Small Scale Farms
13145 Lundy’s Lane L0S 1A0 Thorold, ON, Canada

What we mean when we say local matters: Our food hub grows, buys and sells as much local food as we possibly can, and then sells it back to you in a produce box, delivered to your door. Weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. With the profit of the sale, we are actively growing and looking for ways to increase our sustainability, so we can grow and buy and sell even more local food. So far, the demand for this fresh local produce has been more than we could even handle. Those who ca...n’t afford to eat like this - don’t, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to. Not everyone is in the same boat. But everyone of course deserves ACCESS to this type of food. However, the infrastructure currently in place has not been able to make this happen, and simply say no to distribution of free unhealthy food. We likely all agree, this simply can’t be good enough. We need food that’s alive to survive. What we are saying is this: We are attempting to make one improvement upon what currently exists. More fresh fruits and vegetables. Grown locally. And we know how to do it: Local Food Hubs. Your purchase of our produce box, (in any type of subscription format) purchases another bag of produce for someone in your community. We then give that bag of produce to a community group who is actively taking care of multiple clients/friends/community members they have in their care. A mom. A dad. A brother or sister. All capable of being cared for by your purchase of a bag of food. Plus you are personally encouraging the growth of more small scale farmers. That, and we operate a pay what you can day once a week, for those who want to purchase produce, but don’t have the full amount to be able to. Why not give us a try. We will do our very best to continue to be a part of the solution alongside you. There is a way through this. And it’s called community farming. Locally yours, Small Scale Farms https://smallscalefarms.ca

Incredible what we can do when we work together

This is a fantastic article, thank you to the St. Catharines Standard for reaching out. Quite frankly there are a lot of people asking for support. And Small Scale Farms can feed them. And we’ve got our whole community’s support! Now we’ve begun asking corporations, will you buy 100 bags? PenFinancial Credit Union ALWAYS supports us and didn’t even hesitate. Now we are looking for others. Or for you. $20 a bag and we’ll just keep sending out healthy food into our community.... If you have $20 to spare and you think this is a worthy investment, please comment below and we will send you details on how you can help.

Looking for these types of people to join our crew. Feel like it’s you? Give us a shot. Grey lockdown means we need you more than ever. ... https://forms.omnisrc.com//5e937f608a48f75f9daad4b4_5fe7a7

New to Small Scale Farms? This sale is for you. Our trial produce bag is now half price!

Congratulations Kelly Sacheski, you've won 3 months of produce delivered weekly! In our most recent contest we were trying to spread the word about our $20 produce bags being fed forward into our community, and you commented you love Niagara because it's people are supportive and helpful. That's just simply great to hear, and just as great for you, it was your name that was pulled! We've contacted you on your facebook page for details, Merry Christmas!

We wish you a Merry Christmas!!! Huge thank you to everyone who helped distribute literally thousands of gifts over the last 12 days. We visited shelters, senior homes, residents, corporations, small businesses, and crew, sharing so much love everywhere we went. ... It’s an absolute pleasure to both work and live out my life alongside so many amazing people. Thank you Niagara. Better times ahead

Feeling scared and alone

I feel as though everything in my life has come down to these 2 words: Connecting Communities. From here forward whenever anyone asks me what small scale farms means or does, or how it's allll relevant.... I'm just going to say: Connecting Communities. I've only ever tried to express this one sentiment. ... And now, with the 12 days of Christmas event, it will be easy. Why was it ever hard is the question.... Let's just simply connect. To learn more about the 12 days of Christmas visit our online market at https://smallscalefarms.ca/pages/12-days-of-christmas I don't know about you but showering the community with gifts sounds like a lot of fun to me. No one said we can't be safe and have fun at the same time :)

The rich giving to the poor

Last chance! Looking a quick, perfect gift? Look no further! https://smallscalefarms.ca/products/gift-card

Let the Black Friday sales begin!

