Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Intentional Community Farms, Co-operative Farms or Mult-Family Farming Anyone?

Hello!

I am new to this forum but I was wondering if anyone on here knew about or was interested in discussing the idea of cooperative farming.  I currently live in Toronto but would like to move to a farm setting within 45 minutes of Toronto.  My partner and I would like to raise a family in a rural setting, preferably in some type of communal or shared setting.  This could be as simple as renting or buying a house on an existing farm and helping with some aspects of operations to establishing a cooperative farm with other families with a similar vision.

 

I grew up on a cooperative colony farm so I do have some experience and understanding of what is involved there.  Unfortunately I still do need to earn a living in the city so proximity is of great importance to me. 

 

Anyone interested in discussing?

 

Cheers

Views: 1612

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Parry Long on July 13, 2010 at 2:03am
That's a good idea. I have an academic background in agriculture and am interested in your plan. Wish to learn more about the plan and know more people related to farming.
Permalink Reply by OntAG Admin on July 14, 2010 at 2:07am
Interesting concepts...not something complete foreign to agriculture...we have a tradition of cooperatives...just not as common on the farm...

I have only heard about a couple of cooperative models for farming...the Hutterites colonies in Western Canada and US have grown over the years and of course the Israeli Kibbutz system...wondering if anyone else has some examples that work...

Joe
Permalink Reply by Ekandi on July 14, 2010 at 2:22am
The amish and old order mennonites have participated in varying degrees of collective farming as have the Bruderhof and several other religious groups. Seeing as religion and common cultural heritage are strong glues that held those communities together I think an alternative concept would be doing something more similar to a "condominium" structure where there is common shared space (the farm) and privately owned space with service fees (the houses)
It would make a lot of sense in terms of sharing the investment, risk and capital expenditures that farming involves. It would also not necessarily have to financially sustain all the members but could be seen as a collective hobby farming community..? I think it would be a cost effective, environmentally friendly and exciting way to build relationships, have a safe and green place to raise kids and as well as a farming opportunity.

OntAG Admin said:
Interesting concepts...not something complete foreign to agriculture...we have a tradition of cooperatives...just not as common on the farm...

I have only heard about a couple of cooperative models for farming...the Hutterites colonies in Western Canada and US have grown over the years and of course the Israeli Kibbutz system...wondering if anyone else has some examples that work...

Joe
Permalink Reply by Parry Long on July 14, 2010 at 2:32am
It looks like that we should build the system firstly, then we can practise.

Ekandi said:
The amish and old order mennonites have participated in varying degrees of collective farming as have the Bruderhof and several other religious groups. Seeing as religion and common cultural heritage are strong glues that held those communities together I think an alternative concept would be doing something more similar to a "condominium" structure where there is common shared space (the farm) and privately owned space with service fees (the houses)
It would make a lot of sense in terms of sharing the investment, risk and capital expenditures that farming involves. It would also not necessarily have to financially sustain all the members but could be seen as a collective hobby farming community..? I think it would be a cost effective, environmentally friendly and exciting way to build relationships, have a safe and green place to raise kids and as well as a farming opportunity.

OntAG Admin said:
Interesting concepts...not something complete foreign to agriculture...we have a tradition of cooperatives...just not as common on the farm...

I have only heard about a couple of cooperative models for farming...the Hutterites colonies in Western Canada and US have grown over the years and of course the Israeli Kibbutz system...wondering if anyone else has some examples that work...

Joe
Permalink Reply by Ekandi on July 14, 2010 at 2:44am
Actually legal framework, social guidelines and construction suggestions for this type of living arrangement are quite extensively available. The "project model" originated in Denmark and Sweden in the 60s and can currently be found in communities throughout North America. There are many particularly in BC. For some reason there don't seem to be many here in Ontario, at least not near Toronto. Not all of these groups are farming communities but most incorporate some element of farm life and rural culture. There are many websites out there but this one I found just now seems to give a brief overview of some of the basic concepts. http://www.pcdf.org/meadows/cohousing.htm

The biggest challenges are:
1.finding a group of people with similar interests that are ready to put time, effort and money into starting a project like this
2.finding suitable land at a reasonable cost that can be rezoned to support multi-units and common facilities.

