This year’s triumphs of our dedicated farmers.

Our summer months have brought us all over the province (and to our neighbours in Ontario) to visit our local partner farmers and to get a closer look at what’s been going on behind the scenes. We can't help but be incredibly grateful for the tireless work of our impressive partners as they continue to handle whatever comes their way. You genuinely won’t find more resilient and optimistic folks. From dealing with obstacles like early frost and severe heat waves, these farmers have learned to roll with the punches and remain adaptable no matter what hits them. And what do they say to that? It’s just part of the job.

Although some crops were lost due to unpredictable conditions, we’re wrapping up one of our most successful seasons yet. Keep reading for the scoop on our partner farms who worked exceptionally hard for our Lufavores this year.

WARNER’S FARM - Beamsville, Ontario

This is the seventh year Warner’s Farm has brought us some of the best stone fruits in the country. As one of the first Niagara fruit growers to swap the usual synthetic pesticides for biocontrols, Torrie Warner never takes the easy way out, even when it means potential crop loss.

Torrie knows the price to pay when growing responsible fruit. Although his team struggled with wet terrain causing some rotting issues, and lack of staffing affecting work flow, Torrie and his crew remained positive, and level-headed every step of the way.

Despite the unpredictable weather, the harvest was more plentiful than ever. Not to mention that after three years of losing the whole crop, they achieved the impossible - apricots! Buried under a foot of snow in the spring, the delicate fruits came within an inch (or rather, half a degree) of their life but they pulled through. 

BIO-SAVEUR - Laval & Mascouche, Quebec

This year marks a decade of agricultural experiments with Bio-Sauveur. Our veteran Lufavores know well that when it comes to experimenting with crops, Karl’s your guy - and this year was no exception. From cucamelons to celery and sweet potato leaves, he always has a trick up his sleeve - reserving most of his crops for us.

Despite the bad weather, Karl and his team were able to handle Mother Nature’s challenges. In order to beat the spring frost, his dedicated team covered their seedlings with a protective cloth while the cold front passed. But you can’t be prepared for everything - during the summer heatwave, the water for the irrigation system dried up, forcing them to ration the resource but unfortunately resulted in broccoli, pea, and bean loss.

Surprisingly, a big challenge this season came in the form of small animals. Little mice ended up wreaking havoc on the farm, gnawing on the drip irrigation systems at the worst possible time. But, the team rigorously surveyed the plots to find leaks and fix pipes on the spot, preventing many crops from drying out.

LES JARDINS D’AMBROISE - Saint-Ambroise-de-Kildare, Quebec

At Jardins d’Ambroise, preserving the biodiversity of the land has always been a top priority. That’s why Julie and Sébastien grow a ton of veg variety and rotate their crops in order to keep the soil healthy. Overall, the crew has really mastered growing one of their crops - it’s no coincidence that we dubbed Julie the queen of zucchini.

This year did not come without challenges. Like the others, between drought and heat waves, and the infamous early frost, their crops were put to the test. Although the cold almost got the better of the squash, the team saved them by covering the crops with tarp and using spray irrigation that mimics rainfall.

With so much bounty to harvest, the team works their tail off from sunup to sun down. And the couple couldn’t have done it without Rodolfo, Moises, Rene, and Marcel - their returning seasonal workers. But the season isn’t over yet! The last harvests are still underway, not to mention the green fertilizer still has to be spread in the fields in preparation for next season.

JARDINS GLENORRA - Ormstown, Quebec

This summer marked Jardin Glenorra’s 10th year of feeding Lufavores. Julie and Ian are among our first partners and we feel lucky to have seen them grow with us. And this year, after three long years of waiting (enough time to purge the soil of any synthetic pesticides and a prerequisite for organic certification), the couple was finally able to add 20 acres to their fields.

With their team made up of devoted workers, Jardins Glenorra continues to push the bounds of responsible agriculture. Their close-knit family isn’t complete without five key workers from Mexico (including Jamie pictured above), who’ve continued to return to their farm for the past five years.

They’ve learned to expect the unexpected. And this year was no different with the early frost conquered wiping out their first batch of zucchini and kale. But as Julie says, “If you’re not ready for anything, you’re in the wrong field.”

Subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to get a glimpse behind the scenes at our partner farms, local makers, and everyone else working with us to change the way cities eat.