Time to start thinking about where our food comes from. And whether or not you’d like to simplify your life by having this beautiful box show up at your door each week Multiple local products being added weekly: https://app.omnisend.com/view/5f64272a8a48f77687aa44d0/0

Another loss in our community

We Love Black Friday Sales! And we're got some good ones coming your way this week... To start, our produce bag is entirely Canadian this week, and we want to celebrate that by offering it to you for 25% off! Curbside Pickup Only.... https://smallscalefarms.ca//mix-and-match-black-friday-sal Or, purchase our curbside pickup produce bag at regular price and receive a bonus 2L local apple cider. https://smallscalefarms.ca//mix-and-match-black-friday-sal? This week only! #shoplocal #niagara #onlinemarket

More food to give away

Autumn warm spell and 100 bags of free food

Sound familiar? Ps look at all those bees!!

The number of people dying in B.C. due to an unsafe drug supply continues to surpass deaths due to homicides, motor vehicle incidents, suicides and COVID-19 combined, said the province’s chief coroner Lisa Lapointe. And Toronto has also seen an 85% increase in overdose deaths since the pandemic began. ... Recently, the federal government announced it would earmark $600,000 in taxpayer funding to be put towards a Toronto project to supply highly addictive opioids to drug users. Um... Thoughts?

Today is my youngest son’s birthday. 10 full trips around the sun. Incredibly, he’s taught me almost everything I know. My oldest son just got his license and bought a car. He turns 17 in a few weeks. I’m incredibly proud of him for how he’s learning to handle himself/navigate through life. Small Scale Farms is now 7. The number of completion. I’m in pure aw of its connectivity and am so thrilled to watch it come together these last few weeks. And our crew? They’re baptiz...ed by fire. No one has gotten here easily and no one said it wasn’t going to be hard. But there they stand. And work. Believing we can make a difference. And now we ARE making a difference. Like we REALLY are. And now it’s time to hang up our sign outside the front door of our Hub. I’d like to think this sign (that Erin and Hydee surprised me with and that they had custom made), is a symbol of our commitment. To each other 100%. But also to you Niagara. You’re our home. And we love where we live, don’t you? See more

Time to start thinking about where our food comes from. And whether or not youd like to simplify your life by having this beautiful box show up at your door each week Multiple local products being added weekly: https://app.omnisend.com/view/5f64272a8a48f77687aa44d0/0

Local promotions benefit us all. https://app.omnisend.com/view/5f9a5cfd99f0b71f1fa4abef/0

We are looking for squash. A lot of squash. Anyone see any roadside stands selling it?

Anyone planting garlic?

The great pear give away! We are giving away 40 FREE 2L baskets of local pears today! Limit 1 per customer. Come shop at our fruit stand Small Scale Farms at 13145 Lundys Lane and one of our crew will gladly help. 11-3pm today only.

Introducing, our NEW, LOCAL GIFT BASKETS! Local vendors, local products, local profit. Check out this steal of a deal at smallscalefarms.ca - 2 BEESWAX WRAP PACKS, 1 HONEY COMB HONEY, and 1 JAR OF HONEY for just $50 (for our club card members). That's a $15 dollar savings. ... Everyone wins. https://smallscalefarms.ca//pro/honey-im-sweet-gift-basket

Fennel and Kohlrabi are both in the box this week. Fennel sliced 1 inch thick lengthwise, and roasted in the oven with garlic and olive oil s&p, lets just say everyone should get to experience this in their lifetime... And kohlrabi makes the best coleslaw and/or salad ingredient you maybe have ever tasted. Hope you enjoy them

Still picking raspberries in Sept! Sharing with these 3 friends

You should be outraged. This is not acceptable. We are losing... How is it that so many people just don’t care about how massively contaminated our water system is, let alone how little of it there is left. And this? Is because of politics? No, this is because of soul level greed. Our lives depend on how the ecosystem functions. How can we not care about this? How can we let this happen. Why. If you are someone who’s awake, I’m asking you directly to take your time learning... more about this. Knowing what’s happening is the only truth to grasp. From there we can build better. There’s no where else to go with this. The changes also diminish the powers of conservation authorities to issue permits to developers, giving them the option of appealing any science-based decision to the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks or to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal. - Right out of our control. Right out of our region. Our home. And into the hands of capitalization. You, the average person, there’s no way you are ok with this. But if you’re not even going to care, we are all screwed.