Ideally I was looking for a group that already had something like this underway but if that is not the case I would be happy to lead some discussions around the possibilities. Maybe someone has an existing farm that could accomodate a few more houses and could use additional investments and free labor! :)
Permalink Reply by Colin Lundy on July 19, 2010 at 3:35am
There are a handful of cooperative farms in Ontario that incorporate worker and housing coops. Some have been around a long time, some just getting started, most being very low profile. A good place to start for you would be the Whole Village not far out of Toronto
www.wholevillage.org/
Permalink Reply by Ekandi on July 19, 2010 at 3:42am
Do you have any other examples or names besides Whole Village? I went and visited them and I think its more of a retirement community for a small handful of people. They seem like awesome people but I am hoping for a more family-based environment.

▶ Reply to Discussion

RSS

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

High prices of farmland translates to higher rental rates

Farmland rental rates are keeping pace with the value of farmland across Canada. Farm Credit Canada (FCC) provides a rental rate analysis for all cultivated farmland from data on cash rental rates and the Farmland Values Report. The analysis provides a detailed breakdown of rent-to-price ratios by province, highlighting variations in rental rates and farmland appreciation across different regions. When the ratio is lower it assumes cash rental rates are appreciating at a slower pace than land values. An increase in the ratio indicates that rental rates are increasing faster than land values. FCC chief economist J.P. Gervais said the national rent-to-price ratio in 2023 was 2.52 per cent which was a slight decline from 2022. He said it was important to note Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Quebec had increases in rental rates, maintaining stability in rent-to-price ratios. “There are challenges that come with buying land amid increasing land values and elevated interest rates,” Gervais

Manitoba’s livestock predation program received financial support

Wildlife attacks on livestock are a significant problem for Manitoba producers with over 2,000 livestock lost each year. Farmers and ranchers have been asking for some form of support to implement measures to discourage these attacks. The federal and Manitoba governments are providing $500,000 to Manitoba’s Livestock Predation Prevention Program which supports on-farm measures to deter predator attacks and promotes the co-existence of wildlife and livestock in agricultural regions. Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) President Matthew Atkinson said the program provides two funding streams for producers including the purchase of equipment, livestock guardian dogs and constructing predator resistant fencing. “The cost-shared funding for practices is aimed at reducing the risk of predation and encourages eligible producers to explore the two programs. MBP appreciates the engagement with the province on the development of strategies to help reduce livestock predation and the negative effects

Bayer Crop Science Canada Partners with U of A to Unlock Canola Potential

Bayer Crop Science Canada has partnered with the University of Alberta (U of A) to research the genetic diversity of Canada’s most exported crop – canola. Through this research, the team at U of A aims to make hybrid canola stronger, leading to an increased yield for Canadian farmers. “There is a prosperous future for canola in Canada,” says Antoine Bernet, President and CEO, Bayer Crop Science Canada. “The talented research team at the University of Alberta are developing hundreds of canola lines, which could be a game changer for our farmers. Having canola that not only has an increased seed yield, but is also more disease resistant, would be an incredible step forward for Canadian agriculture.” The research team is currently evaluating the genes of brassica vegetables, such as broccoli and kale, to determine which are best for breeding new lines of canola to produce the strongest hybrids. These types of plants are closely related to canola, and showcase the untapped genetic range

Drought Fears Tempered by Optimism as Moisture Arrives in Some Seed Growing Regions

As Alberta braces for a potential drought, seed growers are optimistic that farmers won’t be too adversely affected should dry weather plague the province in 2024. “It doesn’t usually take much to break a drought — a couple of good rains can do wonders. If we do get above-average moisture, things should be fine. But if not, and we end up with average or below-average moisture during the growing season, we’ll have to adjust our irrigation strategies,” says Will Van Roessel, owner of Specialty Seeds in Bow Island, Alta. Specialty Seeds, which grows a variety of crops for seed including hybrid canola, wheat, hemp, pea, and more, is situated in the St. Mary’s River Irrigation District, which happens to be the largest irrigation district in Canada. It’s quite substantial, covering a little over half a million acres. “Most people will likely shift water allocation from lower-value crops to higher-value ones. It’s a bit of a juggling act, and crop insurance coverage plays into it, too. I r

ROI announces recruitment for the 2024 Rural Change Makers Program

The Rural Ontario Institute (ROI) is pleased to announce the opening of recruitment for the 2024 Rural Change Makers (RCM) program with the support of regional partners:

© 2024   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service