*Purpose of page* To highlight and showcase ongoing projects in the farming, horticulture, cannabis and food world. A future page will be designated to the farm and it's future permanent home
Zachary Zeifman is a first generation farmer with a background in horticulture and a vast experience working with Cannabis, Solanaceae, and other specialty horticulture crops.He has farmed independently since 2013 and has since become more involved with cannabis production and consulting. New Projects are being created for 2020 and onward. Story of the Fruit and vegetable Farm:
Fresh out of college, Zach was already a lifelong gardener and hydroponic production enthusiast before he planted his first commercial row. A re connection with a childhood friend, who had been farming near Pemberton British Columbia, and a chance to volunteer on this farm, gave birth to the eventual germination of the agricultural seed. The following spring, Zach found himself with far too many seedlings (as he always did for his vegetable garden) and was not quite sure what to do with such a high volume of starts. An old hand drawn blueprint of his friend from BC Elliot’s hoop house inspired Zach to build such a structure in order to grow his tomatoes. With permission from Zach’s uncle Henri to build two hoophouses on his rural property in King City, in addition to a 5000 square foot allotment of garden plots, Zach suddenly found himself in production mode. Soon after, a chance encounter with a friend of the market committee from the Woodbridge Village Farmers Market meant Zach could very well try his hand at market gardening while continuing to work and sell organic fertilizer for his dad in the summer of 2013. Unlike many other market gardeners coming at farming from a first generation millennial base, Zach did not go through the typical motions of investing time into reading classic organic gardening and farming books, blogs/vlogs, seminars, lectures, and all the other facets of inspiration most go through before dragging a hoe through a row. No, he just wanted to grow out his seedlings and figured if he could make some money along the way that would be great. That first season was full of success and failure on many levels, but it lead to a new sense of purpose and direction for “farmer Zach”. Four Seasons Later, and Zach has gone from a small five thousand square foot market garden, to mid scale commercial crop production on just shy of five acres. Zach has also now discovered and delved into Elliot Colemon, Jean Martin Fortier, the urban gardener, in addition to many other influential farm and Ag people who continue to guide and shape his actions. Zach Rented Land From Mentors, Friends, and landlords Front Step Farms. Much of Zach’s ability to strategize in a business agricultural sense, operate machinery, and balance the inner gardener with the needed production grower, stemmed from Zach’s interaction with Front Step Farms Owner Michael Watson. He is grateful for the help he has received along the way. Zach focuses his efforts and endeavors on the production of specific Solanaceae (Tomato Family) crops with an emphasis on organic production models. The main crops grown include Sweet and Hot Peppers, Hybrid and heirloom Tomatoes, Eggplant, Tomatillos, Golden Berries, and Potatoes. The farm also grows smaller crops of spring and fall vegetables like lettuce/leafy greens, beans, radish beets, and onions. Zach has consulted on many personal production gardens, and has been licensed for the past 2 production seasons through the federal personal ACMPR designation. Zach aims to include facets of cannabis production and products in harmony and rotation with organic fruit and vegetable farming. Zach grows his crops with limited reliance on pesticides, with those in use being approved for organic agriculture. Alternate pest control products like compost teas, botanical oils, and diatomaceous earth coupled with strategic intercropping and companion planting make most crops resilient with regards to pest pressure. Zach implores a variety of tactics to combat and control w**d pressure including light cultivation via cultivating tractor, roto tiller, wheel hoe, and hoes. We are strongly opposed to synthetic herbicides and the inclusion of GE crops in our crop production. Zach's production and early teachings are rooted in hydroponic plant production, and have not steered away from these models since allotting more production to the field. Much of the leafy green, lettuce, and salad mix production are done using hydroponic methods while still relying on organic water soluble fertilizer and adding in beneficial microbes. Sprouts and micro greens are also technically the result of hydroponic culture, in addition to the Nutrient Film Technique that powers our fresh and fragrant basil. It is the hope that people remain open to the potential use of these technological advents to mitigate waste and create a better world. Research and Development, Main Crops, New Tastes-
In the past two years, Zach has been the largest scale grower of Golden Berries, and Gynura (Longevity Spinach) in Ontario. During these seasons, extensive research and crop production model development took place and has allowed for a greater understanding of how to commercialize these two nutritive and tasty crops. Golden Berries are commonly imported from Columbia and Peru and sold at grocery stores, while Gynura is hardly on the map. Both are extremely rewarding in terms of their health benefits and are well suited for production in Ontario’s climate.
*Purpose of page* To highlight and showcase ongoing projects in the farming, horticulture, cannabis and food world. A future page will be designated to the farm and it's future permanent home
