In the Community

The Gleaning Project

The Thunder Bay District Health Unit, Food Action Network and Food Banks Ontario host a Gleaning Project in which Belluz Farms participates 4-5 times per season.  A bus load of adults, children, friends and families take a beautiful country drive to our Farm to harvest any extra crops we can donate.  The food is then brought back to homes that might not otherwise have the opportunity to enjoy fresh, local produce. It's a great way for local residents to get out of the city and participate in a farm setting!  We also have a partnership with the R.F.D.A. to get as much fresh, good food as possible into the Food Bank System and are approaching $25,000 in retail value.

Girl Guides and Youth Groups

We often host Fall Outing at our Farm for the members of local groups.  The kids have a fantastic time exploring the Farm on a Wagon Ride, running around our Mystical StrawHenge, getting lost in The Amazing Maze and more.  We offer half price rates for community groups.

Local Schools

Last fall we were excited to be able to donate pumpkins to a few groups for their annual pumpkin carving parties including the Military Family Resource Centre!

We also provide Spring & Fall School Tours from Jk/Sk to Grade 7&8. We believe in the importance of agricultural awareness, and our school tours provide a great opportunity for students to experience local farming first hand!

Fundraisers and Charities

We partner with different groups every year to help them raise funds for their activities.  We do have a selection process, but feel free to contact us.  Recently the Agnew School Sustainable Garden committee and the Sounds of Superior Chorus sold gift certificates for plants at our greenhouse.  Last Fall we helped 2 different hockey teams.  One group sold gift certificates for pumpkins and fall decor and the other group organized a work party to come to the farm and exchange labour picking pumpkins for funds.  Our goal is to keep it simple for organizers, help kids develop valuable skills, and make it a successful campaign with minimal stress for parents.

We also donate prizes or financial support to 5-10 different charities each year depending on our budget and the requests.  We've donated over $8000 to the United Way over the last few years as part of our Local Pumpkin program.

Speaking Engagements, Classes and Other Activities

We try to do as many speaking engagements as possible for community groups and organizations to help discussions about agriculture, local food, sustainable food production, preserving and root cellaring, etc.  In the last few years we've spoken to over 15 different classes and groups.  We are also active in our community on various boards and committees including being founding members of the Thunder Bay Country Market.

Local Labour

We employ only local labour on the farm for all our positions which means the money stays in the community.  Adding up the seasonal staff (50+) we employ the equivalent of over 10 full time jobs.  Over the last 40 years we've given nearly 1000 students a farm experience as one of their first jobs.  Our biggest demand is in late June and July for strawberry season, so if you're over the age of 16 and interested in a part-time job harvesting berries or customer service contact us near the end of May!