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DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260409T130000
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SUMMARY:The Past\, Present and Future of Canada’s Agricultural Policy Framework
DESCRIPTION:This event is hosted by the National Farmers Union (NFU) in collaboration with EFAO and Young Agrarians. Registration will take place through the NFU. \nThis is a moment for change! We need your voice to help shape the future of agriculture in Canada. \nThe Canadian Agricultural Policy Framework is the main funding framework for programs and services for farmers across Canada. Consultations are underway towards the Next Agricultural Policy Framework (NPF) – this means that the next few months are a very important time for farmer voices and advocacy! \nPolicies in this framework impact on-the-ground experiences of farmers and farm workers across the country. They are integral to Canada’s agricultural success\, not just today but for generations in the future. \nThe NPF represents billions of dollars of spending that sets the goals of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and provincial Ministries of Agriculture for the next five years. The NPF negotiations are a special opportunity to advocate for programs and policies that support Canadian farmers for years to come. This session is the first part of a series that the NFU is running in collaboration with Young Agrarians and the Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario to hear from our members about what they want included in the NPF and to provide information on how to get involved. Be a part of grassroots organizing to shape the Canadian food system you want to see. \nBefore we look forward to the 2028-2033 NPF\, Naomi Robert will take us back in time to give us a historical view of how the goals of the framework have shifted over time and its treatment of support for family farms\, rural communities and sectoral growth. This narrative analysis sets the stage for the importance of grassroots advocacy on the NPF. \n\nThis first session will be followed up with an organizing session on Thursday\, April 16th (Noon PST / 1pm MST / 2pm SK\, MB / 3pm EST / 4pm AST) with event facilitators Ayla Fenton (Young Agrarians)\, Stuart Oke (EFAO)\, and Sophie McCafferty (Young Agrarians). They will walk through the consultation question by question\, using a survey guide to anchor answers around new farmer issues and local food system development. Your own perspective matters\, and we want to hear it! \nHere\, we’ll be turning knowledge into action! This session will be a guided conversation about how to mobilize and organize around what we learned in the knowledge-building session on April 9th. It will be a chance to learn about and dig into the NPF\, figure out what actually matters to you\, and fill out the public consultation together\, live. Register for both sessions today! \n  \nAbout the facilitators: \nNaomi Robert is a Senior Research and Extension Associate at the Institute for Sustainable Food Systems\, at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. Her research\, teaching\, and community work focuses on regional food systems\, the impacts of neoliberalism in Canadian food and agricultural policy\, and how to center equity and ecological integrity through economic reform. Naomi is a founder of the Pacific Coastal Dry Farming Collaborative and co-chair of the Comox Valley Food Policy Council. \n\nSince 2013\, Ayla Fenton has worked on diverse agroecological farms throughout Anishnaabe and Haudenosaunee territories (eastern Ontario)\, learning how to live in right relations with the land through regenerative and community-oriented food production. For over a decade\, she has been organizing new and young farmers and farmworkers nationally through the National Farmers Union and internationally through La Via Campesina\, building collective power and advocating for the transition to agroecology\, food sovereignty and climate justice. Over the past several years\, she has developed an urban community farm and new farmer training program in her hometown of Kingston\, ON. She currently works as the Policy Manager for Young Agrarians\, organizing and advocating to improve access to land and capital for new and young farmers across Canada. She is excited to bring her social movements experience and a collaborative focus to this work.You can read more about Young Agrarians policy work at youngagrarians.org/policy. \nStuart Oke is the co-owner and operator of Rooted Oak Farm\, a certified organic CSA and market garden serving customers from Ottawa to Kingston. Alongside his work on the farm\, he is the Government Relations Coordinator at the Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario. Stuart is deeply involved in agricultural policy and advocacy. He serves as a Director and Land Transition Research Coordinator for the National Farmers Union (Ontario) and sits on the Policy Working Group for Farmers for Climate Solutions. He is a current National Board member and previous Youth president of the National Farmers Union. He is a past Vice President of Canadian Organic Growers as well as Communications and Membership Manager at the Organic Council of Ontario. In addition to his farming and policy work\, Stuart co-produces and hosts the Sow and Grow Podcast\, which explores the forces shaping Canadian agriculture. \nPassionate about food\, community and ecology\, Sophie McCafferty (she/her) can usually be found with her hands in the ground. Currently completing a Master’s in Environmental Science at l’Université de Québec à Montréal (UQAM)\, Sophie’s research explores how market access impacts beginning farmer resilience. Her work takes a holistic\, transdisciplinary approach to environmental research\, stewardship\, and justice. She also is grateful for her time supporting the NDP agriculture critic\, MP Richard Cannings\, gaining insight into how federal politics can support grassroots initiatives.  Committed to amplifying farmers’ voices\, Sophie is currently working as the Farm Engagement Coordinator at Young Agrarians. Most of all\, Sophie loves spending time on the Hudson Heartbeet Community farm where she gets to ground her knowledge and spend time with the people she loves.
