EFAO vegetable benchmarking study is looking for farmers

[Rhonda Teitel-Payne]

EFAO’s Vegetable Growers Viability (VGV) Program is a multiyear study for direct-to-market ecological vegetable growers. This work is the first of its kind in Ontario and is modelled after work done by PASA Sustainable Agriculture and works off a pilot study EFAO conducted in 2025 with five farms.

The purpose of this program is to:

1. Support individual farms with standardized financial data and training on financial data collection and literacy
   
2. Support new and aspiring farmers with publicly available benchmarks for ecological farms of different models and scales for planning and decision making
   
3. Support the ecological farming sector with data that is specific to ecological vegetable production will provide a better understanding of how to increase the profitability and financial resilience of farms across Ontario
   

If you are an ecological vegetable grower in Ontario and would like to expand your understanding of your farm’s financial resilience and contribute to the collective knowledge of farm viability, the intake is now open!

https://efao.ca/farm-viability/

Program Information

 

Eligibility

The Vegetable Grower Viability Program is open to farmers who: 

1. Grow vegetables in Ontario using ecological growing practices (i.e. certified organic, uncertified organic, regenerative, biodynamic, traditional ecological, permaculture, etc.);
   
2. Have grown vegetables for a minimum of 2 years; and
   
3. Sell vegetables directly to consumers, including but not limited to CSA, on-farm sales, farmers markets, farm cooperative and local wholesale outlets.
   

Selection Criteria

We will make selections based on having a representation across the province and across small-to-mid scale growers, with priority given to EFAO farmer-members. The goal for this program is to work with 30 participating farms in 2026.

Participation Benefits

Financial benchmarks for your farm 

• Annual financial benchmark information for each participating farm.
  
• Farm-specific reports and anonymized reports situating each farm relative to the other farms in the program. 
  

Education and learning opportunities

• Educational opportunities such as webinars, electronic resources and staff assistance. 
  
• Additional resources are shaped by feedback from participants.
  
• Peer-to-peer learning opportunities. 
  

Stipend for participation and completion 

• A minimum annual stipend of $500 for completing the program. 
  

Commitment

The VGV program is intended to run for multiple years. Farms are only asked to commit to one year at a time, but are encouraged to participate longer. The extended timeline will help to create more robust data in an industry subject to significant fluctuations.

For each year of participation we ask that participants:

• Attend one onboarding meeting in January. 
  
• Make an effort to ensure that record keeping related to the study is accurate and in accordance to the program templates, including:
  • Income and expenses divided by enterprise
    
  • Income and expenses divided by marketing method
    
  • Labour hours recorded separately for both owners and staff
    
• Communicate with staff about any updates, needs or concerns about your ability to participate.
  
• Submit farm-specific data using the two-part input forms. The deadline for 2026 is March 31st of 2027. 
  
• Provide feedback each year through a survey and/or attendance at a feedback meeting.
  

Rhonda Teitel-Payne (she/her)

Co-coordinator

Toronto Urban Growers

www.torontourbangrowers.org

@TOurbangrowers #iGrowTO