May Seed Growers Meet-Up
2026-05-27 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Toronto) | Online, Online via Zoom - link will be sent to registrants
Join the May Seed Growers Meet-Up!
The Seed Growers Meet-Up is an informal lunchtime gathering for farmers, seed growers, plant breeders, and anyone curious about saving seed. It’s a space to connect with others working with seed, share what’s happening on your farm or in your garden, and talk through the questions and ideas that come up throughout the season.
Each meet-up is shaped by the people who join. Conversations often range from practical seed production topics—like crop planning, isolation distances, population sizes, and seed cleaning—to broader discussions about seed systems, breeding projects, and the challenges and opportunities growers are navigating.
Whether you’ve been producing seed for years or are just starting to explore it, you’re warmly welcome. Bring your lunch, your questions, and your seed stories as we learn from one another and strengthen a community of growers working to produce diverse, high-quality seed.

Ignatius Farm Small Plot Tour
2026-06-06 10:00 - 12:00 | Ignatius Farm, 5420 Hwy 6 North, Guelph, ON, Canada
Join us for a tour of Ignatius Farm’s small plot agriculture program. We will walk through the 3 acres of community gardens, the community orchard, and visit small plot tenants. We will stop at three tenant plots to hear about their businesses, how they got started and how this model works for them. Businesses will range from vegetable production, willow production, and native plant propagation. Please dress for the weather. The ground may be wet/muddy and the wind can be very chilly in the open areas.
Bring your own picnic lunch and then enjoy one of two hands-on workshops on site in the afternoon. Workshop details available here:
Building Biodiverse Growing Systems with Eramosa Herbals
Soil Health in the Orchard with Matt Soltys of The Urban Orchardist and Meaghan Mechler, PhD in plant agriculture

About the tenant farmers:
Origin Native Plants is a dedicated native plant nursery specializing in the cultivation of over 265 different species of locally sourced native plants. Their focus includes providing plants and trees suitable for prairies, meadows, woodlands, wetlands, and various ecological restoration projects. In addition to their native plant offerings, they also specialize in native edible gardens, providing a diverse selection of fruit-producing trees, bushes, flowers, and medicinal herbs.
Piccolo Farm Organics (PFO) is owned and operated by Steve D’Alimonte & Lisa Lopez. On a quarter of an acre, PFO aims to demonstrate that by using non-mechanized and regenerative farming methods, food can be flavourful and healthy to both people and planet. PFO is also a celebration of heritage by showing that culturally specific vegetable varieties from around the world can and should be grown locally. PFO primarily grows Italian varieties of vegetables or vegetables commonly used in Italian cuisine. They also offer focaccia, pasta and sauces made with ingredients grown on the farm.

Soil Health in the Orchard
2026-06-06 13:00 - 15:00 | Ignatius Farm, 5420 Hwy 6 North, Guelph, ON, Canada
Soil is the foundation of everything we grow. Come learn practical tests and techniques to understand and improve your soil, and how fertility management strategies differ between annual and perennial crops. We’ll discuss how to take and interpret different types of soil tests, how to calculate amendments, and how our management techniques affect soil life and plant health.
This on farm workshop will be led by Matt Soltys of The Urban Orchardist and Meaghan Mechler, PhD in plant agriculture and offered in partnership with Ignatius Farm.
Earlier in the day, participants have the opportunity to join us for a morning tour of the Ignatius Farm Small Plot Agriculture program. Learn more and register here.

Building Biodiverse Growing Systems
2026-06-06 13:00 - 15:00 | Ignatius Farm, 5420 Hwy 6 North, Guelph, ON, Canada
This on farm workshop explores how to design productive growing spaces that function as living ecosystems. Drawing from Eramosa Herbals’ diverse on-farm planting of over 80 species, including medicinal herbs, native perennials, dye plants, and more, we’ll look at how biodiversity can be intentionally integrated into both market gardens and backyard plots.
Participants will join a guided walk through an abundant landscape to observe how native species support pollinators and wildlife, improve soil health, and contribute to whole-farm resilience, while also offering food, medicine and beauty. We’ll discuss practical strategies for moving beyond simplified growing systems, including how to build plant guilds, incorporate perennials into annual beds, and select species that serve multiple functions.
This workshop is suited to small farmers, home gardeners, and anyone interested in cultivating deeper relationships with plants while creating ecologically rich, functional landscapes.
This on farm workshop will be led by Dani Hagel of Eramosa Herbals and offered in partnership with Ignatius Farm.
Earlier in the day, participants have the opportunity to join us for a morning tour of the Ignatius Farm Small Plot Agriculture program. Learn more and register here.

