“I saw the future of the climate crisis, and I was really thinking about what I could do,” says urban farmer Cheyenne Sundance. “I knew that something as simple as growing food meant that I could have income security, but also that I could eat it and then have security within myself.”
Sundance is one of many Canadians who have taken up urban farming. From rooftops to parking lots, urban farms are being planted across the country. For example, Toronto Metropolitan University’s rooftop garden can produce around 4,500 kilograms of fruit and vegetables annually.
It’s more than simply a means of eating local. Urban agriculture addresses issues like food insecurity, supply-chain management and climate change.
How It All Began: Urban Farming in Toronto
In 2019, Sundance started farming in Toronto’s Downsview Park. It’s a 231-hectare multi-use green area in the city’s northwest. This urban farm started with just 75 square metres. But with help from a staff of up to four people (depending on the season), her plot grew to 6,070 square metres in three years. Her farm, aptly named Sundance Harvest, produced herbs, mushrooms, tomatoes, vegetables, flowers and more.
She kept the farm alive on leased plots for five years, before finally buying a farm in Mount Forest, Ont. in 2024. They are currently cultivating 2 acres of cut-flowers, tender fruit, herbs, vegetables and raising small livestock. She also manages an educational market garden at the Commons Woodbine Racetrack.
Setting New Standards: Fair Pay, Transparency and Mentorship
But it’s about more than just producing fresh, local food. She is also creating a blueprint for other young people to fight social injustice while building a sustainable business. “My staff, like me, are Black and Indigenous,” she says. “Everyone is paid fairly. We have a year-round operation that grosses more than a lot of farms. We really want to professionalize farming.”
Sundance also co-founded Sundance Commons, an agricultural non-profit that provides land and market access, mentorship and equipment to new farmers at no cost. These farmers are also able to grow their business across the five incubator farms that Sundance Commons manages.
“[Many] farmers starting out today are women, queer, trans, two-spirit or BIPOC, and many of them don’t have access to the large organic-grocery sales channels that need you to produce, like, 200 heads of lettuce or 1,000 pounds of tomatoes,” says Sundance.
“A lot of small farms are half an acre, and they’re just getting started in their first year. So we’re going to bridge that gap between them and farmers’ markets and large distributors.”
Sundance sells wholesale to small grocery stores, like Rise Up Foods in Toronto’s West end. In 2025, she also vended at local farmers markets, like the Dufferin Grove Farmers Market. Importantly, customers are able to learn about who is growing their food and how the workers are treated. Sundance says this is a response to the agriculture industry’s reliance on low-paid migrant workers and unpaid internships.
“We’re going to have an open-door policy,” she says of the transparency. “I feel like this is the future of agriculture.”
Changing the Urban Farmer System From Within
It might seem ambitious, but it’s par for the course in Sundance’s urban farmer career. She taught herself, found mentors and created an equitable ecosystem that has quickly proven to be needed and wanted.
“Any system change you want to see, there’s rarely going to be someone who has provided the blueprint,” says Sundance. “I knew nothing when I started. I had $300 in my savings account and a $5,000 grant to pay my first month’s rent and get all the supplies needed to make the harvest that month.”
Despite the scarce resources and initial jitters, her farm and agricultural initiatives have blossomed into a vibrant community. “I didn’t know what was going to happen. [But] I ran through the fire, and I came out. I’m proud that I did that,” says the urban farmer.
Discover more Homegrown Heroes from ELLE Gourmet, in partnership with Wines of Ontario
- Chef Ned Bell Shares Tips for Sustainable Cooking on a Budget: The B.C.-based chef explains why sustainability is so important to him, and how to buy seasonal seafood for less.
- Behind Kebaonish, an Indigenous and Woman-Led Drink Company: Located on Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory in Ontario, this coffee and tea brand is infused with cultural teachings.
- Bonton and Company’s Fresh Approach to Local Yukon Ingredients: Owner Shelby Jordan talks about how the award-wining restaurant got started and her guiding principles as a butcher.
