Graham Acres in Timmins is expanding from a hobby farm into a full-time vegetable farm, an expansion being made possible with provincial funding.
The farm is receiving $74,000 toward the construction of a greenhouse and the tiling of 20 acres of land so owners Nicole and Allen Graham can grow organic cash crops. The money is being provided by the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp.
“In recent years, the demand for organic food and other locally produced items has grown rapidly,” Allen said in a news release. “We thank the NOHFC for helping us establish a full-time vegetable crop operation and we look forward to selling our produce in the Timmins area.”
Regulars at Timmins’ Mountjoy Farmers’ Market, the couple grows and sells a variety of produce, including potatoes, beets, carrots, cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkins, lettuce, dill, onions, spaghetti squash, tomatoes and peppers.
This is one of several recent agriculture-related funding announcements by the province. Others include $175,000 for three farms in Algoma-Manitoulin, $43,256 so FarmStart can train new farmers, and $6 million for eight projects in Northwestern Ontario, ranging from land clearing to tile drainage.
