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Ironwood Organics is a small farm located in eastern Ontario. We have recently expanded (by an order of magnitude!), and produce cereals including wheat, rye, oats and barley. Our primary passion is landrace wheat. We believe that a mixed farm model, pre 1950, along with organic agriculture practices will provide a stable sustainable farming model that enhances biodiversity, produces premium products, and minimizes ecological impact.

Our mission is to be a leader in growing nutrient dense heritage grains while supporting a strong baking and brewing community.

Keeping the landrace cereal varieties alive is an investment in our future. It may be a long shot, but having seeds that are 'climate ready' may save the day.... some day...some day soon.

Community is where we live, grow, eat, and prosper. The more connections in the community the stronger, more stable, vibrant and viable it becomes, (not unlike the environment in which we live).

The content on the different pages not only tell you what we grow and its uses and benefits to you, but also how we grow it, how it factors into organic agriculture, and how it fits into the diversified farm.

Organic

Organic farming is much more than a buzz word. It is a comprehensive set of practices, standards and tracability that must be adhered to by the producer. 2012 was our initial pre-certification year. In 2013, we became certified.

We like to think that while we follow the certification regime in crop production, we go far beyond that in the custodianship of the farms hedgerows, fallow fields and natural places.

In 2020, we have decided to withdraw from Canadian Organic Certification. While we will continue to follow organic regulation, we will no longer carry the certification logo.

Landrace Varieties

Landrace or heritage varieties are plants that contain genetic diversity which results in plants that are disease resistance, and can adapt over several generations to their local soils and climate. Effectively they breed themselves to be better adapted.

As the climate destabilized, and the severity and frequency of extremes increase, the ability of our crops to adapt will be fundamental.

Diversification

A diversified farm is a lot more work, but the crops mutually support each other in succession, resulting in a whole that is healthier and more resilient than its parts. It also depends less on man made inputs and more on nature's processes.

Perhaps more important than the crops, is the biodiversity in hedgerows and wild places on the farm. Nature at large supports hundreds of species in a tightly integrated orchestra of life and death. We have come to realize that it not the Species that are at risk, but their habitat.