using these pastures to ethically raise beef cows while enhancing the lands ecological value is the primary focus here at Timberline Farm. In fact\, over 60 of this farm’s 149 acres are involved in wildlife habitat conservation initiatives. For ecological\, environmental and practical purposes planting trees is the second focus on the farm; since 2014 they have planted over 3000 trees. \nAs cattle farmers\, their goal is to grow grass and lots of it – meaning they focus on fertility and creating abundance in the pastures. And it’s not just the cows that benefit but there has been an increase in wildlife of every kind since they started managing the land in the regenerative way. \nThe cows at Timberline Farm are 100% grass fed and finished and of two main breeds: Speckle Park and Wagyu. The cows rotationally graze on pasture from when the grass starts growing in the spring until the winter comes and buries the grass in snow. In the winter they eat hay in the comfort of a 7200 square foot barn and can go out onto the 15000 square feet of outdoor yards as they please. Building a herd of well adapted cattle to the conditions of this grass based regenerative farming operation for direct to consumer sales of beef is the foundation of this farm’s success and future growth. \nThis event is hosted in partnership with Wellington County’s Experimental Acres programme and with the Farmers for Climate Solutions’ Farm Resilience Mentorship Program (FaRM). This event is an OSCIA-recognized Knowledge Sharing Event (KSE) for farmers with On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF) projects in the Rotational Grazing Category. \nPlease visit the EFAO event website to register.
URL:https://membership.ontariosoilcrop.org/event/regenerative-grazing-at-timberline-farm/
LOCATION:Timberline Farm\, 6301 10th Line\, Harriston\, Ontario\, N0G1Z0\, Canada
CATEGORIES:ÉPC,Event,KSE,Rotational Grazing Systems,Systèmes de rotation des pâturages
ORGANIZER;CN="Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario (EFAO)":MAILTO:info@efao.ca
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260926T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260926T160000
DTSTAMP:20260610T125533Z
CREATED:20260610T125533Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260610T125533Z
UID:10003333-1790416800-1790438400@membership.ontariosoilcrop.org
SUMMARY:Seed Farming & Farmer-Led Research at Persephone Market Garden and Luna Mia Farm
DESCRIPTION:A full day tour of two seed saving farms with EFAO farmer-researchers? Sign us up! \nJoin Kristine Hammel of Persephone Market Garden and Rony Lec of Luna Mia Farm in Grey-Bruce to hear more about their seed and vegetable production and farmer-led research. \n  \nWe will start the morning at Persephone Market Garden\, run by Kristine Hammel and Thorsten Arnold. They have been farming on this land for 17 years. Kristine will lead a tour of the market garden\, which includes a growing seed garden and an expanding native seed orchard. She’ll share some of her motivations\, challenges and joys with growing seed on contract\, alongside a fresh vegetable CSA. Kristine is also a long time no till practitioner who using switch grass straw mulch in her gardens. Following the tour\, participants can enjoy their packed picnic lunch with soup from Kristine before travelling to Luna Mia Farm. \n  \n  \nIn the afternoon\, we will see Luna Mia Farm\, run by Rony Lec and Myriam Legualt who have been farming and seed saving for 20 years. Rony and Myriam ran the Mesoamerican Permaculture Institute together in Guatemala for many years then moved to Canada and started a regenerative farm. Today\, they continue to use regenerative practices based on traditional knowledge\, save their open-pollinated seeds\, and share about their lessons learned along the way. Participants will join Rony and Myriam for a farm tour with a focus on traditional grain and seed crops. \n  \n  \nAgenda for the day: \nArrive to Persephone Market Garden: 9:45-10 (241063 Concession 3 Keppel\, Allenford) \nTour Persephone Market Garden: 10-12 \nBring you own picnic lunch: 12-1 \nDrive to Luna Mia: 1-1:30(135038 Concession Road 8 RR 1\, Desboro) \nTour Luna Mia: 1:30-3:30 \nDepartures: 3:30-4 \nPlease visit the EFAO event website to register and purchase tickets. \n  \nThis event is funded in part by the Governments of Canada and Ontario under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership\, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative. \nFunding for the project has also been provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada under the Agricultural Climate Solutions – Living Labs program and by the following partners: Beef Farmers of Ontario\, Dairy Farmers of Ontario\, Grain Farmers of Ontario\, Ontario Federation of Agriculture\, Ontario Pork and Ontario Sheep Farmers. The project is coordinated by the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association.
URL:https://membership.ontariosoilcrop.org/event/seed-farming-farmer-led-research-at-persephone-market-garden-and-luna-mia-farm/
LOCATION:Persephone Market Garden\, 241063 Concession 3 Keppel\, Allenford\, Ontario\, N0H 1A0\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Event,Living Lab Ontario,Research
ORGANIZER;CN="Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario (EFAO)":MAILTO:info@efao.ca
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