A Place of Discovery at Common Table Farm

號角月報加拿大版二零二五年五月

Have you ever had to move to a new city or even a new country? If that’s been part of your life story, you know how challenging it can be to make new friends, settle in a new town, and maybe even learn a new language. At Flemingdon Park Ministry, we meet many people each day who are facing these challenges. They are also often faced with the grief of having left their home countries due to war and conflict. They worry about relatives who remain behind and they struggle to make ends meet in a new country.

We all know that Toronto has been becoming more and more expensive to live in. Even just going to the grocery store for basics can lead to a big bill. As cost of living rises, those with the least resources are the most negatively affected. At Flemingdon Park Ministry in the past few years, we see more and more people relying on food banks and food distributions in order to survive and provide for their families.

Flemingdon Park Ministry focuses on supporting residents of the Flemingdon Park neighbourhood, specifically newcomers, refugees and immigrants. We hope to reduce social isolation and food insecurity through our community programs and food distributions. Our community drop-in space is always lively with activities such as English conversation class, art class, and women’s support group. We partner with other local agencies to provide workshops on topics such as voting, women’s rights and navigating Canadian health care, as well as providing free tax clinics every spring. These are all practical supports for people settling into a new country.

Our urban farm project, called Common Table Farm, provides fresh, locally grown produce to those in our community who are struggling with a low income. The farm team and volunteers work very hard to grow thousands of pounds of produce each season. But we are not just a farm that feeds people! The farm also provides many other benefits to the community. Our farm is also a place of discovery and learning. We host hands-on workshops for children and youth of Flemingdon Park, providing an opportunity for learning about urban farming. Students learn about growing different crops, preparing garden beds, and how to take care of seedlings. In a busy city like Toronto, it’s so important for young people to be exposed to how food is grown and to have chances to learn outdoors in green spaces.

One student shared about his experience learning how to plant garlic:

“My experience was fun because we got to plant, taste, and got to take them apart – to me garlic tastes like jalapeno popcorn but it is really spicy. My favourite was when we added fertilizer and I got to see all the worms and bugs in it. I even saw a centipede.”

It’s very special to be able to provide a place where students can encounter nature close up. Some kids have never planted anything before and this is the first time they have touched the soil and been able to plant a seed. In my own life, connecting with nature has made me a healthier and happier person. So I hope that the youth who visit our farm have that experience too.

A teacher from Gateway Public School shared about her students’ experience of our farming workshop:

“They LOVED the experience. Thank you so incredibly much. I talked with them after and reflected on it and they lit up. They loved being out and getting in the dirt.”

Learning in the classroom is important and necessary. But there is so much learning that can happen out in the world too! At the farm, we can learn about the world around us, the natural systems that provide us food, and the neighbourhood communities that we are a part of. We hope that students who visit our farm begin to see themselves as part of a bigger picture.

For the past two summers we have hosted the Young Farmer Program, which is a chance for youth to volunteer and serve their community. They participate in our daily farm tasks while also learning about the importance of caring for our neighbours through our work to reduce food insecurity. The program provides workshops on different topics like composting and the importance of pollinator insects. We go on field trips to other local farms to see how other urban farmers are growing and to learn from them. It’s an important learning opportunity for youth, who will become our future community leaders.

Through the Young Farmer Program, we have even been able to hire staff! One participant in 2023 loved the experience so much, she came back in 2024 asking if she could work with us. We were able to hire her as part of our summer staff team. We were so happy to be able to provide employment to a youth from Flemingdon Park who is so passionate about urban farming.

We are grateful to be able to share our farm with children and young people. We hope the farm inspires them to think about the larger food system and care for the environment. These are important issues that can often be ignored by people living in the city. We hope to bring attention to them, so that our communities and Earth can experience greater health and justice.

If you are interested in learning more about Flemingdon Park Ministry or would like to support our work, please contact me at melodie@flemingdonparkministry.com!