Flour Mill Community Farm

bringing fresh food and youth empowerment to our community

The Flour Mill Community Farm (FMCF) is an urban farm project located in the Flour Mill neighbourhood of Sudbury, Ontario.  The mission of the farm is to provide valuable employment experience to local youth, and to address food security while promoting food sovereignty for members of the surrounding low-income community. The FMCF promotes environmental sustainability through regenerative, ecological farming techniques which it teaches to participating youth.

Fresh, ecologically raised produce is grown by the youth each year and is offered at pay-what-you-can prices to those living near the farm through weekly markets. The farm produces hundreds of pounds of food each year, and has employed over 70 youth in Greater Sudbury.

One of the most rewarding parts of our farm season is seeing how much the students love giving back to the community through their work. This year, their impact went far beyond growing fresh vegetables for local families. They helped paint a vibrant mural at the Ryan Heights Community Centre, took part in Arts in the Park with Myths and Mirrors, and wrapped up the season by helping host our Year-End Community BBQ.

The BBQ was a huge success - the farm was buzzing with visitors eager to see what the students had accomplished. They were so enthusiastic about giving tours and sharing stories about their work that I eventually had to step in and take over for a while, just so they could grab a plate and enjoy the celebration themselves! It was a proud moment that perfectly captured the spirit of community, teamwork, and joy that defines our time at the farm.

The 2025 Flour Mill Community Farm season has now wrapped up, and we are deeply thankful for supporters like you who helped us continue serving the Flour Mill community. This year brought unexpected challenges, including the cancellation of the core government program that previously supported our operations. In a year when the future of the farm was uncertain, your support made all the difference.

Because of sponsors like you, we were able to:

• Serve more than 300 community members at our year-end BBQ, hosted in partnership with Myths and Mirrors

• Provide meaningful summer employment for 2 local youth from the Flour Mill neighbourhood

• Run 10 “pay-what-you-can” markets, helping residents access fresh, affordable produce

• Grow an estimated 1,625 pounds of vegetables, directly supporting food security in a community where healthy food options are limited

Your generosity didn’t just keep the farm running — it kept food on plates, young people employed, and a neighbourhood gathering place alive.

On behalf of all of us at reThink Green, thank you for believing in this work and helping us continue to grow community, resilience, and good food in the Flour Mill.

Green Collar Days Team Building

Volunteer

Green Collar Days

Bring your team together through reThink Green’s Corporate Team Building program at the Flour Mill Community Farm. Spend half a day outdoors, hands in the soil, strengthening team bonds while learning how food is grown, gathered, and processed—guided by our passionate experts in the field. After the work, relax and reconnect over a farm-fresh lunch made with ingredients grown right on-site. This unique experience boosts morale, fosters collaboration, and supports local sustainability.

Join us—grow your team’s potential while contributing directly to a greener, healthier Sudbury!

media

“Sudbury’s first urban community farm has launched a new fundraising initiative to help fund their programming next season. The Flour Mill Community Farm was established in 2017 and this past year, the group marked its sixth growing season. Just in time for the holidays, the farm is selling Canadian-made T-shirts and crewneck shirts.”

CTV News (2022)
“Sudbury’s first urban farm, the Flour Mill Community Farm, held its annual open house on Aug. 17, the sixth year for the event. It’s a chance to celebrate the beginning of the harvest and the hard work that has gone into the garden.”

Sudbury.com (2022)
“Did you know there is an urban farm located in the heart of the Flour Mill?The Flour Mill Community Farm is the first urban farm in Northeastern Ontario, and employs students to grow tomatoes, carrots, zucchinis, strawberries, radishes and more.“

Sudbury.com (2020)
"For the neighbours, students and volunteers, the experience comes down to gaining self-confidence, but also, simply learning where food comes from. 'A lot of people don't know how food grows,' [the farm director] said, 'and here, they're seeing all the steps of a farm to farm to market process and just seeing how much food we can be growing on a small scale.'"

Sudbury.com (2023)
"Demilade Osuntokun, 16, said she's getting the opportunity to learn a variety of new things. 'I get to see how squash, some cucumber, zucchini, how some plants are grown,' Osuntokun said. 'You learn about how worms can be of good help to the soil and about how to actually plant some fruits. [...] 'You know exactly what's going into your body. It's not like the ones you buy from the store,' she said."

CT News (2024)
"Up until this past week, all focus has been on preparing the soil, tending to the plants, and sharing knowledge and experience with their team of youth employees. The work has begun to pay off, as the fresh organic fruits and vegetables grown in the Sudbury soil are reaching harvest quality. The first crop of 2024 was a basket of zucchini. "

Sudbury.com (2024)

volunteer with us!

Interested in volunteering with the Flour Mill Community Farm? Sign up here for updates!

The Flour Mill Community Farm, an urban farm initiative in Sudbury, Ontario, is offering a structured Summer Youth Volunteer Program that allows high school students to earn up to 120 community service hours. Students volunteer 15 hours per week through hands-on work in sustainable agriculture, food security, and community outreach.
Open to all Ontario high school students (Grades 9–12)
- Location: Flour Mill Community Farm, Sudbury, ON
- Duration: July to August (8 weeks)
- Schedule: 3 days/week (Tuesday–Thursday), 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM (1-hour lunch break)
- Total Hours: 15 hours/week = up to 120 hours available
- Supervision: Students are always supervised by trained staff and mentors
- Verification: Students receive signed documentation confirming completed hours
Support the 40-hour community service requirement for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD)
Promote experiential learning in areas like:
- Environmental stewardship
- Sustainable food systems
- Climate change and resilience
- Civic engagement and volunteerism
- Develop soft skills including teamwork, responsibility, leadership, and communication
- Urban farming (planting, weeding, harvesting, composting)
- Farm market operations (customer service, produce preparation)
- Community outreach and event support
- Educational workshops on food justice, environmental sustainability, and Indigenous knowledge
- Peer collaboration and reflective journaling
This program complements Grade 9–12 curriculum expectations in:
- Geography (environmental sustainability, human impact)
- Civics & Careers (active citizenship, community involvement)
- Science & Environmental Science (ecology, agriculture, climate change)
- Cooperative Education & SHSM (Green Industries, Environment, Non-Profit)
- Share this opportunity with students seeking meaningful volunteer hours.
- Connect interested students with the application process.
- Contact us to arrange presentations or printed materials for your school

“I enjoyed seeing everything grow over each week. I enjoyed seeing it get bigger and looking healthy and beautiful. [...] We’ve got a really good program going on here, we’re giving back to the community.”

— FMCF Youth Employment Program student, 2024