Menu

OUR STORY

#LoveOntFood Love Ontario Farmworkers

#LoveOntFood Love Ontario Farmworkers

It’s local food week, and we #LoveONTFood.

We also love growing food in Ontario with our friends and colleagues.

This is Desmond. Desmond is the team lead for our bunching team. Desmond travels from Jamaica every year. This is his 15th year working at Pfenning’s.

Smiling Jamaican man with blue sky and trees in the background

Although many of our Jamaican colleagues have been coming to work at our farm year after year – some for over a decade, there is no pathway to immigration for them in the system that governs their employment in Canada.

The system treats migrant workers as #PermanentlyTemporary and is not set up in a way that enables workers to actually avail themselves of their rights.  You can read more about some of the longstanding issues, and proposed solutions on a previous blog post we published following a screening of the film El Contrato on the farm.

Jennifer Pfenning is an engaged and vocal advocate for change on these issues. The changes that have been needed for a very long time are more important than ever in the face of the pandemic. And many more protections are needed to address the crisis of outbreaks affecting the health and safety of migrant workers on farms across Canada.

Jenn Pfenning engaged in conversation with 2 HUMA representatives on the farm

If you value local food, and the people that produce it, and are looking for ways to engage and take action, here are a few suggestions:

Follow:

@j4mw on Twitter and @justice4mw on Facebook

@migrantworkersalliance on Facebook

@la_via_campesina_official on Instagram @via_campesina on Twitter and @viacampesinaOFFICIAL on Facebook for a global perspective.

Research and learn about the issues and how they apply to the pandemic as well as the #BlackLivesMatter movement.

Write your MP, and the Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, and Prime Minister to advocate for the changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program required to protect migrant workers and make changes to create a system that is fair, just, and equitable.

Write your MPP, the provincial Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Labour and the Premier to advocate for increased, and more effective Ministry of Labour inspections.

Recent Articles

Queen’s Park Day 2023

Advocating for the Organic Industry We are looking forward to meeting with MPP’s and policymakers at Queen’s Park, Toronto on October 25th! Organized by the

view

No Lettuce? No Problem!

We grow beautiful leaf lettuces in Ontario, but our growing season comes to an end in the fall.  At that time, we are grateful to

view

Homemade Soup for the Soul

A nice bowl of homemade soup is my favourite comfort meal, and a staple in my winter meal rotation. This blog outlines some familiar classics,

view

For the Love of Leeks

As a member of the allium family (along with garlic, chives, scallions, shallots, and onions), leeks are an incredibly versatile vegetable that add a sweet

view

CATEGORIES

Years

2023 (1)

2022 (5)

2021 (14)

2020 (14)

2019 (6)

2018 (14)

2017 (31)

2016 (22)

2015 (41)

Growing Organically in New Hamburg, Since 1981.

1209 Waterloo St. New Hamburg ON  519-662-3468 |  1-877-662-3468  veggies@pfenningsfarms.ca

Stay up-to-date with Pfenning’s News. You can unsubscribe at any time.

© 2022 Pfenning’s Farm. All rights reserved.