Ever see inside a cider mill?? Check out Bennett’s Cider Mill in Ancaster, how cool is this! Thanks to Ben from Pie in the Sky Farm and Bakery we are learning so much about apples this year. And, because we love cider so much, we are adding it to every curbside purchase of our small or medium produce bag this week. ... Apple cider is so good. But we promise, free Apple cider tastes even better! Link to produce bag here: https://smallscalefarms.ca/colle/niagara-farm-share-produce Pick up Thursday, Friday or Saturday between 11-2pm. 13145 Lundy’s Lane.

Well this is interesting. 7 years ago today the Small Scale Farms Facebook journey began.

A friend of mine Adam Ane started a restaurant challenge, what a fantastic idea check it out. Niagara is a community and I propose we come together to support our local restaurants... I think us normal people can be the best advertising. The purpose of the challenge is to get people to go out and buy from our local people! The challenge is simple: go out to a restaurant you like is preferred, or order take out like I did, take a picture of the food, or the owner or a server... or any other reason why people should go there or order take out from them. Tell us why we should eat there! Nominate 3 people to do the same. I'm nominating Krista H, Melissa Tisi and Gaboury Nikki. You guys have 5 days to go to and post a place you love and tell us why we should go there: The Niagara Restaurant Challenge Give it a try and support local business! Feel free to post your pics here in this post as well. Who do you love???

We have a ton of food to give away this week. Tag a friend who’d love a free bag of produce, and not just the people who are broke either. Imagine fresh produce being given away continually within our community, by another who was just thinking of you and wishing you well. ... That’s the idea here. Let’s check in on each other and send each other some love Contest details: Tag a friend and share this post. 100 winners names will be drawn on THURSDAY, across a series of posts happening all week. Contest winners must be able to pick up their produce bag this Saturday the 31st, between 11-2pm. 13145 Lundy’s Lane. Good luck!

#crew. Not all of them. But thats a lotta heart right there

Produce Offering: We have 50 extra bags of produce this week that we are really hoping to sell so we thought we'd sweeten the deal with some fresh Apple Cider! For a very limited time only when you purchase our curbside pick up produce bag, you will receive a 2 litres of locally grown apple cider. On us! https://smallscalefarms.ca/colle/niagara-farm-share-produce... #lovewhereyoulive

A note from Renee https://app.omnisend.com/view/5f6d3abb8a48f77687aa63d3/0

Its not every day you get nominated as a woman of inspiration. Nor is it every day youre in a national newspaper ;) #supporther #niagara #universalwomensnetwork

Oh my GOODNESS!

We have been juicing for the crew and are ready to take it to the next level but we need more juicers. Anyone have one they dont use anymore?

Here come the pies... So Ben called me at the beginning of covid and said he liked what I was doing, and was in fact, working towards the same goals on his farm/apple orchard. Aka. He gets it. And hes young, he knows the responsibility he has to be both a marketer and a farmer. Its a rare find. ... I was thrilled to receive his phone call and have been working with him ever since. And now, not only do we have his apples up online, we have his pies too. (Actually they are his moms pies ). 2 pounds of fruit in every one. No lard. How is this amazingness possible? Because they take the product from beginning to end. Its smart. There are benefits to this... And the end is here with us. An online, distribution/sales channel for local everything. But especially pies.... You want local? Our pleasure. Check out Pie in the Sky from Wainfleet, ON and see if you can resist this deliciousness, (but why would you want to): https://smallscalefarms.ca/collections/local-bakery See more

