The Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury commonly referred to as"The Soup and Salad Bowl of Ontario" for its rich, fertile soil that produces some of the country's freshest produce, is home to many hardworking family farms.
Springh Farms on Canal Road in the Holland Marsh is one of them.
Shane Singh is a second-generation farmer. His family has been in the farming industry since 1979, after immigrating to Canada from Guyana.
"My parents came here and just started farming and working," said Singh.
What started with only five acres has grown to 30+ acres of fertile farming land, feeding families all across the region.
Singh is responsible for the seeding, plowing, delivering, and some of the picking on the farm. He also delivers to the food terminal in Toronto three nights per week.
The farm employs seven migrant workers who come from various parts of Mexico and Jamaica.
What he loves most about living and working in Bradford is that "everyone knows everyone".
Singh's father-in-law is a graphic designer who helped come up with the farm's name and logo. A name that incorporates Singh's parents' names, Rita and Peter.
The family has been selling at local farmers' markets for the past decade and loves being part of the growers' community.
‘’Interacting with people we went to school with at farmers' markets... coming and out and supporting us, seeing familiar faces and
being a part of the community..is definitely a positive feeling," said Singh.
Springh Farms is always trying to learn more about the different cultures and communities in Bradford and coming up with new ideas of crops to grow. They have continued to support the community over the years by donating to the local foodbank with their fresh produce.
Seeing regular and new customers each week "is definitely a positive feeling," says Singh. "I love that we all know each other, and the farming community turns to each other out when we can."
Springh Farms is currently accepting online orders of fresh fruits and vegetables, with local delivery.
"Springh Farms does only local orders right now but in the future, we will see what can be done in terms of going across Canada," said Singh.
They also sell their produce through the Bradford Farmers' Market every Saturday morning at the BWG Leisure Centre parking lot (through pre-orders online).
You can order directly on their website here or the Bradford Farmers' Market website here.
