Two Dates in February 2021 | WORKSHOP How to Start a Community Garden
Join us on Feb 16 OR Feb 20, 2021 and learn about the steps involved in starting a community garden. How to search for land, what is essential when starting a community garden, the supports available, tips for organizing and much more! Suitable for new gardens, or existing gardens looking to onboard new volunteer coordinators!
The attendance of at least one garden coordinator (or a member of the garden who is working on the proposal) at a How to Start a Community Garden workshop is a requirement in order to apply for funding through the Community Garden Development Fund. The coordinator must have attended a workshop in one of the past 3 years as criteria and processes have changed throughout the years, and we encourage more than one to attend at a time.
TWO IDENTICAL SESSIONS – CHOOSE EITHER ONE
TUESDAY EVENING SESSION: Tuesday, February 16, 6:30–8:30pm.
WHERE: ONLINE ZOOM MEETING
RSVP: CLICK THIS LINK TO REGISTER
SATURDAY AFTERNOON SESSION: Saturday, February 20, 3:00–5:00pm.
WHERE: ONLINE ZOOM MEETING
RSVP: CLICK THIS LINK TO REGISTER
FOR QUESTIONS please contact Sun Shan at communitygardening@justfood.ca.
Farm-specific Value-add Training
Starting in March we will offer a training series Adding Value to your Farm with sessions including:
- Adding a commercial kitchen component onto the farm;
- Equipment options in Ottawa Kitchen for farmers;
- Sourcing local food products for food businesses
Keep an eye on this space for the latest updates and details on dates, trainers, and pricing.
Greenhouse Training
Organic Seedling Production
On Saturday, January 23 and Sunday, January 24 — from 9-12 both days — we are offering a 2-session intensive workshop for those looking to learn greenhouse production of organic seedlings.
These sessions are led by Sophie Clark of Trout Lily Organic Seedlings, and cover topics from operations to configurations (irrigation to ventilation) as well as lessons learned on timing, expedience, convenience and efficiency. The sessions will not be recorded, attendance is ‘live’ only.
When: 9:00a.m. – 12:00 on January 23 and 24, 2021
Where: Online via Zoom
Pre-requisites: None
Language: English
Cost: $70 (Some subsidized spots for those with serious financial barriers)
For questions or more information contact: phil@justfood.ca
To register, please e-transfer the workshop fee ($70) to financials@justfood.ca and send an email with your password and contact information to Carmen (works Wed-Fri) at info@justfood.ca
Ottawa (virtual) Screening of Gather
For anyone who missed the first screening of Gather — a film that celebrates and honours the critical and leading role Indigenous peoples play in protecting biodiversity on Earth as the basis of our shared food — we hope you can join the Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health and Just Food for a second and final screening of the film from February 4-6
While the Indigenous food sovereignty projects in the film are based in lands south and west of here, their importance will resonate with viewers all over Turtle Island.
This is a free event, with the request that those watching, who can, will donate to Wabano’s Indigenous Food Sovereignty Project, (please choose Wabano Indigenous Food Sovereignty Project on the drop-down list) housed at Just Food Community Farm, with funds going to purchase seeds, tools and other materials for food production starting in 2021.
Gather will be open for viewing for 55 hours!
Watch at your own leisure from Thursday, February 4th at 5 PM to Saturday, February 6th at 11:59 PM
Length of film: 1 hour, 14 minutes
Register by noon on Wednesday, February 3rd here
You’ll be sent the movie link by email by noon on February 4th
Please click here to donate to Wabano (and please choose Wabano Indigenous Food Sovereignty Project on the drop-down list).
We’re also very grateful to the many people who donated to the
Wabano Centre’s Indigenous Food Sovereignty Project. All proceeds from the film screening will go towards Wabano’s food project
at the Just Food Community Farm in 2021.
More info:
The Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health is an award-winning and internationally recognized healthcare facility located in Ottawa, Ontario. Wabano’s unique model of care emphasizes the importance of nurturing the mind, body and spirit through the provision of a full medical clinic, mental wellness and addictions services, community and cultural programs, and community outreach. The result has been the creation of a place of belonging where culture flourishes in support of Ottawa’s Indigenous community.
