My Trip To Manorun Organic Farm

As I pondered my next excursion following my submission of the first Sustainability ELP reflection, an exciting opportunity seemingly fell into my lap. On October 29th, 2024, a post was made to Avenue To Learn  outlining a pre-approved event regarding a tour of Manorun Organic Farm, a family run farm on the outskirts of Hamilton. I immediately signed up.

In the early afternoon of November 2nd, 2024, I headed over to the McMaster University campus with my friend Caroline to board a bus set to commute a group of students to Copetown, Ontario. Throughout our journey, Caroline and I basked in the mid-autumn beauty of Hamilton, we became increasingly excited to witness, first-hand, the practices of local, family-run farming. Upon our arrival at 12:30 p.m., we were warmly welcomed by the Stop Sprawl Students team, a McMaster student led club which works to spread awareness of local farming and the effects of Urban Sprawl. To start the event, the team kindly provided us a free lunch and directed us to a seating area. As we enjoyed our farm-fresh chicken sandwiches and organic butternut squash soup, we tuned in to a series of presentations. 

We were first introduced to Sandy Shaw, MPP, who represents Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas as a member of the NDP and serves as the Critic for Environment and Parks. She informed us of the various benefits to Farmlands and the importance of their preservation. She brought to light the prominent issues facing the erasure of parts of the Greenbelt due to highway construction. Further, she spoke on the recent passing of Bill 185 - the Cutting Red Tape To Build More Homes Act - a piece of legislation allowing the provincial government to override decisions made by the municipal government regarding urban sprawling. This was new information to me, and I became curious to learn more about the implications of Bill 185 after this experience. Sandy revealed to us that 770 acres of Class 1 Farmland in Kitchener, Ontario is being expropriated, leaving Farmers, Consumers, and the Environment to suffer the repercussions. Urban Sprawl has been a concept I had been aware of; up until this point I had simply been looking at it through a biased lens of the cost-of-living crisis, but the information I had received throughout this presentation helped me internalize its true effect on our environment. 

After Sandy’s presentation, we had the chance to listen to Chris, the owner of the farm, who shed light on the importance of people coming to witness what farmers do; not only do they grow vegetables and meat, they support and foster the community. Chris highlighted some concerns about the current and upcoming generations of farmers. As the average age of farmers increased to 58-62 years old, there is a lesser need for new ones. The low demand for locally sourced food, in addition to the farmland eradication, has caused many farmers like Chris to push their children towards pursuing a different profession. At that moment, I realized that not only does Urban Sprawling negatively affect the environment, but it has adverse effects on peoples’ ambitions; while his children grew to love farming and desire to continue in their adulthood, do they now have to settle for something different? In the pursuit to build new homes, can the people who no longer have jobs even afford to live in them? I found jolting irony in seeing what is now fruitful land to humans and wildlife being repurposed to host an array of empty homes. 

Following the presentations, the group fell privy to the inner workings of the day-to-day maintenance of the Manorun Organic Farm. We were given a tour of the various shelters for their farmstock, where Chris described to us their typical lifetime. On this tour, an unexpected experience was having the opportunity to plant garlic and learn about the seasonal demand for crop production. While learning about how much time and dedication these farmers put into planting, caring for, and harvesting crops, it occurred to me that most fruits and vegetables are available year-round in grocery stores. Instead of supporting what is grown locally and appropriate to the season, we turn to imported crops and goods, a concept that not only diminishes the efforts of local farmers, but also increases carbon emission in the process of obtaining such products from across the world. I reflected; I’m quite lucky to have access to food. Most of us don’t think twice before adding an item to our shopping carts. However, we don’t need to rely on any one food item, especially if it is not readily accessible. Since visiting this farm, I have begun to purchase in season crops in the effort to lessen the demand on imported goods and reduce my contribution to a large source of carbon emissions. While it might take extra thought before purchasing something, I find it more satiating to know I’m fulfilling my goal to live more sustainably. 

After hearing the presentations, taking a tour of the farm, and planting garlic, we were given some time to explore before we headed home. I walked away with a lot of eye-opening information; this entire experience highlighted the issues surrounding Urban Sprawl, Farmland Preservation, and the importance of supporting local Farmers. 