Field Day at Franklin Farm: Trials, Transitions, and Trade-offs
2026-06-18 13:00 - 15:00 | Franklin Farm, 1462 North line, Kincardine, Ontario, N2Z 2X4, Canada
Join us for an afternoon at the Franklin farm as Tom shares the lessons from his early years of farming.
Located just five minutes from Lake Huron, the 100-acre Franklin Farm consists of 50 arable acres, 25 acres of pasture, and a 25-acre riparian zone surrounding a creek and small waterways. Tom and Christine focus on managing the property’s diverse ecology with the help of a small cow calf herd and a 12-paddocks rotational grazing system. The arable acres are dedicated to growing organic grains and cover crops that continue to build the soil health across soil types that vary from heavy clay to sand.
This is a splendid opportunity to share insights into balancing a steep learning curve and a tight budget with a steadfast commitment to ecological health.
Come dig into the nitty-gritty of small-scale farming, including:

The Organic Transition: Navigating the organic certification process.
Rotational Grazing: Managing systems for cow-calf herds, including fencing, and water logistics.
Lessons in Cover Cropping: Discover what’s worked for soil health and what didn’t work for logistically.
Small-Scale Grains: Practical advice on marketing, storage, and choosing the right equipment without breaking the bank.
Kernza (Perennial wheat): Looking towards seed bulking for a future farmer-led research trial.
Organic No-Till soybeans: Find out how the first time planting soybeans into cereal rye is going.
Farming for Biodiversity: Practical strategies for protecting Bobolink and Meadowlark nesting sites while maintaining a grazing rotation.

In the field: We’ll walk the fields to see the newly planted no-till organic soybeans, check in on the winter wheat, and observe the cow-calf herd during their early pasture rotation.
Get a preview: Can’t wait for the field day? Hear more about Tom’s journey through his audio journal, Great Big Farmer, available on all major podcast platforms.

In the Field: Irrigation Set Up
2026-06-18 16:00 - 18:00 | Ignatius Farm, 5420 Hwy 6 North, Guelph, ON, Canada
There are many ways to water vegetables but deciding what is right for you and how to set it up can be confusing. Ignatius Farm Assistant Farm Manager Don Bowyer will walk us through a few types of irrigation, how to set up a well thought out system, as well as tips and tricks for problem solving.
This is part of the In the Field Workshop Series, run by Ignatius Farm in partnership with EFAO. Sign up for individual sessions, or register for the full series here.

In the Field: Small Scale Weed Management
2026-07-08 16:00 - 18:00 | Ignatius Farm, 5420 Hwy 6 North, Guelph, ON, Canada
Weeds can be the bane of the gardener’s existence. This workshop will explore techniques and tools for good weed management practices on a hand-farming scale. Be prepared to get dirty and try out various weeding tools! Facilitated by Lisa Conroy, Ignatius Farm Educator.
This is part of the In the Field Workshop Series, run by Ignatius Farm in partnership with EFAO. Sign up for individual sessions, or register for the full series here.

In the Field: Summer Orchard Pruning
2026-08-12 16:00 - 18:00 | Ignatius Farm, 5420 Hwy 6 North, Guelph, ON, Canada
Did you know that summer is an excellent time to prune your fruit trees? Besides the general reasons to prune for height, structure, and airflow, summer pruning is excellent for ensuring enough direct sunlight reaches fruit, and decreases potential disease pressure. This hands-on workshop will teach you how to decide what to cut and when as well as pruning best practices. Facilitated by Matt Soltys, the Urban Orchardist.
This is part of the In the Field Workshop Series, run by Ignatius Farm in partnership with EFAO. Sign up for individual sessions, or register for the full series here.

In the Field: Seed Saving
2026-09-17 16:00 - 18:00 | Ignatius Farm, 5420 Hwy 6 North, Guelph, ON, Canada
Saving seeds is an easy way to increase food sovereignty and connect to the plants we grow. This hands-on workshop covers the basics of seed saving, plus harvesting and cleaning some seeds as a group. Participants are encouraged to bring seeds they have grown to swap, or seeds that need to be cleaned. Facilitated by Ignatius Farm Educator Lisa Conroy.
This is part of the In the Field Workshop Series, run by Ignatius Farm in partnership with EFAO. Sign up for individual sessions, or register for the full series here.
