Fiddlehead Care Farm

Fiddlehead Care Farm (FCF) is a not-for-profit, accessible, therapeutic Care Farm in Mono, Ontario, which serves people of all ages and abilities. Our mission is to give children, youth and young adults with developmental, physical, emotional and behavioural needs, and their families, the opportunity to learn, experience and grow through innovative, animal-assisted therapy and nature-based education, rehabilitation and recreation.

The 50-acre working organic farm, consisting of 30-acres of conservation (woodland and ponds) and accessible forest trails, provides a natural environment allowing clients with a variety of needs to explore and experience true freedom without boundaries. Although the care farming model is well established in other countries, FCF is the first Care Farm in Canada. Our goal is to harness the healing and calming properties of nature to improve quality of life and help clients reach their potential and become their best self.

FCF provides a full range of counseling, recreation and life skills learning opportunities. Nature exploration and appreciation is at the core of everything we do. Support is provided to vulnerable populations such as those with a diagnosis of Autism, ADHD, Brain Injury, Developmental Delay, trauma, anxiety, depression, and/or behavioural challenges who often are not effectively served in traditional clinical, school, camp or recreational settings. 

Coming from a strength-based and play-focused perspective, our programs, described below, are tailored to the individual needs and goals of each client, family or group.

Our individual and family counselling services offer evidence-based and goal-directed therapy to children, youth and young adults and their families. Incorporating nature, horticultural therapy and animal-assisted therapy to target specific goals, instills a sense of accomplishment, joy and calmness, empowering an individual to conquer the challenges life has given them.

Family, schools and community group visits are supported on the farm. Groups participate in hands-on learning on environmental topics and participate in exploration activities such as trail hiking, pond dipping, and taking care of the farm animals. FCF’s self-guided farm visiting program allows families to visit all the ecosystems of the farm, providing a nurturing environment for gardening, visiting the animals and exploring the nature trails. 

Our summer camp is based on similar principles. Offered to kids and young adults with unique physical, developmental and psychosocial needs and their siblings, the low staff-to-camper ratio allows campers to work on personal goals in an inclusive and safe environment.

Through the “Adopt-A-Plot” program, families and groups have an opportunity to purchase a plot of FCF organic farmland to plant, nurture, grow and harvest their own crops for personal use or donation.

FCF welcomes individuals with developmental, learning, or mental health challenges to volunteer on the farm with the goal of learning farm, life and social skills. Other recreational programming includes FCF’s special events, such as barn dances, our Spook-essible Halloween event, outdoor accessible movie screenings and “Fiddlehead Fest” nature festival.

FCF services clients and families over a large geographical area in Ontario including Dufferin, Simcoe, Bruce-Grey, Wellington and Peel counties.