My visit to Manorun Organic Farm illuminated the intricate cause-and-effect relationships between local farming, consumer behavior, and policy decisions. For instance, the passing of Bill 185 can lead to the loss of fertile agricultural land, reducing food security and increasing reliance on imported goods. This legislation is designed to accelerate housing development by reducing bureaucratic barriers but it stands to face criticism for enabling low-density sprawl, threatening farmland, and undermining local governance and environmental sustainability (Pothen, 2024). This leads to the exacerbation of carbon emissions and diminishes the livelihoods of generational farmers. As Urban Sprawl increases automobile dependence (Maclachlan, 2024) and entails more land consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and social inequity, such legislations become counterproductive. In their attempt to tackle issues such as the housing crisis, it actually reduces accessibility for a majority of the population, while also threatening the environment. The expropriation of 770 acres of Class 1 farmland in Kitchener, driven by the need to expand housing developments, results in the permanent loss of some of the most fertile soil in the region through greenfield development (Maclachlan, 2024). Again, this concept undermines local food production and increases the reliance on imported goods with higher carbon footprints. This situation is akin to broader global trends, where prime agricultural land is often sacrificed for urbanization to align with a growing population, thus intensifying concerns over global food security and climate resilience. With the fact that expropriation is happening globally to promote housing development, the question becomes: At which point do we lose the option to even import our food? It’s worth considering modifying the model of greenfield development to promote brownfield development; Instead of destroying useful land only to import what it once provided, we should leverage and optimize existing architecture. 

Having discussed some of the more direct implications of Urban Sprawl and Farmland Eradication, the secondary effects showed me how layered the issue is. It was humbling to learn that Farmers are pushing their children towards different lines of work because “farming won’t cut it anymore”; my implicit biases of modern career advancement made me oblivious to the fact that there are people whose ambitions and passions are being wiped away by Urban Sprawl and Farmland neglect. The impacts of Urban Sprawl thus extend beyond environmental degradation towards social and economic consequences. While I might be studying in a field that happens to focus on technological modernization, for example, not everyone has the same passions. By diminishing aspirations and displacing livelihoods, the irony is stark: fertile farmland, which supports both local ecosystems and human communities, is being replaced by expensive developments that may remain inaccessible or unoccupied. This situation exemplifies a broader external context where rapid urbanization often prioritizes short-term housing solutions over long-term sustainability, eroding cultural ties to farming and discouraging younger generations from pursuing agricultural careers.

Having walked away with a new perspective, there are some short and long-term personal changes that I want to stride towards in my journey to live a more sustainable life. Having stepped out and witnessed it first-hand, I am driven to support sustainable practices and advocate for farmland preservation. The immediate actions I’ve taken include signing petitions urging the rescindment of Bill 185, recognizing the critical need to protect fertile land from Urban Sprawl. I’ve realigned some of my social media consumption towards learning more about federal and provincial laws to ensure I keep tabs on similar legislations. As I mentioned briefly above, I’ve shifted my food consumption habits to prioritize in-season produce, reducing my reliance on imported goods and minimizing my environmental footprint. In this journey, I find that all it takes is a quick search as to which foods are in season and to look into which foods have been grown locally before I purchase them. This small change does not make me lose out on anything I need, and it hints that a lack of awareness might be what keeps society from doing the same. I feel more confident about my purchases and have been sharing with friends some of my learnings in hopes to spread the awareness of supporting local food growth. While it is a slow start, the idea is that by reducing the demand, we work towards lessening the need to supply imported goods, and ultimately work towards lower carbon emissions. Looking ahead, I plan to carry this awareness into the 2025 Canadian federal election by prioritizing candidates who advocate for sustainable practices, thoughtful urban planning, and farmland preservation. While we do need to address the housing crisis, I want to support leaders who prioritize smart growth, and consider implementations such as mixed-use Urbanization. Inspired by leaders like Sandy Shaw, I intend to use my vote as a tool for meaningful change, supporting individuals committed to balancing development with environmental stewardship. Through these actions, I aim to contribute to a future where policies reflect a higher standard of care for the environment and local communities. 

In his presentation, Chris half-heartedly joked that  “In 20 or 40 years, all the different [Federal] parties are going to say ‘oh.. We get it now. We actually do need to save farmland’”. These words have sat with me since; I want to stay informed, spread awareness and be on the right side of this fight.