This field day is open to new farmers, existing farmers, aspiring farmers, locavores and anyone interested in local community food systems, cooperative marketing, land access, market gardening and collaboration in agriculture as a whole. 

You are welcome to sign up for one or both of these interactive farm tours. There will be a potluck lunch as well as light snacks during this day.  Both of these tours are happening on working farms, please wear closed-toe shoes, ensure you have sun protection, a reusable water bottle and comfortable clothing for outdoor learning. 

What to Expect to Learn at Each Farm

Stone Fruit and Bear Berries:  Stone will lead participants on a guided tour of their organic orchard and speak to many different topics such as:

- Their journey in agriculture and the path they took to start their own organic orchard

- Examples of cover cropping and weed management at their organic orchard

- What is and why they chose the design as well as overall layout for their orchard

- The anatomy of a fruit tree and some signs to look out for overall health of a fruit crop

- A walk through of the work that is expected and when throughout a orchard season

 - Why they choose the varieties of fruit trees, bushes and vines

- How they practice integrated pest management

- How and why they market and sell their fruit

- Key learning moments they have had and advice to new growers who may be interested in growing fruit crops

And other informative topics

Sundance Harvest:  Cheyenne will lead participants on a guided tour of their diversified 2 acre market garden and speak to many different topics such as:

- Their journey into agriculture and how they started their own farm

- Affordable and low tech methods of season extension

- Crop selection and tomato management practices that result in high yields

- How we grow seedlings and our methods

- The cultivation of our cut-flower, herb, melons and vegetable field blocks

- Our pest management strategies

- How we market and sell our cut-flowers, herbs, melons and vegetables

- Our use of DIY  in relation to our farm start up such as our walk-in cooler, equipment and farm "hacks"

And much more

At both of these workshops, questions are encouraged and can be answered throughout the workshop. 

Schedule for Sunday, August 16th

11:00AM – Arrival and greeting at Stone's Orchard

11:10AM- 12:30PM - Interactive tour of Stone Fruit and Bear Berries in Neustadt, ON

12:30PM to 1:00PM – Facilitated group conversation about land access, the local food system,  labour and making space for belonging in rural settings

1:00PM to 1:45PM – Potluck Lunch Social

1:45 PM to 2:15PM – Travel to Sundance Harvest in Mount Forest

2:30PM-3:30PM - Interactive Tour of Sundance Harvest in Mount Forest, ON

3:30PM to 4:00PM – Group Discussion and Final Reflections and In-Depth Question Period

4:00PM – Closing

Detailed directions and more will be sent to all participants of this field day in their confirmation email. To attend these workshops you are required to register. 

Hosting Farms

Stone Fruit and Bear Berries is an organic orchard run by Stone on the Cedar Down vegetable CSA land. Stone is a queer and trans farmer living in West Grey, Ontario. This area is the traditional land of the Three Fires Confederacy of the Odawa, Potawatomi and the Ojibwe/Chippewas and subject to Treaty 45 1/2. Stone grows a mixture of apples, cherries, pears, plums, blackberries and raspberries. In 2025, Stone continued to expand by planting an additional orchard of peaches, nectarines, sour cherries, persimmons and plums.  As of this year, they have expanded their grape portion of their orchard as well as added blueberries in addition. 

Sundance Harvest is a 2 acre market garden and Certified Living Wage Employer that is operated by four people working full-time which includes Cheyenne who started Sundance Harvest as a urban farm in north Toronto in September of 2019.  At our Mount Forest location we grow a diverse crop which includes cut-flowers, herbs, melons and vegetables. We sell to three Toronto based farmers markets weekly, have a community supported agriculture produce share program 24 weeks out of the year and sell our crops wholesale. We utilize season extension with our 6 caterpillar tunnels, 2 heated greenhouses and 1 small backyard nursery. 

About Sundance Commons

Sundance Commons is an agricultural non-profit that operates at five farm locations in southwestern Ontario.  We provide the tools, guidance, and land access for new farmers who face barriers to entry in the agricultural sector and land access more broadly.  
Sundance Commons envisions a regenerative and food-secure world where the equity and agency of farm workers is centered.