Our Story
The humble beginnings of Terramor Farm coincided heavily with the blossoming of our relationship. When we began dating in 2013 we shared a passion for visiting Luke’s family farm in White Lake, helping with the daily tasks, enjoying the scenery and the great lunches prepared from the farm’s bounty. As the harvests were coming in we wanted to have an opportunity to share the experience and benefits of farm fresh vegetables with our close friends back in Ottawa. A very casual system of group texts and weekly box deliveries was established for our initial 5 members. The birth of our first CSA (veggie box) program was extremely well received, word of mouth spread, and in that first summer we saw a growth to 20 members. After another successful season and more growth we quickly realized that providing delicious and nutritious vegetables to our friends could be more than just a pastime, it could be a livelihood!
Our 1st year in business (2015) we took the dive, leased a piece of the family land and began our farming venture. We formalized our registration program, offering ‘shares’ in the harvest, which was an intimidating commitment, but well worth the hard work and planning. Our CSA members have loved it and grown in numbers every year! In the fall of 2016 after operating for two seasons on leased land we purchased our beautiful little property located in Burnstown, 50 minutes west of Ottawa.
Fast forward to now. We have several seasons behind us and have loved transforming this little piece of land to provide the highest quality vegetables to local restaurants, health food stores, markets and our growing CSA program. We take pride in caring for the health of our soil which provides us with the most premium products. We are so thankful for all of the support along the way and can’t wait to continue to serve our community of Ottawa and the Valley for years to come!
Terramor Today
Terramor Farm has grown to include 2 cute kiddo’s and a team of 8 seasonal full time staff. Along with our amazing crew we tend to our 2.5 acres of vegetables and .5 acre of flowers. We serve over 20 of Ottawa’s top restaurants, 3 retail locations in the Ottawa valley, deliver over 100 weekly baskets to 4 distribution points and sell at 3 farmers markets.
While the farm has grown, our priorities have not changed. We strive to create a business that is sustainable not only for the earth we steward but for ourselves as business owners and the staff we work with. We have also begun to branch out into various media outlets to share our journey and hope to inspire others who wish to make a living growing food or flowers.
Why Non-Certified Organic?
We practice organic growing techniques through and through, so you may ask why we have not ventured to be ‘certified’. We use absolutely no synthetic sprays or fertilizers. We utilize natural, certified organic amendments for our soil and insect netting which acts as a physical barrier between crop and pests. For us farming organically is the simple, logical option, and shouldn’t require a third party to ‘certify’ to our clients (who we deal with on a daily or weekly basis) that our practices and intentions are sincere. We practice no-till, no-tractor agriculture and work with mostly hand-tools. This allows us to put an emphasis on building our soil health so that our 30+ varieties of organic vegetables are tastier, last longer and contain greater nutrients. We are extremely proud of the way that we have chosen to grow our vegetables and would be more than happy to show you around the farm.
Work With Us
Email us your CV with a brief description of yourself and interests. (terramorfarm@gmail.com)
Application Deadline: March 1 (or until all positions filled, interviews ongoing)
Positions Available:
One Full Season Farm Worker: FT (April-November)
Ideal Candidate: Team player that is organized, positive, goal oriented and enjoys the rewards of working hard and being outside (in all weather). Can lift +50 lbs.
Responsibilities: All aspects of the production and distribution of our top quality organic vegetables. Wash/Pack, cultivating, weeding, planting, harvesting, irrigation and general farm tasks. All staff will have the opportunity to take on additional responsibilities within the business. The goal is to distribute responsibility for different tasks between the staff and cater to each individuals interest’s and skill sets.
Hours: Tuesday – Saturday; 7am – 4pm.
(rotating 3 day weekend every 3rd week)
Starting Wage: $16.55/hr
Sick/Vacation Pay: 2.5%
Wage is negotiable based on experience, farming experience is not necessary but an asset. Other beneficial experience includes: outdoor labour, administration, management/leadership roles.
Must have a valid drivers license. No onsite living available.
Work/Share
How it Works: You Volunteer to work on the farm for 8 days throughout the season in exchange for a Full CSA Share.
Your total hours will add up to more than the value of the CSA Share, for every hour worked over the value we will match and donate to a local food bank in the form of vegetables!
Calculation is based off of minimum wage - $16.55/hr
For every hour you work over the value of your CSA share we will donate $33.10 worth of vegetables to a local food bank.