Conference Program Preview

More than 35 workshops over 2 days, including:

Wednesday Keynote Panel

Water is Life: Indigenous Approaches to Water Stewardship

Thursday Keynote Presentation

Agroforestry Across Watersheds

with Omar de Kok-Mercado of Mad Agriculture and Erik Hagan of the Savanna Institute

 

  • It All Starts with Water: Permaculture and The Order of Design
  • Ag Policy Roundtable: What’s Happening and How to Get Involved
  • Soil Health Panel: Soil Health Indicators for Farmers and The Future of Soil Health in Ontario
  • Facilitating Belonging on Farm Teams
  • Growing Small Grains in Ontario: A Speaker Panel
  • No-Till Potatoes: A Farmer-Researcher Panel
  • Kids on the Farm: Getting Creative with Childcare!
  • No-Till Intensive Vegetable Culture with Bryan O’Hara
  • Game Changers for Farmer Wellbeing
  • On-Farm Irrigation: Things I Wish I Knew When I Started
  • Pig-Proof Infrastructure for Pastured Pork Production
  • Growing Hazelnuts and Other Edible Tree Crops in Ontario
  • Balancing Nutrients in Your Soil
  • Flower Farming and Marketing
  • Managing Pasture and the Drought Resilient Farm
  • Integrating Pastured Poultry into Vegetable Crop Rotations
  • Beyond Deworming: Practical Strategies to Reduce and Manage Parasites in Sheep
  • Farming on Public Lands: Farmer Experiences
  • Nitrogen Calculations for Cover Crops
  • Innovative Rainwater Catchment Systems
  • Agroforestry in Ontario
  • Game Changing Investments to Increase the Bottom Line
  • Courageous Conflict on the Farm
  • CSA Meet-Up: Opportunities for Outreach and Member Retention

Stay tuned for more information as the program is finalized!

Trade Show

Multi Shelter Solutions

High Mowing Organic Seeds

Harvest Impact by 10C

Fiddlehead Farm

DuBois Agroinovation

National Farmers Union – Ontario

Neudorff North America

Ecocert

Wild Craft Permaculture

Interested in becoming one of 25 exhibitors at the trade show? There’s still space! Review the 2023 Sponsorship Package and contact events@efao.ca for more information!

Sponsors

Pfennings

Pfennings

Gold Sponsor

High Mowing Organic Seeds

High Mowing Organic Seeds

Silver Sponsor

Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security

Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security

Funder

Farmers for Climate Solutions

Farmers for Climate Solutions

Funder

Interested in becoming a sponsor? Review the 2023 Sponsorship Package and contact events@efao.ca for more information!

2023 Carrot Cache Innovation Prize

Enter to win!

The Carrot Cache Innovation Prize is back for its 10th year at the EFAO Conference! A $1,000 prize will be awarded for innovative, low-cost solutions to planting, harvesting, and managing food grown on an Ontario urban or rural organic farm. Farmers can share proven, creative ways already in use on-farm to build financial and environmental sustainability.

Submissions will be shared with attendees of the 2023 EFAO Conference, who will have the chance to vote for their favourite on-farm innovations. The winner will be announced at the conference.

Do you know someone who is too humble to nominate their innovations? You can nominate a fellow farmer-innovator. We’d love to see any tried-and-tested innovations — like that of Scott Sigurdson of Indian Creek Orchard Gardens, whose compost drop spreader was the most appreciated innovation in 2022!

Additional Conference Information

Child Care & Family Room

Childcare is available from 8:30am to 12:00pm, and 1:30pm to 5:15pm on both conference days.

Kid’s Lunch (12 and under): $18
Youth Lunch (12+): $35

Kid’s Banquet Dinner (under 12): $27
Youth Banquet Dinner (12+): $55

Please indicate interest in child care and kids’ meals when you register. Payments can be made at the conference registration desk.

We are looking for individuals with childcare experience who are interested in volunteering for a half day in the childcare room, in exchange for a half day conference pass (+lunch). Please contact events@efao.ca.

Conference Bursaries

In order to make the conference accessible to all farmers and future farmers in Ontario, EFAO strives to reduce financial barriers for registration by using a Pay What You Can model. To register, please complete this form. Not attending the conference but interested in sponsoring a farmer to attend? Donate today!

Accommodations

Rooms at the Four Points by Sheraton have been blocked at a special conference rate of $145 for one king bed, or $155 for 2 queen beds. All room bookings include a hot buffet breakfast.

Room rates are based on single occupancy – for additional guests, a charge of $19.49 per day will be added for breakfast.

Call the hotel and book before Oct. 30th to reserve the special rate! Mention that you are attending the EFAO Conference. (1 519-681-0600).

Meals

Conference meals will feature food donated and provided by EFAO members and other local ecological farmers and food providers. You don’t want to miss the Wednesday Banquet Dinner! A delicious meal, musical entertainment, and good conversation with new and old friends. If you’re interested in contributing towards conference meals please contact naomi@efao.ca.

Live Music & Dancing

It’s not an EFAO Conference unless there’s a hootenanny! Join our musical guests (TBA) for an evening of merriment on Nov. 29th, after the banquet dinner.

Acessibility Info

Please contact us if you require any accommodations in order to participate in the Conference, or have any medical conditions (for example, severe allergies) you would like EFAO and/or the hotel staff to be aware of. Please note that although EFAO strives to make the Conference accessible, it may not be possible to accommodate all requests.

Although wearing a mask is no longer mandatory, you are always welcome to do so, as it remains a strongly recommended practice by public health authorities to reduce the transmission of respiratory illness, including COVID-19, especially when symptoms are present. EFAO will continue to follow all public health guidelines.

Partners

Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security
Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security
Canadian Organic Growers
Canadian Organic Growers
Fair Finance Fund
Fair Finance Fund
Local Food and Farm Co-ops
Local Food and Farm Co-ops
National Farmers Union - Ontario
National Farmers Union - Ontario
OSCIA
OSCIA
Ontario Woodlot Association
Ontario Woodlot Association
Organic Council of Ontario
Organic Council of Ontario
Regeneration Canada
Regeneration Canada

Register

EFAO Member Rates - Early Bird Pricing

Single Day Pass | Member | Nov. 29th

$130
  • Access to 18 conference sessions, keynote, and trade show on Nov. 29th.
  • Includes buffet lunch featuring food from local ecological farms.
  • Includes access to the online Farmer-Led Research Symposium, Nov. 27th
  • Optional Banquet Dinner – $55
  • Price goes up $10 on Oct. 31st

Single Day Pass | Member | Nov. 30th

$130
  • Access to 18 conference sessions, keynote, and trade show on Nov. 30th.
  • Includes buffet lunch featuring food from local ecological farms.
  • Includes access to the online Farmer-Led Research Symposium, Nov. 27th
  • Price goes up $10 on Oct. 31st

Standard Rates – Early Bird Pricing

Members save $65 on a full conference registration! Learn more about EFAO Membership.

Single Day Pass | Nov. 29th

$165
  • Access to 18 conference sessions, keynote, and trade show on Nov. 29th
  • Includes buffet lunch featuring food from local ecological farms
  • Includes access to the online Farmer-Led Research Symposium, Nov. 27th
  • Optional Banquet Dinner – $55
  • Price goes up $10 on Oct. 31st

Single Day Pass | Nov. 30th

$165
  • Access to 18 conference sessions, keynote, and trade show on Nov. 30th
  • Includes buffet lunch featuring food from local ecological farms
  • Includes access to the online Farmer-Led Research Symposium, Nov. 27th
  • Price goes up $10 on Oct. 31st