Funding won’t go far enough for Island farm

By Jon Stoller  –

Baye Hunter remembers taking her young daughters to Far Enough Farm on Centre Island, where they would feed the animals, collect eggs, and even carry manure home for their garden.

Now, she is fighting to save the farm.

The Toronto attraction will close on June 30—another victim of municipal budget cuts, unless politicians and concerned citizens can find a way to raise the roughly $200,000 per year required to operate the farm.

“It is extremely unfortunate and troubling that with a narrow focus on cutting costs, we are diminishing the value of our city’s facilities,” says councilor Pam McConnell, whose ward encompasses the farm. “Far Enough Farm offers a rare opportunity for families to interact with animals in our city while enhancing the Island experience.”

To Hunter, the farm is an important public space. “Thousands of children from all cultures and walks of life visit the farm each year as a free side attraction of Centreville,” she says. “Many children in the city, particularly along the waterfront, live in apartments and rarely have the opportunity to see how a farm works, or to have contact with nature first-hand.”

City politicians began looking for a solution behind the scenes earlier this year when it became apparent that the farm wouldn’t survive the current budget agenda. When that didn’t produce results they issued a formal request for expressions of interest in hopes of finding a buyer. This, too, failed to garner any interest before the April 17 deadline.

Still, some remain hopeful: McConnell is currently working with the parks division to try and bundle the farm with the nearby Centreville amusement park. Next year, when Centreville’s current lease expires, a new contract could be drawn up that requires the operator to maintain both properties.

In the meantime, proponents hope to delay the closing of the farm until Dec. 31 so that a long-term solution can be found. “It doesn’t solve the problem, but it buys some time for everyone to try and address this issue,” says Steve Fry, president of the Friends of Toronto Island. “Perhaps to build up public opinion so that politicians realize that this isn’t really that costly. We also don’t want to close the farm right at the beginning of the summer.”

The Friends group is currently soliciting public donations to keep the farm operational for this year, and will be scheduling fundraising events in the coming weeks.

Some have also utilized social media to help raise awareness, including a Facebook page, a short YouTube video, and an online petition.

Despite the challenges, McConnell is optimistic it can be saved. “I am confident that it will remain in operation until the tender is issued,” she says. “I believe that the people of Toronto see that our city is greater than its basic functions, like snow removal and garbage collection. By removing such attractions and experiences, we are lessening the value of the city for both residents and visitors.”