The Barrett Centre exists as a department within Durham College to provide meaningful innovations within the food, farming and education sector to address some of societies complex issues. Complex Issues, like lack of food security are not clean cut – single solution problems – one cannot draw a line around the edge of where the problem begins and ends.  At the Barrett Centre we work in a multifaceted context in order to support solutions from a variety of angles and perspectives. 

 The adoption of sustainable urban agriculture, including indoor and regenerative farming methods offers socio-economic solutions that build resiliency into our communities, create financial opportunities for people, and help support localized food security; while also enhancing the local environment with biodiversity and improved soil and air quality.

 The Barrett Centre also engages with municipal and regional government, to provide meaningful policy recommendations for the implementation of urban agriculture; while working toward enhancing communities by providing a range of wrap around supports to provide individuals a foundation to grow from.   

These critical supports include providing formal and informal education and opportunities that foster innovation, entrepreneurship, self-reliance, community resilience, and environmental repurposing. 

Post Secondary educational institutions like ourselves, working within this sphere are uniquely positioned to lead the way in the adoption, expansion and operation of multi-functional urban agriculture.

It has been an incredible honour to be a part of the development and operation of this small but mighty – multifunctional, urban farm.

Across the many conversations I have on a daily basis and echoed from literature, it is clear that policy makers, educators, entrepreneurs and new growers are in favour of increasing urban agriculture. But why?

Rural agriculture, with large scale production and the many efficiencies of machinery have proven that is has the capacity to grow large volumes of food to feed growing populations, world wide.

What separates urban agriculture is not it’s capacity to grow food, but because of its proximity to the densely populated areas. making it uniquely positioned to offer much needed Community-Based opportunities in addition to the production of food.  

Ontario is Canada’s largest producer of soybeans and corn, accounting for approximately 60% of grain corn and soybean production in Canada.  According to Data Ontario, Ontario Soybean exports represent 949.3 million Canadian Dollars, Ontario wheat and other seeds represent 748 million Canadian Dollars.

Think about how much land is producing food for the sole purpose of exports, millions of acres, and with rapid developments and agricultural land loss across much of the province, alternative sources for local food production being distributed to local people, is and will continue to become increasingly important feature within the agricultural sector. 

In the literature, Urban Agriculture is being positioned as multifunctional green infrastructure.  Many studies including the 2022 journal article in Cities, Ecosystem services of urban agriculture and prospects for scaling up production: A study of Detroit by Newell, demonstrate that urban agriculture has the capacity to provide access to food and cultural services and key ecosystem services including reduced storm water flows, reduced carbon emissions and increased biodiversity that are desperately needed within our urban centre’s.

We recognize that Urban Agriculture is not the only aspect of the solution to fix all of the challenges within the socio-economic system.  Many in our communities are not currently positioned to start their own urban agriculture sites; that is why it is critical for institutions like ourselves, who have the funding, connections and knowledge to lead the way, to create an accessible, affordable and inclusive framework for the promotion and adoption of urban agriculture.

When the cultural and ecosystem services of any given community are met, all individuals in that system benefit. 

The Urban Growers program is an excellent example of urban agriculture opening the opportunity for connection while at the same time building social capital. The Community Development Council of Durham’s (CDCD) Urban Growers cohort was a group of 10 newcomers to Canada from countries including Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and Trinidad and Tobago. The program included nine 2 hour sessions over three months; taking clients from planning and field prep through seeding and tending to plants all the way to harvest!

Each week we met at 10am, and with a Durham Region Transit stop at the Ajax Urban Farm’s door step, participants were able to use public transportation to come and go from the farm with ease. As the program went on, participants started coordinating with each other outside of programming hours, so that they were riding the same bus together to the farm. They would arrive to the farm laughing and smiling – moving from strangers to a cohesive and supportive group formed by shared experience.  

One couple in particular exemplifies this notion of building social capacity through urban agriculture programming.  The wife who is the self-proclaimed “outgoing” one of the pair came to the first session to see if it was worth attending (spoiler alert it was).  In the second session, her Husband joined but hung back from the group and chose not to speak to anyone else; Each week he became more and more involved.  Eventually he joined in as folks would share stories of food and gardening from their lives “back home” and would revel in the similarities and differences they found growing here.

In our final week, of programming, the Husband explained that before attending the farm, he would barely leave the house, not confident enough to travel on public transportation. However, having a positive meaningful experience waiting for him, with a group of people who developed a social bond by working together, he was able to kickstart his life again.  It is stories like this that showcase how critical cultural services are to individuals in our communities. 

As fewer people have the practice of gardening in their front yard, or chatting with neighbours at a mailbox – it is important that intentionally cultivated community spaces are developed to fill this social need. 

The Barrett Centre Ajax Farm, also facilitated a cultural service through sharing the harvest with our program attendees. 

We often begin our sessions with story telling and sharing under the Tent. Once the harvest season began, we had the opportunity to send food home with participants. The participants would bring samples or pictures of their cooking to share with newfound friends – sharing culturally relevant recipes with produce grown here in Ontario. 