Just Food is a community-based, non-profit organization working towards vibrant, just and sustainable food and farming systems in the Ottawa region.
Training for New Farmers
Training Series for New Farmers: Vegetable Production
Starting Tuesday, February 2 we are offering a 12-session series of online workshops for new farmers, focused on vegetable production and covering a diverse set of topics to start (or enhance) your farm enterprise. The training series will not be recorded, attendance is ‘live’ only.
When: February 2 – April 24 (see full calendar below), mostly Tuesday / Thursday evenings 6-9 pm
Where: Online via Zoom
Pre-requisites: None
Language: English
Cost: 12 workshops plus a review of your farm enterprise plan for $500
(Some subsidized spots for those with serious financial barriers)
To take one to three workshops contact Carmen (working Wed-Fri) through info@justfood.ca
For questions or more information contact: phil@justfood.ca
To register, please send an email with your contact information to Carmen (works Wed-Fri) at info@justfood.ca and e-transfer the workshop fee ($500) to financials@justfood.ca
Trainers:
Mat Levinson – Capital Greens
Phil Mount – Flat Earth Farm
Dan Van Vliet – Van Vliet Horticulture
Simon Neufeld, MSc, CCA – Chief Agronomist, Earth Alive Clean Technologies Inc.
Moe Garahan – Just Food Community Farm+ Guest trainers
Full 2021 Calendar – Training Series for New Farmers: Vegetable Production
1. Tuesday, February 2 (6-9 PM)
Organic certification and record-keeping
2. Tuesday, February 9 (6-9 PM)
Crop planning and production (includes organic record-keeping, planning for pest control)
3. Thursday, February 11 (6-9 PM)
Introduction to Farm Business Planning (includes CSA model)
4. Tuesday, February 16 (6-9 PM)
Best practices for Starts and Transplanting; Equipment / irrigation supplies and sourcing
5. Thursday, Feb 18 (6-9 PM)
Marketing, pricing and sales
6. Tuesday, Feb 23 (6-9 PM)
Accessing Land; Land tenure agreements
7. Thursday, Feb 25 (6-9 PM)
Soil fertility through organic production practices
8. Tuesday, March 2 (6-9 PM)
Financial Planning, Investment Strategies and Farm Taxes
9. Tuesday, March 9 (6-9 PM)
Intensive vegetable production techniques (including pest control)
10. Tuesday, March 23 (6-9 PM)
Post-harvest handling
11. Tuesday, March 30 (6-9 PM)
Farm Safety
12. Saturday, April 24 – 10-3
Small-scale farm infrastructure & equipment use – on site at Just Food Community Farm
Start-Up Farm Program
Spots are available at the Just Food Community Farm for those interested in incubating a plant-based farm enterprise idea for the 2021 season (4 spots) and/or an artisanal poultry business (1 spot) for the 2022 growing season.
Pre-requisites: Completion of Just Food’s New Farmer Training Workshops (See above). If you have taken an equivalent, please email phil@justfood.ca for verification.
For those interested in artisanal chicken incubation, please send a documnet outlining relevant background information and experience to phil@justfood.ca
Language of support: English
Details here: https://justfood.ca/start-up-farm-program/
Farmer Training Topics Coming Soon…
This Winter:
- Value-add Food Processing
- Greenhouse start-up
- Livestock production
This Summer:
English as Second Language New Farmer Training
(including supports in French and Arabic)
If you are interested in these, please contact comms@justfood.ca
More details coming soon!
The Seeds and Soil Home Garden Project
Just Food and the City of Ottawa’s Human Needs Task Force are partnering to provide
free seeds and soil to 3000 households living on lower income or who lost income because of COVID-19 in Ottawa.
Are you looking for a way to increase your food supply with a garden?
There is still time to plant greens, beans and other food for your home use.
Home gardens are a great way to grow your own food, stay active, and support positive
mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Distribution starting Tuesday, June 16. First come – first served!
All information can be found here: https://justfood.ca/garden2020/ or https://alimentationjuste.ca/jardin2020
