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Many Hands
Many Roots. One Harvest.
Our Mission
Many Hands Urban Farm Collective is a 9-acre urban farm in Toronto's Downsview Park, where community, nature, and food come together. We're a group of urban farmers, educators, composters, and local organizations working side by side to improve access to healthy food and green space — our member groups joined under a single not-for-profit umbrella.
The Collective manages the farm, handles day-to-day operations, and connects our diverse community. Our vision is simple: a shared space that offers fair access to land, practical knowledge about growing food, and opportunities in urban agriculture.
Our History
Many Hands Urban Farm Collective was formed as a non-profit corporation in 2024, in response to the need to maintain land access at Downsview Park Farm. In Spring 2025, we secured a long-term, 20-year land tenure agreement with Canada Lands Company — a major milestone that gave our member organizations a stable, lasting home.
We're currently finishing our second season as stewards of the farm space. Alongside active production, we've been building out the organizational side of the Collective — governance, operations, and the systems that let member groups work together on shared land.
Membership carries both benefit and responsibility. Members receive long-term land access and are expected to contribute to Board meetings, committee work (Operations, Finance, Governance, Networking), and the overall maintenance and upkeep of the farm.
Founding Members
Homestead T.O.
Our vision at Homestead T.O. is for Torontonians to have the skills and confidence to grow their own food in whatever space they have available, to have access to healthy, affordable, and locally grown vegetables, and to make a difference in their community and our environment.
Crooked Farmz
Crooked Farmz is a Toronto-based microfarm producing small-batch composts and aerobic compost teas for use in agriculture, horticulture, and arboriculture.
SARN Farms
SARN Farms, founded by Arnest Sebbumba, is an urban organic farm dedicated to providing the freshest, sustainably grown produce to our local community.
Ubuntu Community Farm
Ubuntu Community Farm provides opportunities to reconnect with the land and learn about our plant relatives. We believe in hiring our youth, exposing them to career opportunities, and paying them a fair, living wage.
YMCA
At YMCA of Greater Toronto, our small-scale market garden approach to farming allows us to grow a great diversity of crops sustainably.
Zawadi Farm
Our mission at Zawadi Farm is to promote sustainable, organic, and regenerative agricultural practices while nurturing a vibrant community of mutual support through food networks.
Join the Many Hands Collective
We're growing! New member organizations and growers can apply for plots on the farm as space becomes available. Browse what's currently open below, and let us know you're interested — no commitment required at this stage.
Joining the Many Hands Urban Farm Collective means farming as part of a shared operation, not on your own. Members work a full production farm with the infrastructure, equipment, and community already in place — so a new grower can put energy into growing, not building from scratch:
9 acres of overall farm space, with the majority in production and a reserve maintained for pollinator species and ecosystem stewardship
Two 120-foot production greenhouses with propane heating for season extension
Wash and pack station
Walk-in cooler
Metered water supply to each field plot
Steady supply of free woodchip mulch
Shared use of walk-behind tractor with rotary plow, tiller, and flail mower implements
Shared tool library
Secure shipping container storage space
On-farm wifi capability
Comprehensive lock and security camera system
Opportunities for collective purchasing between members
Potential for collaboration with the adjacent Zawadi Barn event space
Annual Open House field day during Toronto Urban Agriculture Week
A knowledgeable and supportive community of experienced growers
Available Plots - 2027 Season
1. South Wedge Plot
Area: 10,000 sq.ft
Description: This is the first plot a visitor sees when coming into the driveway gate to Many Hands Farm. It is a triangle-shaped plot ideal for a member seeking a high-visibility area in which to grow. Has been cover-cropped in the past, but otherwise unbroken ground. Convenient access to compost and mulch depots, plus the main parking lot.
2. North Plot (Large)
Area: 8,775 sq.ft
Description: This plot faces north out towards the central pond area in Downsview Park. It is the most remote from both the parking lot and the farmyard where tools and mulch reside. Very convenient access to the wash/pack and cooler stations. Has been cover-cropped in the past, but otherwise unbroken ground. A generous area for market garden farming before sloping away to the north into a more protected pollinator corridor -- terrace gardening may be possible where the slope begins. Honeybee hives are located in the adjacent plot.
3. North Plot (Micro)
Area: 2,000 sq.ft
Description: A small plot with the same characteristics as the larger North Plot. Applicants may choose to consider both of these parcels together as a single parcel exactly a quarter-acre in size, or those with lesser space requirements for growing may choose to be considered for the North Micro Plot as a standalone option.
4. Central Plot
Area: 10,000 sq.ft
Description: A well-maintained market garden plot that has become available as the current member downsizes their farm footprint. This soil has been well cared for over the past several years, cover cropped on occasion, and has seen good yields. It is in the heart of the farm in a space thriving with activity around other farm members. Drainage tile is included in this area of the farm.
5. Interior Farmyard
Area: 1,800 sq.ft
Description: On the west side of the interior farmyard space, just behind the greenhouse but before the North field plots begin. Compacted space perhaps less suitable for in-ground growing and cultural management practices. No drainage tile. Excellent potential for projects complementary to urban agriculture at the farm, or for novel above-ground growing approaches.
Expression of Interest
Please fill out the short form below to register your interest. Many Hands Urban Farm Collective will contact you once our team has looked over your application, and selected applicants will be invited to proceed with a more formal application.
We're seeking experienced farmers and growers, as well as other potential related operations that may fit into the overall ecology of the Collective. The plots listed above are one way to join the farm, but we also welcome other ideas and non-traditional submissions — if you think you belong here, we want to hear from you.
Urban agriculture is our primary focus, with food sovereignty, land access, and community growing central to our core values. Applications from all stages of the business or organizational life cycle are welcome, from an idea still taking shape to an established operation looking for new land.
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