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: 1705

▶ 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

Colouring a Safer Future for Farm Kids

CASA is engaging young Canadians in farm safety education through a national Kids FarmSafe Colouring Contest launching ahead of FarmSafe Week 2026.

Alberta Grains invests in new research projects through Brewing and Malting Barley Research Institute funding call

After participating in the 2026 funding call from the Brewing and Malting Barley Research Institute (BMBRI) and completing a comprehensive review of submitted proposals, Alberta Grains has committed to co-fund three new research projects totalling $27,317 at institutions across Canada that will deliver tangible benefits for barley growers. “Investing in practical, farmer-focused research is central to Alberta Grains’ mandate,” said Tasha Alexander, chair of the Alberta Grains Research Committee and a farmer near Brownvale, Alberta. “These projects reflect the kind of innovation that can help improve agronomic performance, strengthen disease resistance and support the long-term competitiveness of Canadian barley.” BMBRI’s research priorities focus on advancing malting barley breeding and production practices to meet the evolving needs of both growers and end users. This includes developing higher-yielding varieties with improved resistance to disease and environmental stress, enhancin

AgriStability enrolment deadline April 30

Weather extremes, rising input costs, market volatility, and supply chain disruptions can all have a serious impact on a farm’s bottom line. AgriStability is designed to help producers manage these challenges by providing whole farm income protection when it’s needed most. The deadline to enrol in AgriStability is April 30. Enrolling by this date ensures coverage for the current program year and protects operations against unexpected income declines. Protecting against a range of risks Significant drops in profitability. AgriStability offers support when a farm experiences a significant drop in overall profitability. If a producer’s margin falls by more than 30 per cent compared to their historical average, the program provides financial assistance to help offset the loss. Entire farm operation coverage. Because it is based on the entire farm operation — not a single crop or commodity — AgriStability is especially valuable for Alberta’s diversified crop and livestock producers. Outs

Spring land application - Make the most of it

“Applying manure and other nutrient sources including compost, digestate and other organic materials to land in early spring can be challenging, but when planned right, it helps keep nutrients in the field and makes every dollar work harder,” says Deanne Madsen, nutrient management specialist with the Alberta government. While applying nutrient sources at rates closer to crop uptake can improve nutrient use efficiency, spring is often a constrained and busy time of year. For many livestock producers, manure application timing is driven by the need to empty manure storages and clean out pens. Field conditions and available labour also play an important role. From a nutrient timing perspective, spring application can work well for all agricultural producers, but it also comes with a risk of nutrient loss. Early spring snowmelt and rainfall can move nutrients off fields before crops or forages are able to use them. These losses reduce the agronomic value of those nutrients. They can als

Spring Economic Update Sets the Stage for a Challenging Year on the Farm

While the federal 2026 Spring Economic Update does not introduce new farm programs, it outlines economic priorities that will shape the operating environment for Canadian agriculture.

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service