Farmer Profile

For the last month, Jeff Boesch and Leslie Moskovits have gone to look at more than 20 farms across Southern Ontario. They're hoping to find a 100-acre farm within two hours of Toronto where they can start growing organic vegetables and grains to sell directly to customers in the GTA.  

While Jeff, 26, grew up on a horse farm in eastern Ontario, Leslie, 28, was raised in Toronto. The two met in 2004 while following a season-long farm apprenticeship where they gained experience growing vegetables. From there, they developed a relationship with neighboring farmers, Johann and Maggie Kleinsasser, who were keen on supporting the two young farmers.

Jeff and Leslie spent three years on the Kleinsasser's farm, where they started and ran a market garden that quickly expanded to produce 13-acres of vegetables, employ three apprentices, feed over 250 families, and generate over $150,000 in gross revenue.

Jeff and Leslie were able to rent land, equipment and tools from the Kleinsassers, make use of the farm's many resources, and most significantly, draw on the invaluable knowledge and support of two experienced farmers. Over those three years, the young couple was able to develop the skills and confidence needed to run a farm business, without having to immediately make the large capital investments required to run a farm.

FarmLINK Ontario, a new program developed by the Ontario Farmland Trust in partnership with FarmSTART and the Kawartha Heritage Conservancy, has been created to help new farmers like Jeff and Leslie connect with the kinds of land opportunities that will enable them to develop viable farm businesses. FarmLINK's on-line matchmaking tool provides a meeting place for new farmers who are looking for land or mentorship with farm owners who have land available or expertise to share. By visiting www.farmlinkontario.ca new farmers can post descriptions of their land needs while established farmers or landowners can post descriptions of available land opportunities, be they mentoring or partnership agreements, lease arrangements or land purchases.  

By connecting new farmers with the land they need to start successful farm businesses, FarmLINK is also working to keep valuable farmland in production, strengthen rural communities and contribute to a more diverse and vibrant future for Ontario agriculture.

Check out www.farmlinkontario.ca today!