Welcome to Growing Together
A season-long, community-based education series designed to strengthen local food security, food sovereignty, and food system connections across Durham Region.
About the Program
Developed in collaboration with Feed the Need Durham and the the Four Farms Market Garden Collective and with support from Durham Region this program brings together online learning, hands-on farm experiences, and practical tools to help individuals and communities better understand, access, grow, and navigate local food systems.
From winter through fall, participants take part in free online webinars and on-farm workshops that follow the natural growing season — moving from learning and planning, into growing, harvesting, preservation, and community food action. Along the way, participants build a personal and community food toolkit they can continue to use long after the season ends.
Whether you are new to local food, growing at home or in your community, supporting others through food programs, or simply looking to feel more confident and connected, Growing Together is designed to meet you where you are and grow practical solutions — together.
You can register for the program here and explore the full schedule, program modules, and opportunities to participate throughout the season and online in our Growing Together Community Platform.
Why Growing Together?
Better understand how local food systems work in Durham Region
Build practical skills for accessing, growing, preparing and preserving food
Feel more confident when navigating local food options
Connect with local farms, food programs, and community resources
Take meaningful steps toward food security, self-reliance, and resilience
Be part of a community of growers and people participating in a sustainable and just local food system
Whether you’re ready to register now or want to learn more first, this page will walk you through what the Growing Together series offers and how it’s designed to support you.
Program Structure & Seasonal Flow
Growing Together follows the natural rhythm of the growing season—moving from understanding and planning into action, production, and long-term resilience.
Seasonal Flow
Winter Webinars - Foundations
Build understanding of local food systems, clarify goals, and begin assembling your community food toolbox.
Spring – Action & Access
Translate plans into action through growing basics, food access pathways, and early on-farm experiences.
Summer – Production & Skills
Develop hands-on skills through farm visits, harvesting, storage, and navigating peak-season abundance.
Late Season – Resilience & Continuity
Focus on food preservation, reflection, and strengthening long-term food resilience and community connections.
WINTER–SPRING WEBINARS
January–May | Live Online Learning
All sessions are live, 90-minute online webinars hosted on the Horticulture Food and Farming Institute platform.
Recordings and resources are shared after each session.
Free to attend with registration.
February 18 – Meet Your Farmers
An introduction to the Four Farms collective and Feed the Need Durham. Learn how we grow, why we farm, and how this collaboration came together.
March 18 – The Life of Your Local Food
Follow the journey of local food from field to plate. Learn how food is grown, harvested, distributed, and shared across Durham Region.
April 15 – Local Self Reliance - Food Security & Food Sovereignty
Explore what food security and food sovereignty mean in everyday life and how communities can create practical solutions.
May 13 –Growers Guide to the Garden
A behind-the-scenes look at how farmers plan their growing season — from seed sourcing to harvest timing — with tools and templates included.
SUMMER ON-FARM EXPERIENCES
June –September | On Farm Experiences
Join us on the land for immersive, half-day workshops hosted at each of the Four Farms.
Workshops are approximately 4 hours.
Transportation options and accessibility support will be available.
Free - pre-registration required.
May – Starting the Season
Farm tours, spring planting, nursery and transplanting techniques.
June – Managing the Market Garden
Weed management, pest pressure, succession planting, and troubleshooting.
July – Harvest Like a Pro
Harvest timing, post-harvest handling, storage, and quality care.
August – Farm to Table Food Preparation & Preservation
Pickling, fermenting, and simple seasonal cooking techniques.
September – From Garden to Food Bank
Community food networks, collaboration, and food system planning.
Participants are welcome to attend as many sessions as they’re able. The program is designed to be flexible, supportive, and accessible across the season.
What You’ll Gain
This program combines learning, hands-on experience, and practical tools to help you navigate and participate in your local food system with confidence.
-
A clear understanding of how local food systems work
-
Practical skills for growing and accessing food
-
A personalized seasonal food access plan
-
On farm experiences at local farms
-
Tools for long-term food resilience and self-reliance
-
Meaningful connections with growers, community members, and partners
Farm to Table Food Toolkit
Throughout the program, participants develop a practical toolkit designed to help them navigate food access, production, and decision-making in their local food system context—now and into the future.
-
Local Food Context & Decision Making Framework
Clarify your context and make aligned choicesDefine what food security, food sovereignty, and a good quality of life mean for you and your community. This integrated framework helps you articulate your values and goals, understand your whole food context, assess your available resources, and make informed decisions about food-related actions and pathways that align with what you are working toward.
-
Seasonal Food Pathways & System Mapping
Navigate food access across time and systemsMap when and where food is available locally throughout the year and how it moves through different access pathways—home growing, community growing, farm-direct, markets, food programs, and shared resources. This tool helps replace uncertainty with rhythm, foresight, and a clear understanding of how to build a resilient local food system that fits your life.
-
Food Production Skills & Community Connections
Build skills, relationships, and confidenceDevelop practical growing, harvesting, storage, and food handling skills through guided learning and on-farm experiences. Build meaningful connections with local farms, markets, food programs, and a shared online learning community—strengthening long-term access, resilience, and food confidence.
On-Farm Experiences & Hands-On Learning
Growing Together connects learning to place.
Throughout the season, participants take part in on-farm experiences and workshops hosted by the Four Farms network. These sessions bring food systems learning to life—connecting seasonal concepts to real growing, harvesting, storage, and food handling practices.
On-farm experiences are designed to:
create community connections in person and on local farms
build practical skills through observation and participation
deepen understanding of how food is produced and handled
strengthen relationships with local growers and food systems
connect seasonal learning directly to what’s happening in the field
No prior farming experience is required. These sessions are accessible, practical, and grounded in real-world food production.
Participants may experience:
seasonal planting, harvesting, and crop care
post-harvest handling, wash, and storage systems
farm-to-table food flows
real examples of small-scale, regenerative food production
Local food systems in action
Partners & Support
Growing Together is a collaborative, community-based initiative supported by local farms, food organizations, and public partners working together to strengthen food security, food sovereignty, and long-term community resilience across Durham Region.
This program and partnership were made possible through support from the Durham Region Sustainable Food Security Fund, which invests in practical, community-driven solutions that improve access to food, build local capacity, and strengthen regional food systems.
Feed the Need Durham
Feed the Need Durham supports initiatives that address food insecurity with dignity, inclusion, and long-term impact. Their involvement helps ensure that Growing Together remains accessible, community-focused, and grounded in real needs—supporting individuals and households while building pathways toward greater food agency.
The Four Farms Network
Growing Together is delivered in collaboration with the Four Farms network—local growers and market gardens working together to build regenerative, community-rooted food systems. Through on-farm learning, shared knowledge, and real-world growing experience, Four Farms connects participants directly to how food is produced, handled, and shared locally.
A Collaborative, Community-Based Approach
This program is not delivered in isolation. It is built through collaboration between farmers, educators, community members, nonprofit partners, and regional supporters—ensuring that learning is place-based, responsive to community needs, and focused on lasting outcomes rather than short-term interventions.
For participants, this means learning within a supported and connected local food ecosystem. For funders and supporters, it represents a transparent, outcomes-driven model that builds skills, agency, and durable food systems within Durham Region.
