Regenerative Farms Feed Communities

Farms for Change is an initiative that channels produce from The New Farm Centre—Canada’s first Regenerative Organic Certified® vegetable farm—and a network of like-minded growers to organizations providing access to food in low-income communities. In collaboration with Right To Food (Formerly Community Food Centres Canada), the program addresses food insecurity while advancing soil health and carbon sequestration. Farms for Change has raised over $2 million to support farmer livelihoods and to heal people and the planet. In 2024 alone, the program delivered fresh, organic produce to 34 organizations, reaching more than 36,000 families across Southern Ontario—proof of the good that happens when everyone is called to the table.

Today industrial agriculture drives emissions and depletes ecosystems, while millions still lack access to healthy food. The New Farm Centre saw an opportunity to challenge that status quo, using their regenerative farm to nourish both people and the planet. To address these twin crises of climate change and food insecurity, they collaborated with Right Too Food to launch Farms for Change.

Farms for Change demonstrates a scalable model for climate-friendly farming, improving access to organic food in low-income communities, and supporting ecological farmers. Before launching Farms for Change, The New Farm Centre worked closely with Right To Food to understand the food insecurity rates across Ontario and in particular, the lack of access to fresh, organic food for people living in low-income communities. They also analyzed the environmental impact of conventional farming and the potential of regenerative practices to sequester carbon and improve resilience. Benchmarking against existing food donation models, they found that few prioritized climate-friendly farming or farmer compensation. This gap shaped Farms for Change’s seemingly simple, yet undeniably powerful model: pay farmers fairly, grow regeneratively, and feed communities with dignity.

The New Farm Centre launched a small-scale pilot to put their model to the test, growing high quality, regenerative organic vegetables on their farm, selling a portion to restaurants to sustain the operation, and donating the rest—paid for by donors—to food organizations serving low-income communities through Right To Food.

In 2024, they more than doubled the number of organizations served from thirteen to thirty-four. Each week, these organizations order produce—exactly as top chefs do. The produce is then delivered by The New Farm Centre’s long-time partner 100km Foods, a B-Corp distributor committed to local, sustainable sourcing. The produce reaches 36,000 families in low-income communities across Southern Ontario.
The menu has expanded as well, with Farms for Change now offering clean protein from the New Farm Centre’s regeneratively raised pork and chicken. The team hopes to add beef, expanding into a full-spectrum regenerative food offering.

The expansion comes at a critical time. Statistics Canada data shows that food insecurity in Ontario surged to 26% in 2024, reflecting a sharp nationwide increase. Recognizing that Black, Indigenous, newcomer, youth, and women-led single-parent households are already disproportionately affected by food insecurity due to systemic forms of oppression—and are most vulnerable to rising prices and food scarcity due to climate change— Right To Food and The New Farm Centre  intentionally selected organizations that serve these communities.

Like any ambitious project, Farms for Change faced its share of obstacles. While the program has ultimately raised over $2 million, they suffered from funding pressure after losing several foundational brand sponsors due to tariff-related business pressures, requiring the team to diversify their donor base and secure new philanthropic partners to sustain the program.

Inevitably, they faced climate-related challenges in scaling up production, including drought and erratic weather, which tested their ability to meet demand while maintaining regenerative practices. The New Farm Centre adapted by improving soil health strategies, adding protective infrastructure, and deepening collaboration with other farms.

They also had to work closely with teams at the organizations they support to overcome some growing pains, streamlining the weekly ordering process, balancing flexibility with consistency and ensuring smooth coordination with their distribution partner. Today, these lessons have strengthened the program, made it more resilient, and helped lay the groundwork for further expansion.

Already impressive, this ongoing project continues to grow each year—with a vision to support more ecological farmers and grow a broader network of regenerative producers working together to nourish communities and heal the planet.

Bridging regenerative farmers, B-Corp distributors, frontline food organizations, chefs, artists, and funders, Farms for Change proves what’s possible when unlikely allies unite around shared values. It offers a hopeful, practical model that can inform public policy and inspire replication across Canada.

It’s what happens when everyone is called to the table.