Hi, I’m Jonathan
Organic farmer, coach, and nerd.
I currently own and operate Ottawa Farm Fresh, a diversified peri-urban market farm, on-farm retail store, and event space located 12 minutes from the center of Ottawa, Ontario (the capital of Canada).
But this isn’t my first rodeo…
My wife and I actually started farming using draft horses in Quebec back in 2010. Then in 2017 we let go of everything and converted our Sprinter delivery truck into a camper and hit the road with our 3-year-old son for a 3-year Van-Life sabbatical/road trip.
The experience of walking away from the hard-earned success of our first farm was simultaneously one of the most exciting and terrifying decisions I’ve ever made, and I’m so grateful for it! Having 3 years away from the farm allowed me a new perspective and created the space for new learnings and enterprises. It was during this time that I was certified as a Life Coach and started working with farmers as a coach and consultant. Since then, I’ve had the pleasure of working with over 45 farms and entrepreneurs.
After three years of traveling and coaching I was itching to get back into actually running my own farm again and I was excited to implement some of the new perspectives and systems I had developed during our sabbatical. Hence was born our new farm, Ottawa Farm Fresh! Thanks to the opportunity to rent land owned by the federal government with 25-year lease minutes from downtown, we have been able to rapidly grow the business to the heights of our wildest dreams, while at the same time maintaining a certain balance and cultivating our non-farming passions of dance, movement, and acro yoga.