URL:https://efao.ca/event/canadas-agricultural-policy-framework-2026/
LOCATION:Online\, Online via Zoom - link will be sent to registrants
CATEGORIES:Webinar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://efao.ca/wp-content/uploads/rooted-oak-fields.jpg
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260414T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260414T141500
DTSTAMP:20260408T052256
CREATED:20260313T170325Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260326T142541Z
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SUMMARY:Practical and Productive Vegetable Crop Rotations ft. Cover Crops
DESCRIPTION:Designing an effective crop rotation is one of the most important – and challenging – parts of managing a diversified vegetable farm. Join us for an informal\, practical meet-up and discussion focused on how three ecological vegetable farms approach crop rotation planning and how they include and highlight cover crops to benefit their farms. \nThis session will feature short presentations from three experienced vegetable farmers – Jeff Boesch\, Stephanie Laing and Reid Allaway – who will each share how they design and manage rotations on their farms. They’ll discuss the goals that guide their planning (such as soil health\, pest and disease management\, labor efficiency\, and crop productivity)\, processes they use to build and adapt their rotations over time\, and share about some of the challenges in their current processes. \nFarmers will share how they integrate cover crops into their rotations\, including where and when they fit them into tight production schedules\, what species they rely on\, and how cover crops support soil fertility and long-term resilience on their farms. \nAfter the presentations\, we’ll open the conversation for a casual discussion among participants. This will be a chance to ask questions\, compare approaches\, and learn from each other. \nWhether you’re refining an existing rotation or building one from scratch\, this interactive session will offer practical ideas\, examples from working farms\, and space for meaningful knowledge sharing and exchange. \nThis event is offered in partnership with the Farmers for Climate Solutions’ Farm Resilience Mentorship Program (FaRM) and is an OSCIA-recognized Knowledge Sharing Event (KSE) for farmers with On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF) projects in the Cover Cropping Category. \nAbout the speakers: \n Since 2009\, Jeff Boesch and Leslie Moskovits have been running Cedar Down Farm with their two children and wonderful staff. They grow certified oganic product for a nearly year-round CSA program serving around 200 members through summer\, winter and spring. They grow on approximately 6 acres of land including 4 unheated greenhouses. \n  \n  \nFiddlehead Farm is a 10 acre market garden in Prince Edward County\, producing food ecologically since 2012. With the CSA at the core of what they do\, Stephanie Laing and her partner Heather have built up the farm to be a viable small business\, feeding 250 families year round with a small but mighty crew. Over the years they have worn many hats\, learning along the way\, and are happy to share their experiences. \n  \n  \nReid Allaway is passionate about farming and appropriate technologies\, ideally combined. A founding member of Tourne-Sol co-operative farm in les Cèdres\, Quebec\, Reid has been helping to build a successful CSA and organic seed enterprise while training future farmers and building cool stuff whenever time permits.
URL:https://efao.ca/event/vegetable-crop-rotations-2026/
LOCATION:Online\, Online via Zoom - link will be sent to registrants
CATEGORIES:Virtual Meet-up
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://efao.ca/wp-content/uploads/IMG_2429.CR2_-scaled.jpg
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260428T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260428T203000
DTSTAMP:20260408T052256
CREATED:20260323T221800Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260323T234137Z
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SUMMARY:Annual General Meeting
DESCRIPTION:You’re invited to EFAO’s Virtual AGM!   \nEFAO members are welcome to join us for this year’s virtual EFAO Annual General Meeting.  Learn about EFAO’s work over the past year and learn about exciting plans and projects for the coming year. As a membership-based organization\, we value and rely on your engagement. We hope you will join us from wherever you are — over dinner\, or while seed in the greenhouse\, or  playing with kiddos! \nNote: In accordance with EFAO’s bylaws\, all members are welcome to attend but only members who have active memberships for at least 30 days before the AGM (March 28\, 2026) are able to vote on motions.
URL:https://efao.ca/event/annual-general-meeting-2026/
LOCATION:Online\, Online via Zoom - link will be sent to registrants
CATEGORIES:Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://efao.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026-AGM.png
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