Shared Harvest Community Farm

Haldimand County’s Rural Business and Tourism Community Improvement Plan (RBTCIP) helps support projects that strengthen rural businesses, promote tourism, and encourage investment in the agricultural and cultural assets that make Haldimand County unique. The success of Shared Harvest Community Farm demonstrates how the program can help local organizations expand their impact, support agricultural innovation, and preserve important community resources. 

Located on North Shore Drive in Dunnville, Shared Harvest is more than an organic farm. As a registered charitable organization, the farm provides certified organic produce while offering educational experiences focused on sustainable agriculture, healthy eating, and local food production. Through farm tours, workshops, community-supported agriculture, and initiatives such as Let’s Eat Right Dunnville, Shared Harvest connects residents and visitors with locally grown food and hands-on agricultural experiences.  Facilities to support programing included a commercial kitchen and processing areas used for washing, grading, preparing, preserving, and storing produce 

 To facilitate growth, improvements were needed to increase capacity, improve efficiency, and create a better experience for visitors. 

In 2018, Haldimand County supported Shared Harvest through the Rural Business and Tourism Community Improvement Plan with $31,765 in financial incentives toward a project valued at more than $91,000. This investment supported improvements to the farm’s commercial kitchen, outdoor processing areas, property accessibility, and restoration work to the historic Squire William Anthony Log Cabin located on the property. 

The project allowed Shared Harvest to reconfigure and improve its commercial kitchen with updated plumbing, cabinets, sinks, and work areas. Relocating the walk-in cooler and creating an outdoor kitchen space improved workflow and provided additional room for vegetable processing, food preparation, and educational programming. Property improvements, including driveway and parking upgrades, also helped create a safer and more welcoming environment for visitors. 

The project also helped protect an important piece of Dunnville’s history. The Squire William Anthony Log Cabin, a heritage-designated building believed to be connected to the area’s early settlement and commercial development, used as a space for workshops and experiential learning. The 2018 RBTCIP investment supported restoration efforts that helped maintain the building’s heritage features while ensuring it could continue to support community programming. 

Through these strategic community investments that Shared Harvest Community Farm has been able to grow its capacity, support local food initiatives, provide meaningful agricultural experiences, and preserve a significant piece of Haldimand County’s history. 

RBTCIP Program: Permit Refund, Heritage and Building Restoration   

Year: 2018 

RBTCIP Contribution (Grant): $31, 765