Cookstown Greens prides itself on supplying Toronto and the GTA with certified organic vegetables year-round. Vicky and Mike Ffrench have been running the family business since 2012, but the farm was initially established in 1988 as an artisan farm specializing in unique veggies, garnishes, herbs, and edible flowers for chefs. Vicky and Mike wanted to hone in on specific crops and do it well, so the farm has evolved over the years and now grows delicious potatoes, carrots, turnips, and radishes, a selection of salad mixes and greens, oyster mushrooms, winter squash, and seasonal specialties like peppers, heirloom tomatoes, and asparagus. Customers can order the veg online and arrange to pick it up at the farm, or they can find it at several retail locations in the GTA, Simcoe County, and Ottawa.
Vicky and Mike are about achieving the best flavor and nutrition while following sustainable farming techniques on their 100 acres. The farm employs various organic and regenerative growing practices, including cover crops, to build soil fertility and suppress weeds. There are 18 fields, two-thirds dedicated to rotating cover crops and the other one-third for growing vegetables. The clay loam soil is rich with organic matter and great for nutrient exchange for the plant roots. Some of the land is untouched, and no-till or non-intensive methods contribute to farm biodiversity. They also use integrated pest management strategies, including beneficial bugs, row covers, and handpicking pests like tomato hornworms and potato beetles.
Thanks to its eight propane-heated greenhouses, Cookstown Greens can grow year-round, producing tomatoes in the summer and greens throughout the winter. Some greenhouses rest in the winter so the soil can rebuild nutrients or are used to grow marigolds for salads and to transplant outside when the temperatures warm in the spring. The Ffrench family uses a natural water supply from the Egbert Creek, which feeds the Nottawasaga River. Vicky and Mike collaborate with the Nottawasaga Conservation Authority to ensure the water they use doesn’t affect the watershed’s ecology.
The team at Cookstown Greens has over 40 years of combined experience in agriculture, supported by an extensive network of seasoned growers. Ten migrant workers from Mexico also work the fields, prepping beds, planting, harvesting, and tending to the veggies. The same group returns to the farm annually to help maintain the farm’s high standards and feed Ontarians the best-quality organic produce possible.