2 free cooking workshops! (Sorry, now full. We will be doing more in the near future). Sonia has been cooking for us for months now. She takes home food from the hub and makes us all lunch. Or tries different items out to see what we might want to sell, as a Small Scale Farms Product. ... It’s been absolutely fantastic for us, but we really miss being able to cook for the community... Then out of the blue Natalina showed back up, saying she missed cooking lol. Natalina cooked for us in our food program for a long time... she’s an incredible cook and an even more incredible person. So here we go. We are going to start very basic. Nothing even cooked, just prepared. 1. We have a ton of Tomatillo left over so this Thursday at 1130 we are going to make a fresh salsa. And 2. Sonia really found a winner in this one: Horseradish from scratch. She’ll be leading us through this process on Friday at 1130. We are so excited to take this step. We’re starting small but it’s a giant step in the right direction. Covid has just seriously kicked our butts - we needed to do a lot of work to get back to even being able to THINK about prepared items. Plus we had to make sure we are completely public health certified, and completely trained on all things protocol. Which we definitely now are. But still. Baby steps. So much is different now so we will take it slow and simply invite a few of you this way. So if you’d like to come learn how to make Tomatillo fresh salsa or Horseradish, comment below and we’ll arrange the details. For us, what we see is that mentorship is so valuable now. Simply put: These ladies know how to cook. They just have that special touch and we know you will not be disappointed under their leadership. We are a small, safe community to join. Give us a shot! Cost: Free

Im actually feeling speechless. Its hard to explain things sometimes. With this, well, Ive known Jan Campbell-Luxton and his family since he helped make it possible for my oldest son to attend Maple Grove School, (which is now Bench Brewery). Simply too many years ago now to note, my point is my car broke down right before school was suppose to start that year. Because it was far away and I couldnt do it without a car, Jan, by offering to drive my son, made it possible f...or him to go to a very special school. And at the time I didnt even know him. Im seriously forever grateful. And I consider myself completely privileged to know him even still. Especially since Ive gotten to know his business, and how awesome of a job he and his team are doing running it. Im thrilled to announce our latest partnership, with a small but strong business, who have already created one heck of a solid local stance: De La Terre Cafe + Bakery you rock. Your people and your product. We are simply moving mountains Niagara. Lets keep this up and keep in touch because at this point, we are adding new vendors daily. And Ps. We hope you love it. Thats what its all about. #lovewhereyoulive Check out De La Terre products and more at https://smallscalefarms.ca/pages/shop-by-product

Looking for chives. Anyone have an abundance?

Fun Fact: I like to create garden spirals. There’s actually quite a few of us, around the world, who find similar things fun. Ironically, I’ve been asked multiple times in my life if I ever actually have fun. As tho I mustn’t lol. ... I’m not even sure what that means because it varies with every person who asks. And then sometimes I think maybe my responsible side becomes more apparent than my fun side from time to time... Ok sure. I’m a single mom. There are serious responsibilities on me. But fun, I mean, I enjoy my life, yes. Moment by moment is fascinating to me. The truth is, it’s not ever been brought on by buying product or a vacation for me though, or going out to go do something, it seems to be brought on by the planting of seeds... What I have seen in my life is no short of a miracle and fun doesn’t even seem to match what I feel as a result. The thing I’ve figured out is that I’ve created my own life, on my terms. And at the end of the day, I want to help people. Help period. Why not make it better? Why settle? And I want to help communicate to others, how easy it is to help. How fulfilling it is, to help. To me, that’s fun. Especially BECAUSE I’m exposed to so much suffering... Humour me. We are doing a promotion right now that’s giving away 100 bags of food this coming Saturday. Across a series of posts I’m going to propose a series of requests. Comment what you like to do for fun and you’ll be entered to win a free bag of produce. And if you don’t need it and you win one anyway, maybe you’ll decide to give it to someone else in your circle who could really need it right now. And not just the food, but the gift. I promise, it’ll be fun. #beinteresting #beyou

Some of you know one of my comfort foods is chicken fingers. I figure I need comfort in this way about once a week but I really wanted it today. I pay for better meat from Kent Heritage Farms because it tastes fantastic and its local, but the question is, is it really more expensive when I can cook twice as many chicken fingers to what Id ever get in a box? Also, I couldnt stop for a picture because it was that good, but I wanted to share that I just had garlic scape jelly from Jessie, (whos bringing the goats on Wednesday and runs her own canning business) with my own homemade bbq and mayo sauce and wow. Thats simply a whole new level of amazing. #goodeats #hardday

There have been some monumental changes happening at Small Scale Farms. This here is where our garlic was planted but we harvested it in August, and not much else was happening. Now? The rows have all been levelled, (changing from a conventional farm to a more sustainable farm) and the entire area is now topped with 70 yards of mushroom compost. Now, we don’t have to till. Now we wait. For the micro-organisms to do their thing and help to break of some of this serious clay ...we got going on here. Waaaay better to work on your garden in the fall than it is to wait for spring. To the right we still have rows of strawberries that we just couldn’t bare to get rid of so we will keep that section in rows for one more season. In the mean time I think we have enough work on our hands changing this into a medicinal garden.... Want to know more? We find it’s best to learn by doing. On Halloween we’ll be planting some garlic. Come by around 1pm and we will put you to work!

