Farms in Toronto You Can Visit: Riverdale, Black Creek and More

The City of Toronto describes Riverdale Farm as a historic working farm with 7.5 acres, including wooded areas, ponds and butterfly, herb, flower and vegetable gardens. The City’s Riverdale Farm contact details list free admission. It is at 201 Winchester Street. Use the two main gates, one at Winchester and the other at Riverdale Park West.

What you will see: the City says domesticated waterfowl, chickens, turkeys and pigs live in and around the Pig and Poultry Barn. The Francey Barn, just inside the main gates, was built in 1858 on a farm in Markham Township and donated to the City in 1977. It is a Pennsylvania Bank Barn, a rare style of architecture, according to the City.

There is history underfoot too. The farm officially opened on September 9, 1978. Before that, the site held the Riverdale Zoo, which the City says opened in 1894 as Toronto’s first zoo and operated until 1974, when the animals moved to the Metro Toronto Zoo.

It works in winter, too. The City says paths are cleared to all of the animal paddocks, and the Simpson House has a resting and warming area with public washrooms. A few house rules: the City lists dogs, bicycles, in-line skates, foot scooters, ride toys and vehicles as not allowed on the farm.

For the crafty crowd, the Meeting House has pottery and spinning and weaving rooms, with classes offered seasonally from September to June. Our Cabbagetown heritage walk is a good companion read.

Near Jane and Steeles, Black Creek Community Farm sits on an eight-acre property with farmland, a heritage farmhouse and barn, and a forest that extends into the Black Creek ravine. The address is 4929 Jane Street, which the farm describes as the corner of Jane and Steeles. The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority lists the farm at the same address, founded in 2013.

The farm says it is open to walk-in visitors during its public open hours, with no entrance fee. You can use the outdoor picnic area and take a self-guided walk around the garden paths and trails. The farm asks visitors not to enter the buildings, feed the chickens or pick from the gardens without staff guidance. Its produce is grown for sale or for programming.

Winter works differently. The farm’s site lists winter visits, November to April, as by appointment, so plan ahead for the cold months.

The farm says it is a short walk or bus ride from Pioneer Village subway station. During the growing season, it stocks an on-site farm stand with freshly harvested produce from its fields. It also runs a Harvest Share, a vegetable subscription program. Check the farm’s site for the current season, since the farm stand and the Harvest Share follow the growing year.

Evergreen says its Saturday Farmers Market is open year-round, connecting people in Toronto to local Ontario farmers and producers. It moves with the seasons: outdoors under the pavilions from May to October, and indoors in the TD Future Cities Centre from November to April.

Evergreen says it started the market in 2007 with 25 local farmers and producers and describes it as the largest year-round farmers market in Toronto. It also says all of its vendors are within a 205 km radius of the Brick Works.

Evergreen advertises a free shuttle bus between Evergreen Brick Works and Broadview Subway Station, so check the schedule on its page before you plan your route. For more on the site, see our Evergreen Brick Works guide.