All posts by Ayla Fenton

Farmer Profile: Eva Rehak of Ferme Alva, New Brunswick

Posted by Ayla Fenton on May 30, 2015 1 Comment

Eva Rehak is the 32-year-old co-owner of Alva Farm with her partner Alain Rousselle, located in Saint-Maurice, New Brunswick. For the past 5 years they have been cultivating mixed organic vegetables and fruits on 1,5 acres for their Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares and farmer’s market. She acted as women advisor for the National Farmers Union (NFU) in NB and represented the NFU Youth at La Via Campesina’s 6th Global Conference in 2013. I grew up in Mississauga with no background in farming, but always had an interest in nature. I went to the University of Guelph graduated as an agricultural technician.  I worked on a CSA farm … Continue reading Farmer Profile: Eva Rehak of Ferme Alva, New Brunswick →

Farmer Profile: Pierre-Olivier Brassard of Union Paysanne, QC

Posted by Ayla Fenton on May 28, 2015 2 Comments

Pierre-Olivier Brassard, organic certified family farmer located in the province of Québec, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region. Cultivating on a one hectare CSA farm, feeding 150 families throughout 15 weeks with 45 vegetables varieties in average each season within a bio-intensive model. Member of the Union Paysanne’s international committee and coordination committee. I started my agricultural career when I was 13 years old on a conventional potato farm with my uncle and cousin. Afterwards I aligned my academic formation toward farm management and then carried on to horticultural production. One day during a soil conservation class a teacher asked me a question that changed my life : « Mr. Brassard, you are … Continue reading Farmer Profile: Pierre-Olivier Brassard of Union Paysanne, QC →

The National New Farmer Coalition needs you!

Posted by Ayla Fenton on February 24, 2015

Originally posted at http://www.nfu.ca/blog/new-farmer-coalition-survey It should not come as a surprise that Canadian agriculture is facing a demographic crisis. In the 1930s, over thirty percent of the population was involved in food production. Today, farmers represent only 1.6 percent of the population and have an average age of 54. In 1991, the number of farmers in Canada under the age of 35 was 80,000 – now it is less than 25,000. The National New Farmer Coalition is a farmer-driven grassroots initiative created in 2014. Our aim is to promote government policies that will reverse these trends and allow new farmers to … Continue reading The National New Farmer Coalition needs you! →