Flour Mill Community Farm holding annual open house Wednesday

The Flour Mill Community Farm’s 6th annual Open Farm is an opportunity for the community to tour the space, sample some of the farm’s produce and enjoy local musical entertainment live. (Supplied)

The public is invited to the Flour Mill Community Farm’s 6th annual Open Farm on Wednesday Aug. 17.

This is an opportunity for the community to tour the space and sample some of the farm’s produce which will be used to prepare snacks supplied by Knowhere Public House.

Live musical entertainment will be provided by local powerhouse, singer-songwriter, Lisa Marie Naponse. The Indigenous artist, of Atikameksheng Anishinawbek territory, does her best to live her best life. Her music is influenced by prime country, MJB, 90’s grunge, Aaliyah, R & B, the blues and her parents, Jeff and Dolores. Naponse is working on releasing her first album.

The Flour Mill Community Farm is Sudbury’s first urban farm. The project, by the Social Planning Council of Sudbury, started in May 2017. The farm cultivates 2,500 square feet of fertile ground near the Ryan Heights Park.

“I couldn’t have been more excited about the potential benefit to the surrounding neighbourhoods. The urban farm was a welcome addition to the park, which had just opened a brand new $87,000 playground structure, an enhanced community garden, and a revitalized youth centre,” Robert Kirwan, Ward 5 Councillor for Greater Sudbury, told CTV News.

Now in its sixth year, the farm has provided meaningful employment to almost 50 area youths through the YMCA Employment Services and the Canada Summer Jobs program. After a successful fundraising campaign this past winter, the farm was able to employ 14 young people this summer through these programs.

“The Flour Mill Community Farm uses ecological agriculture as a tool to help youth gain meaningful job experience, social skills development, and a connection to the environment and the food system. This initiative aims to break the cycle of poverty by intercepting youth at a transitional stage in life,” the farm said in a news release Saturday.

The fresh, ecologically grown produce harvested at the farm each year is offered at affordable prices to those living near the farm in the Ryan Heights neighbourhood through a weekly market.

Kirwan told CTV News, he has seen the positive impact the urban farm has had on the neighbourhood and how they often walk over to talk with the workers at the farm during the summer.

“This is a program that adds so much to the community. I am hoping that we will be able to provide permanent funding for the urban farm program so that the farm can cultivate an even larger space at Ryan Heights and expand to other suitable sites in the City of Greater Sudbury,” added Kirwan.

To donate to the Flour Mill Community Farm visit the Social Planning Council of Sudbury’s “Canada Helps” donation page.

The open farm event is Wednesday, Aug. 17, from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at 736 Bruce Ave next to the Ryan Heights Playground.

More information about the farm and the event can be found on the community farm’s Facebook page.