Hands-On Workshops for Every Stage of the Season
Choose from six immersive, skill-based training weekends—each focused on a different stage of the growing season. Learn how to build your garden from the ground up, scale your farm systems, master harvesting and storage, and grow your farm business with value-added products and farm to table offers. Attend one, a few, or join us for the full season.
Attend any workshop anytime or sign up for the full series.
Foundations of Market Gardening
May 3-4 - Foragers Farm, Port Hope - Saturday and Sunday 10am-4pm
Kickstart your market garden journey with this immersive, hands-on workshop and training designed to give you a strong foundation in small-scale regenerative market gardening.This two-day intensive is designed for aspiring market gardeners, homesteaders, and small-scale farmers looking to establish a thriving, profitable, and ecologically sound market garden.
Get practical, real-world insights from our experienced Four Farms market garden farmers.
Discover how they got started and hear their stories of developing their farm operations from year 0 to now.
Learn how to select and analyse a site, design your market garden and develop the systems and infrastructure required to grow and operate efficiently.
Get hands on training building a garden, assembling irrigation systems and setting up infrastructure. Spend time in class engaged in developing a production plan for the season.
Walk away with a plan and the knowledge skills and abilities to get started on your own project.
What You'll Learn
Hands-Training | On-Farm Experience
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Holistic Goal Setting – Define your farm’s mission, vision & values for long-term success.
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Site Selection & Analysis – How to assess land, soil, sunlight, and water access.
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Farm Planning & Design – Key infrastructure, workflow, and efficiency strategies.
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Garden Layout & Bed Preparation – Design your production space for maximum efficiency and soil health.
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Start-Up Costs & Infrastructure – Budgeting for tools, irrigation, and essential farm investments.
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Water & Irrigation Systems – Building ponds and setting up efficient irrigation solutions for market garden farms.
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Crop Selection & Succession Planning – Choosing what to grow, when to plant, and how to maintain a steady harvest.
Planting For Success
May 24-25 - Foragers Farm, Port Hope - - Saturday and Sunday - 10am-4pm
With your garden plan in place, it's time to get crops in the ground and set up systems for high-yield production. This two-day, hands-on workshop will guide you through the essential techniques for seeding, transplanting, greenhouse production, and season extension, ensuring your garden is set up for success.
You'll gain practical experience in establishing early season healthy crops, choosing the best planting methods for efficiency, and managing a greenhouse for tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and basil.
What You'll Learn
Hands-On Training | On-Farm Experience
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Direct Seeding vs. Transplanting – When to seed directly vs. start in trays for optimal growth & efficiency.
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Nursery & Seedling Management – Set up a micro-nursery for strong transplants, from soil blocks to seed trays.
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Sourcing Nursery Pots & Trays – Choosing the right systems for your scale & production needs.
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Crop-Specific Fertilization – Organic soil amendments & nutrient planning for healthier plants.
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Early Season Extension – Use row covers, low tunnels & cold frames to get a head start on the season.
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Greenhouse Production & Trellising – Grow and manage tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, basil, and other hothouse crops using pruning, trellising, and greenhouse-specific techniques.
Market Garden Management
June 21-22 - Second Season Farm, Newcastle - Saturday and Sunday - 10am-4pm
Now that your crops are established, it's time to optimize production, increase efficiency, and build resilience against pests and diseases. This two-day hands-on workshop will take you through the key mid-season maintenance tasks for a thriving market garden while introducing perennial agriculture systems, small-scale livestock integration, and organic pest management strategies.
Whether you're looking to protect your crops, scale up your production, or diversify your system, this workshop will give you the tools, techniques, and hands-on experience to take your farm to the next level.
What You'll Learn
Hands-On Training | On-Farm Experience
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Crop Maintenance & Cultivation Strategies – Managing crops through peak season for strong growth & high yields.
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Weed Management Techniques – Using stale seedbeds, flame weeding, and precision cultivation tools.
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Text length of individual points can be shorter or longer depending on your needs
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Irrigation Management – Adjusting watering schedules for summer heat and plant needs.
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Pest & Disease Prevention & Management – Identify, prevent, and manage pests & diseases naturally with beneficial insects, companion planting, and organic sprays.
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Small-Scale Livestock Systems – Integrating laying hens and bees into the market garden for fertility, pest control & diversification
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Composting & Nutrient Cycling – How livestock, perennials, and annual crops work together in a regenerative system.
Harvesting For Market
July 19-20 - Second Season Farm, Newcastle
The harvest is the moment of truth for every market gardener—where all the hard work throughout the season comes together. A successful harvest isn’t just about picking crops—it’s about handling them properly to maintain quality, extend shelf life, and maximize value to get them to market. This two-day hands-on workshop will cover everything from harvesting tools and techniques to wash-pack station setup, cold storage, and long-term crop curing to ensure your produce reaches customers at peak freshness.
