Maintaining the resilience of the thriving agricultural sector in Peterborough County means not only increasing the capacity for local food distribution but ensuring a sustainable future for the land on which these farms produce.
For Woodleigh Farms in the Township of Cavan Monaghan, that means not only participating in agricultural programs supported by Peterborough County that help the farm reach consumers, but leading an award-winning pilot project that can affordably improve soil quality to keep farmland flourishing for generations.
Operated by Norm Lamothe and his family, Woodleigh Farms is a sixth-generation family farm that uses regenerative and sustainable practices to farm corn, soy, oat, wheat, and pasture-raised livestock, produces organic maple syrup, and operates a passive solar greenhouse and market garden.
When it comes to getting its products into the hands of consumers, Lamothe says it can be challenge for farm gates to compete with commercial grocery stores. That’s why Woodleigh Farms has been partnering with Graze & Gather, which was founded during the pandemic as a virtual farmers’ market.
“I always say you’re either a great producer or you’re a great marketer, and we don’t have time to do both,” says Lamothe. “Graze & Gather gives us a vehicle to move some of our products into the city and it’s certainly been helpful from that perspective.”
Woodleigh Farms plans to become a member of the Green Circle Food Hub, developed by Graze & Gather as the final stage of the Kawartha Local Food Wholesale program, a partnership between Peterborough County, the City of Peterborough, and the City of Kawartha Lakes to increase the capacity for local food distribution by connecting farmers with local buyers like resorts, restaurants, and golf courses.
The farm is also a member of the Kawartha Choice FarmFresh initiative delivered through Peterborough County, the City of Kawartha Lakes, and the City of Peterborough. The initiative provides a brand identity for local products, a network for members to share and access resources, and an online database for buyers to find producers.
To ensure consumers have access to its products for generations to come, Woodleigh Farms is focused on keeping soil healthy with its ground-breaking “Catching Carbon” forest biomass recovery service.
Launched in partnership with the Ontario Woodlot Association and with funding from the Ontario Forest Biomass Program, the venture recovers unmarketable forest biomass and converts it into compost and beneficial organic soil amendments including carbon-sequestering biochar, pyroligneous acid, and compost extract.
“We’re trying to make our soils more resilient and one of the ways that you can make your soil more resilient is to have a higher percentage of organic matter in the soil,” Lamothe says.
Not only will the project offset some of the cost of commercial fertilizer at a time when that cost is continually increasing, but adding organic matter can increase soil’s water-holding capacity by 10 per cent.
“The ability to hold that water in the soil longer will certainly pay dividends in the long term, and we see that as a necessity for improving those soils and making them more resilient so we can grow crops for longer and get through some of those drier seasons,” Lamothe explains.
According to Lamothe, Woodleigh Farms is demonstrating how compost and soil amendments reduce the environmental impact of waste while improving productivity and prosperity in the agricultural sector, both within Peterborough County and beyond.
“We’re trying to prove that they’re economical, that they work, and that they’re sustainable for the long term so that others might adopt them moving forward,” Lamothe says. “Ultimately, it’s a huge opportunity for the environment and the climate but also to improve the structure of our soils and our ability to grow crops that ultimately feed society.”
Woodleigh Farms is open by appointment only at 528 Sharpe Line in Cavan. For more information, visit cavanfresh.ca.
The Local Advantage in Peterborough County is a branded editorial feature series celebrating the farmers, food producers, food retailers, and agri-tourism businesses that make The Kawarthas thrive, created in partnership with Peterborough County’s Economic Development & Tourism Division.
Agriculture is a key economic driver and a point of pride for Peterborough County, with local farms producing a wide variety of high-quality goods, from traditional crops and livestock to organic and specialty products, reflecting the strength and diversity of this vital sector. With a growing focus on sustainability, local food systems, agri-innovation, and agri-tourism, agriculture offers strong potential for growth and diversification.
The Local Advantage with Peterborough County series spotlights the Kawartha Choice FarmFresh and Kawartha Local Food Wholesale initiatives, which aim to strengthen connections from farm to table across our region.
For more information about economic development and tourism in Peterborough County, visit www.ptbocounty.ca/ecdev and The Kawarthas Tourism at thekawarthas.ca.