Well I’m Irish so I don’t know... Did anyone else make Yuca fries? I’m not sure what to think. Fried mine in avocado oil. Probably healthier than potatoes but...

So Im having a rough day

Im a mess and I need help

All I can say is that your purchases, are supporting a lot of people right now. There are A LOT of people in our region who need help, right now. You can spend your money at the grocery stores and big franchises or you can spend your money with us, and allll the small businesses will flourish. And the people will be able to eat. Healthy food. And the all the real farmers will receive the true gratification they deserve. https://smallscalefarms.ca/products/monday-curbside-special

We are growing! Interested in getting involved? Join our team! http://bit.ly/CrewLeaderNewRecruits

Not all garlic is created equal. Garlic production: China is a very significant supplier to the worldwide garlic industry, claiming 80% of the total world production. And yet reports run rampant of garlic bleached in chlorine, fumigated in pesticides, grown in untreated sewage water, and even contaminated with lead.... Not only are their growing practices HIGHLY questionable... their labour practices are even worse with some of the labor behind garlic production in China coming from prisoners. The hours are long, and according to former prisoners, "the pungent acids in the garlic can melt detainees fingernails, exposing stinging flesh. Those who can no longer use their hands bite off the garlic skins with their teeth." Do you want to eat that? I dont. So how can you tell if your garlic is from China? If this is even slightly true, WHICH IT IS, then Im pretty sure youre going to want to know more. Garlic grown in China lacks roots and a stem. Whether the Ag Dept. mandates the removal of roots in order to inhibit the spread of agricultural pathogens from China, or China cuts them off before they ship them to save weight, its a tell tale sign. Local growers dont add extra steps to their harvest/production line. Its completely unnecessary. Farmers dont do unnecessary things. NOW is the time to buy garlic in Niagara. You wont get it again until next year. Find a local grower and go get it. In our world, ie distribution on a larger scale, we are paying top dollar for it. Growers know you cant get it. Quite simply, the game of the food world is not a fun one to play. But you the customer can find garlic right now. Seed garlic is going for about 2.50 a head too, plant some in your backyard this fall, (available at Ridgeview Garden Centre in Beamsville). On our fruit stand right now and for our customers online, starting tomorrow we will have the variety called Music, which we bought locally. To make a profit off it, ie to make it available to our customer, we are selling it at $4 a head. Everything else we grew on our farm, we are planting again. We are reinvesting the entire crop. So my point? Wherever you buy it, if you can, go buy 20-30 heads of garlic right now, so it will last you the winter. And why? Garlic is a prebiotic. About 11% of garlics fiber content comes from inulin and 6% from a sweet, naturally occurring prebiotic called fructooligosaccharides. Garlic acts as a prebiotic by promoting the growth of beneficial Bifidobacteria in the gut. It also prevents disease-promoting bacteria from growing. Garlic extract may be effective for reducing the risk of heart disease, and has shown antioxidant, anti-cancer and antimicrobial effects. It may even have benefits against asthma... Sound like something you want in your cupboards this winter?

Now Im looking for nuts. Anyone know where to buy them wholesale? Bulk?

We are looking for cabbage. Lots and lots of cabbage. Anyone know any farms growing it this year?

It is an absolutely beautiful day outside. Stop by the farm and pick up some freshly pressed apple cider!

Tragedy in our community

We are looking for extra FOOD fed FORWARD volunteer drivers. If interested please comment. Drivers take approximately 10 bags of fresh produce to those in our community whove requested assistance through our program. Join our crew: Please message [email protected] for more information on how to get involved.

