Amy Spraggon runs Fresh Heads Farm Shop, which grows upwards of 80,000 vegetables in a 4,800-square-foot greenhouse, in Markham. But she says she isn’t always seen as the owner.
“I’m frequently assumed to be the staff,” she said. “I see how often they (men) are more acknowledged, more listened to, praised.”
That experience, she said, reflects a broader issue in agriculture, where much of women’s work remains overlooked.
The United Nations has designated 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer to highlight the essential roles women play in agrifood systems, aiming to close gender gaps in access to resources, technology, and financing.
In what she describes as “a very old industry” shaped by tradition, men are still more often associated with the visible, physical side of farming. At the same time, she said much of the co-ordination and communication work that keeps farms running is carried out by women.
“For the most part, the other farmers I interact with every day are mostly other women,” she said. “There’s always men on the team, and often the men are in the figurehead positions, but it’s the women who liaison and who organize.”
That gap, she said, comes down in part to how farming is defined.
“I think what gets defined as farming… is a fairly narrow understanding of the job,” she said.
Spraggon did not grow up in agriculture. Her parents were accountants, and she holds a business certificate from Seneca and an honours degree in political science from York University. Everything she knows about farming, she learned on the job.
“I started knowing nothing, and figured it out along the way,” she said.
Five years into running the farm, she continues to experiment with crops such as luffa and sea buckthorn, and explore systems like Dutch buckets, while managing the demands of a small business.
“You learn resilience, quick thinking, confidence,” she said. “Some of it is great and some are burdensome.”
For Spraggon, farming is tied to a deeper understanding of food and its impact.
“Knowing where it comes from and what’s in it, and what it doesn’t contribute to to get to my plate is powerful,” she said. “It connects me to a community of people who do what most don’t — create for themselves.”
She believes the industry is changing, as fewer people take over traditional farms and more first-generation farmers build smaller, community-oriented operations.
“In general, the farming industry is aging out and dying,” she said. “The next generation isn’t looking to take up the mantle with as much enthusiasm anymore.
“These farms are moving the industry towards more small, more community-oriented, more conscientious production,” she said.
For Spraggon, that work is also personal.
“This is my rebellion. This is my revolution. We need to innovate how we produce food and how we source not only our food, but all goods.
“The next evolution will be small-scale regenerative farms that support their neighbourhood directly,” she said, adding that the current food system is unsustainable.
She encourages those entering agriculture to build connections and rely on community.
“Build a network,” she said. “Support your community and accept their support in return. You can’t do it alone.”
By Scarlett Liu, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Original Published on Apr 16, 2026 at 16:07
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