“By having youth participate in all aspects of food production and farming – from planting to harvesting and distributing, we can increase our unity and hope for positive change in our community and beyond.”
–Tiffany Lauren, Founder of Agápe Farms
Impact Over 5-Year Term
Social/Environmental Impact
- Address food security
- Improve nutrition
- Promote sustainable ethnocultural agriculture
Agápe Farms started as a small urban farm in downtown Toronto in 2015 with the aim to address food insecurity, improve nutrition, and promote sustainable ethnocultural agriculture and educate youth throughout the process to encourage a lifelong ability to grow food in a variety of conditions. For five years, Agápe Farms served and worked in economically vulnerable communities in Toronto including Moss Park, Regent Park, and the Toronto Sherbourne / Gerrard corridor. They partnered with local volunteers from these communities to grow and donate approximately 30,000 pounds of organically grown food to the Toronto People With Aids (PWA) Foundation, Toronto Housing Community in Malvern (Scarborough), and the Regent Park Housing communities. Key foci include growing culturally important foods and providing agricultural training for youth.
With support from the COIL STEP Program Agápe Farms has embraced a circular economy approach that strives for a sustainable food system to provide equitable food access for diverse consumers, including families with children, women, and seniors facing food insecurity. Agápe works to boost local economies while providing the community access to nutritious farm-to-table produce.
In 2020, Agápe Farms moved to rural farming in Milton, Wellington County, and Puslinch. Over the pandemic, Agápe Farms continued to prioritize vulnerable communities and continued donating to the aforementioned non-profit organizations. In 2021, They began to expand its offerings to culturally diverse restaurants across the Greater Toronto Area, a private chef who specializes in culturally diverse food, a Scarborough Farmer’s market in the food desert area of Victoria Park and the 401, and a small CSA (Community Supported Agriculture).
Agápe Farms recently purchased Trout Lily organic nursery (troutlily.ca) to follow their passion for creating a healthier food system and sustainably growing nutritious local produce with a focus on ethnocultural crops.
Agápe Farms participated in the Community Agriculture Challenge and completed reporting for the COIL STEP program. Both initiatives offered financial support, as well as access to a network of mentors and community members. Additionally, Agápe Farms secured a loan through the STEP program to expand its social enterprise, following the acquisition of Trout Lily’s seedling business.