We have made some monumental changes https://app.omnisend.com/view/5f64272a8a48f77687aa44d0/0

Maybe its in the coffee

Wasp vs Honeybee vs Human Wasp: Jerk, but controls pests. Honeybee: Pollinates food for everyone and provides us with medicine and energy. Human: Kills everything. ... Any questions?

Seeds! Getting ready for 2021. #gameon

Ever wonder where wishes come from? Milkweed. They come from a milkweed plant

Ok I couldnt even stop eating long enough to take a decent picture. Pork on the bone from Kent Heritage Farms, marinated in Asiago dressing, then dipped in bread crumbs and fried in garlic olive oil. Carrots with a little brown sugar and roasted garlic potatoes. #blessed

Flash Sale! We have a lot of produce we need to find homes for this week... and you have a lot of meals you need to make... So how about it?!? Ordering is simple, just click this link. https://smallscalefarms.ca/products/monday-curbside-special Pick up ONLY: Pull in and beep. Our crew will bring it out for you. 11-2pm this Monday.

Singing in the rain

Let me set the record straight. We all seem to have varying intentions but maybe not. Maybe they are all pointing to the same thing. Personally, I continually try to speak my intentions clearly. ... Am I always successful? No. But I do follow my intentions with action. Which means my behaviour is in fact, guided/produced by my intentions. So what am I focusing on? For years I have been piecing together various elements within THIS community, both with the intent and action, and HOPE, that we can create a stronger food system. The food system Im interested in creating, provides access to healthy food for those who need it. How in the world anyone can confuse my intentions, is beyond me. But they do. I just dont sit, to try to figure it all out. I work. To fix that exact thing. To build that system. Judgment. Anger. Resentment. I cant understand how you can maybe live well, but if your brother or sister cannot, are you really living well? You maybe feel attacked like I do. Its unfortunate the act of generosity has seemingly been replaced with everything self these days. You can see it everywhere. Everyone and their, my views, my life, my house, my land, my money. Survival. And yet those of us who understand that theres more to life than this, we live differently. We grace ourselves with the vulnerability within generosity, and immediately recognize yet again, that this is how. The give is what helps us grow. This is simply the truth. My truth only? Maybe not. We feel gratitude and THAT is what helps us live a better life. Dont get me wrong. We see the struggle too. I am no different than you. And the crew is the same. We just clearly have had different experiences that have shaped our perceptions. But none of that matters now. What matters is what we want to build. What matters is what seeds are we sowing. I am absolutely not concerned with that I see now. Im building what I want to see in the future. And Im asking my friends if they want to help. For generations to come to NOT have to experience this mess we have found ourselves in now. Its time to work and that is all. Netflix and chill or maybe NOT. Maybe get up and do something. #bethelight #niagara

This is so exciting!! 416 Coffee is partnering with us and we now have their Change coffee bags up our website! Check it out here https://smallscalefarms.ca//be/products/416-coffee-change

This is fantastic. Im sooooooo happy to have prepared meals back in our fridges and freezers. Exactly 3 years ago yesterday, we started our food program. Due to covid and the dramatic shift weve experienced over the last few months, we had to take prepared meals off the table until we could better sort out how to do this. ... But now weve got it. More collaboration: Retail and deliver products for local restaurants, to create one solid local distribution network. Makes sense right? Meals are how we can move a lot of local food. We can also use a lot of the ugly wasted produce this way as well. And for us it was always just a no brainer to prepare it for you first, (making it healthy and convenient for you) so we can all win. Plus, some people just simply wont cook the raw food we have to give away now. So this is definitely the answer to that. We are so happy to announce our very first restaurant vendor, Moksha Indian Bistro. I can honestly say this is one of the best dishes I have ever tasted. And personally, I am ecstatic to have them on board with us. 4 of their dishes are available on our site now, including this one, the lamb biryani. If you want it delivered for next week make sure you get your order in by midnight tonight, (we run on weekly cycles so you wont have a chance again until next week). I just had to share. And trust me, we are going to figure out how to get their samosas up ASAP too... You just simply have to try this. https://smallscalefarms.ca//prepare/products/lamb-biryani

Still giving away FREE PEACHES today! Get them while they last. Limit 2 per house hold. We are here until 4! 13145 Lundys Lane, Thorold

Here we grow again