Learn how to harvest efficiently, handle produce with care, and set up professional post-harvest systems to maintain quality and meet food safety standards. If you're supplying CSA shares, farmers’ markets, restaurants, or wholesale buyers, this workshop will provide the skills and systems needed to streamline your post-harvest workflow.
What You'll Learn
Hands-On Training | On-Farm Experience
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Harvesting Tools & Techniques – Selecting the right knives, scissors, crates, and totes for efficiency.
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Harvesting Equipment & Machinery – Choosing the right carts, bins, and transport solutions for efficiency.
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Timing & Harvest Windows – When to harvest for maximum freshness, taste, and shelf life.
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Post-Harvest Handling & Food Safety – Best practices for reducing damage, bruising, and contamination risks.
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Wash-Pack Station Setup – Designing an efficient, food-safe workflow for washing, sorting, and packing produce.
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Cold Storage & Shelf Life Management – How to store different crops properly to maintain freshness.
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Curing Crops for Long-Term Storage – Proper techniques for storing garlic, onions, squash, root crops, and potatoes.
Farm to Table
August 16-17 - Acre Farm, Bowmanville
Harvesting is just the beginning—getting your product to market and creating on-farm experiences can turn your garden into a thriving, community-driven business or homestead. This two-day hands-on workshop will guide you through selling at farmers’ markets, working with chefs and wholesalers, farm branding, agritourism, and setting up a farm store.
Learn how to build strong sales relationships, market your farm effectively, and navigate the rules and regulations of selling local food while developing a business model that aligns with your values and farm goals. Whether you’re filling a cold room, selling at a farmers’ market, running a CSA, supplying restaurants, setting up a farm store, or developing agritourism experiences, this workshop will give you the skills and insights to build a successful offer.
What You'll Learn
Hands-On Training | On Farm Experience
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Setting Up a Farm Store – How to design, stock, and run a successful on-farm retail space.
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Farm-to-Table Operations – How to work with chefs, supply local restaurants, and collaborate on farm-to-table experiences.
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Agritourism & Farm Experiences – How to create on-farm workshops, farm-to-table dinners, and seasonal events to generate additional revenue.
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Sales, Marketing & Branding – Telling your farm’s story through effective branding, social media, and customer engagement.
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Farmers’ Market Success – Setting up an engaging booth, pricing for profitability, and building a loyal customer base.
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Rules & Regulations – Food safety, farm compliance, and legal considerations for selling local food & hosting agritourism events.
Value Add Development
Sept 13-14 - Acre Farm, Bowmanville.
Take your garden farm beyond fresh produce and turn your harvest into high-value, shelf-stable products that generate year-round income and food security. This two-day hands-on workshop is designed for farmers, homesteaders, and food entrepreneurs looking to develop value-added products, master food preservation techniques, and launch a farm-based food business.
Learn the fundamentals of food science, food safety, and food security, while gaining practical experience in fermentation, drying, preserving, and processing farm-fresh ingredients into profitable products. If you're interested in making herb blends, ferments, sauces, dried goods, or canned products, this workshop will provide the knowledge and skills needed to set up a commercial kitchen, navigate food regulations, and build a sustainable food-based operation.
What You'll Learn
Hands-On Training | On-Farm Experience
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Value-Added Product Development – Turning farm-fresh ingredients into high-value, market-ready products.
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Food Preservation Techniques – Canning, fermenting, drying, freezing, and pickling for extended shelf life.
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Fermentation & Probiotic Foods – Making sauerkraut, kimchi, lacto-fermented vegetables, and probiotic drinks.
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Drying & Storing Herbs & Spices – How to create teas, seasoning blends, and medicinal herbs for market.
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Setting Up a Commercial Kitchen & Farm Pantry – How to build and equip a certified food processing space.
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Food Safety & Regulations – Understanding health codes, labeling laws, and food licensing for small food businesses.
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Creating a Food-Based Business – Pricing, branding, and selling value-added products at markets, farm stores & online.
Workshop Bundle
$1200
The Four Farms Workshop Bundle gives you full access to all six on-farm workshops happening throughout the 2025 growing season. Each month from May to October, you’ll join a cohort of aspiring and experienced growers for immersive, hands-on training at four unique farm sites across Southern Ontario.
By purchasing the bundle, you’ll save on individual workshop pricing and secure your spot for the entire season — no separate registrations required. It’s the best way to engage fully with the series, deepen your skills, and grow within a supportive farming community
Contact Us
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