Upcoming Webinar: Funding and Financial Tools for Local Food and Farming Businesses
Posted: January 6, 2026
Categories: GoodFoodBites / News from Sustain Ontario / Opportunities
Join Sustain for a one-hour lunch webinar on Wednesday, January 28, focused on funding supports and financial tools available to local food and farming businesses across Ontario and Indigenous territories.
This session will feature presentations from the Fair Finance Fund and First Nations Agriculture & Finance Ontario (FNAFO), highlighting loan programs, financial supports, and resources available to farmers, food businesses, and organizations working to strengthen local food economies.
The webinar will include:
- A brief welcome and framing from Sustain Ontario
- A presentation from First Nations Agriculture & Finance Ontario
- A presentation from Fair Finance Fund
- A facilitated question and answer period
Speaker bios:
- Johanna Mercedes, Fair Finance Fund, Loan Officer & Social Finance Coordinator
(“yo-ha-nah”) is passionate about empowering entrepreneurs and enterprises with the resources and access to the capital they need to start, grow, and thrive in the local food and farm sector. She was born in northern Ontario, and raised between northern Ontario, the Gulf Islands, and Sea To Sky in BC. Johanna’s professional experience includes northern value chain coordination, remote community capacity building, and business technical assistance for BIPOC youth. Johanna has a degree in Environment & Business, where her studies focused on combining environmental and social impact metrics with profitability and economic growth. Johanna is also the author of a childrens’ book, Goodnight Moonlight! - Camden Lawrence, First Nations Agriculture & Finance Ontario, General Manager
Camden is a proud member of the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte and resides in the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. Raised on his family’s farm in the Stirling area, Camden went on to attend Nyack University in the United States on a golf scholarship. There, he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Sports Management, followed by a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership. After completing his studies, Camden built a career in the golf industry, managing golf courses across Ontario. Following his transition from the golf industry, Camden joined First Nations Agriculture & Finance Ontario (FNAFO), an Indigenous Financial Institution (IFI) serving communities across the province with offices in Tyendinaga (MBQ), Stirling, and Lambeth. He has been with the organization for over eight years, serving as General Manager for the past two. In this role, Camden has supported First Nations farming operations and businesses across Ontario. Today, he focuses on developing innovative programs and collaborating with governments and corporations to create stronger opportunities for First Nations businesses, communities, and the broader First Nations economy.
Date: Wednesday, January 28, 2026
Time: 12 – 1 p.m.
Location: Online via Zoom
Zoom registration link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/uMUE59IaTtKx6DmPU3sgHA
Only the presentations will be recorded to support a welcoming space for questions, with the recording shared afterward for those unable to attend live.
This webinar is part of Sustain’s Buy Local Food Network and New Farmers Network, supported through an OMAFA funded project.