Foreign Agriculture Resource Management Services (F.A.R.M.S.)

Seasonal Agricultural Workers in Canada – An Employee Perspective Foreign Agriculture Resource Management Services (F.A.R.M.S.) provides information and services for farmers who would like to employ Seasonal Agricultural Workers for their agricultural operations. Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP), however, operates on a Canadian First basis. This means that all employment opportunities for seasonal agricultural work in Canada are first made available to qualified Canadian citizens and permanent residents before an application can be made to the SAWP. 

Five countries have a government-to-government agreement with Canada to provide seasonal agricultural farm workers: Barbados, Eastern Caribbean Islands, Jamaica, Mexico and Trinidad & Tobago. It is the employer’s choice to select the supply country that they wish to request workers from.  

The online resource has a multitude of resources for farmers and agricultural business owners who wish to recruit foreign temporary workers in Ontario. There are general principles listed for the seasonal agricultural program, information for new employers, how to apply for recruitment of foreign workers, and the procedure to post advertisements for recruitment.  

Other important topics on the website for Ontario agricultural businesses that wish to recruit temporary foreign workers include ensuring that the health and safety of the recruits are not compromised. F.A.R.M.S. also provides guidance and forms for this purpose. FARM Services also include assistance with seasonal housing inspections, one of the biggest sources of non-compliance with Service Canada. 

Information about program-related costs and services for support in applying, Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) process and form filling are also provided by F.A.R.M.S. Its office is located in Mississauga and can be reached via phone: 1-866-271-0862 or 905-568-4500 and email: farmsaccess@farms-canag.com.