It’s not just fruits and vegetables that are being harvested at the Rama Community Farm. Education is also at the root of the initiative.
“I do know a lot more about squash, potatoes and what to do to keep them no-spray,” says Tommy Comego, who is back to work at Rama Maawnjiydiwag Gtigaan/Rama Community Farm for a third season.
“Carrots I know how to weed out; sometimes it’s too many. We’ve got to air some of them out,”
The vision plan for the farm began in 2015, says Kailey LeDrew, manager of economic development with the Chippewas of Rama First Nation.
By 2017 they broke ground. From Day 1, Zero-spray produce was always at the heart of their vision.
“We’re situated between Lake St. John and Lake Couchiching, so anything that we do on the farm is going to end up in the water,” says LeDrew.
They wanted to allow people — including children, because the farm offers programs through the First Nation’s education department — to pick and eat without worrying about the physical barrier of having sprayed pesticides, she explains.
Comego starts a typical day in the hothouse as soon as possible. It can feel 20 degrees warmer in the 150-foot grow area, he says.
Harvesting begins immediately, tending to strawberries and tomatoes and removing soft fruit that may attract pests.
By lunch, he is in the field weeding. A large area is dedicated to potatoes and gourds. Potatoes are particularly picky because they attract a bug that will eat a whole plant in less than a day, says Comego.
Carrots are more tedious because they grow bushier and closer together, he explains.
Growing everything organically takes some extra effort. Laying tarps and bug netting is one example. The tarps suppress weeds from growing and locks in moisture, which minimizes the need to water, LeDrew explains.
“Pill bugs with the strawberries were bad this year,” says Samantha Snache, one of the lead farmers.
“We’ve never had that before,” says LeDrew, noting that every year there is something different to learn.
Most pests are removed manually.
“Basically we try to stop the bugs from landing on the plant in the first place, and the second is that we handpick them,” she says.
“We got a hold of them pretty good, but it took a bit,” Snache recalls. “It’s all Earth’s way.”
Snache has been with the community farm for about five years. A landscaper by trade, it comes naturally to her, she says with a smile.
“Being outside and in nature and taking care of the plants” is Snache’s passion.
As an experienced farmer, she takes on an educational role. One of the things to teach newcomers is that strawberries have “runners,” which are sprouts that need to be trimmed off to encourage more fruit to grow, she explains.
During the school year, classes are welcomed to the farm to learn about the land and the equipment used.
“Nowadays we’re just so disconnected from understanding that it can take 75 days to grow a head of lettuce,” LeDrew explains with the patience of a teacher.
Students are taught about the history of agriculture and the “significance of an Indigenous community growing their own food,” she adds.
Managing water use and conservation as it relates to farming is also taught.
Chris Valliere, one of the farm’s leads, began with a desire to learn how to grow produce.
“It’s funny how you can be taught a few things, but just learning for yourself by getting your hands in the soil, you realize how little anybody knows because it’s constantly changing — especially with the weather patterns … it’s a new challenge every year,” he says.
In the spirit of sharing knowledge, group walks in the community garden are also organized. It allows a cyclical exchange of knowledge between local farmers.
“No farm is the same,” says LeDrew, explaining that gathering information about how to start projects and share gardening tips is encouraged.
This year’s high temperatures had the farmers wondering whether the tomatoes would be ready to harvest in time.
Their hard work paid off in July when they attended their first market with their bounty.
Enjoying the fruits of their labour comes from a passion to learn and educate. Yet, even with the organic label, a primary goal is to keep their produce affordable.
Inflation can impact that.
“You’re trying to measure how to price fairly every year,” Valliere says.
Balancing the cost of the product with the manual labour to grow it and learning how to adapt when different challenges are presented is not always easy, they admit.
The farm operates by distributing its produce through sales as well as donating excess food to shelters and food banks throughout surrounding communities, like The Lighthouse in Orillia. The point is also not to waste any food, says LeDrew.
The farm has a market that welcomes everyone. It’s located at 4195 Airport Rd. and is open Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
On Fridays, they park the trailer in front of the MASK Arena at 6147 Rama Rd.
Follow the Rama Community Farm on Facebook or Instagram for daily updates and learn more about it here.
By Danielle Pitman, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Original Published on Aug 17, 2026 at 10:40
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