Names of vegetables and herbs in different languages were shared and plants that seemed unfamiliar became known.

Many of our participants reported back that they had shared their harvest with others who are a part of the wider CDCD networks, and that they had gathered outside of the sessions to cook and eat, or taken food over to family to prepare specialty meals to celebrate their accomplishment in harvesting.

The successes of this program is a statement to the sense of accomplishment and meaningful community connection that can have long lasting impact on individuals and community because of Institutionally managed urban agriculture. 

One of my favourite definitions of food literacy is shared by Omidvar, in a 2022 paper titled Effects of school-based interventions on Food and Nutrition Literacy in primary-school-age children: a systematic review that can be defined as a set of inter-related knowledge, skills and behaviours that are required to plan, procure and produce meals that meet an individual’s dietary requirement. 

It is important to note that in order to have the greatest impact we need to teach all three, knowledge, skills and behaviours.  Without the skill of chopping or sautéing, the knowledge of a recipe is not helpful; without the habit and behaviours of cooking at home, the skill to chop is not needed – and so on.  

It is well studied that childhood and adolescence, are key timeframes where eating habits are established and often carried throughout adult life. A 2012 paper published in the Public Health Nutrition by Laska, Larson, Neumark-sztainer and Story, titled Does involvement in food preparation track from adolescence to young adulthood and is it associated with better dietary quality? Findings from a 10-year longitudinal study.   They Identify that early prevention and education in relation to food literacy is a key to helping to build communities that have the capability to nourish themselves.

This season, the Barrett Centre had our pilot year of programming and offered a range of engagement options, including community wide open house days, one-time workshops and, ongoing “Urban Growers” Programming. The positive shift we observed within our local community, was incredible. 

When institutions prioritize a wide range of opportunities within the urban setting, to ensure that individuals have the ability we engage in meaningful social connection the whole community becomes stronger.  We have seen firsthand that urban agriculture is an effective vehicle for that connection and community cohesion.

In a literature review published by Aran et al, in 2023 titled Patterns of Suicide and Suicidal Ideation in Relation to Social Isolation and Loneliness in Newcomer Populations in the Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, it is identified that social isolation and loneliness are “twice as harmful to physical health than obesity” and that social isolation often leads to further mental health crisis such as depression and suicide, with particularly high rates among new comer populations.

Providing accessibility within an agricultural space is another service that the Ajax Farm is able to offer. For many, rural agriculture is not accessible.  In these areas, there is minimal public transportation, and upon arrival many farms are not outfitted with accessible paths or rest stops. There is large machinery that can pose safety hazards and a host of unknown and unexpected sensory experiences. 

In a Literature review conducted by Kapsalis et al in 2022, titled “Disabled by Design: effects of inaccessible urban public spaces on users of mobility assistive devices – a systematic review” it is sited that access to outdoor environments is exceedingly limited, with pathways as a primary culprit, as without a pathway, one cannot traverse to the outdoors let alone enjoy the space.

When individuals are excluded from outdoor environments, due to inherent barriers (such as climbing a rock face), intentional barriers (such as installing a non-accessible infrastructure like stairs without a ramp) or non-intentional barriers (like farms with bumpy dirt paths), it can create situations where individuals who require accessibility infrastructure are exposed to higher rates of accidents, navigation challenges, undue fatigue and physical pain. Because of this they may experience a loss of contact with nature or experience an unwillingness to socialize.  All of which significantly reduces health and quality of life outcomes. 

Agricultural pathways specifically can pose a significant source of hazard, especially on farms where pathways are often narrow, rough and uneven or sloped. Many farms do not have the financial capacity or desire to implement the infrastructure that would be required to make safe pathways for mobility aid users. While at the same time in Durham Region, Agritourism is increasing in popularity within farming communities; becoming a prominent aspect of the agriculture industry. 

In 2023, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture completed a survey which attracted 492 respondents.  28% of respondents noted that their businesses had been selling directly to consumers for 20 years or more, while 37% noted that they had started selling direct to consumer in the past five years.  And 38% percent of respondents noted that they do not currently offer agritourism, but that they are starting to look at adding agritourism into their operations. These responses indicate the shift of Ontario farms toward agritourism as a viable business model. 

Currently, the Region of Durham is undergoing a project titled “Enabling Agriculture-Related and On-Farm Diversified Uses in North Durham”. The study focused on helping to update policy related to on-farm diversified activities and the application and approval process for these activities within the Townships of Brock, Scugog and Uxbridge.  Launching in April 2024, the draft recommendations are now being prepared.  The intention of this policy shift will be to help family farmers establish tourism opportunities and diversified income to support the farm operations. 

This is an important step to build economic resiliencies – however, for those with accessibility needs, they often do not have the capacity to enjoy agritourism opportunities. If I were to ask the question, “Where are the barriers for you, as an able-bodied person with transportation, to attend a pick your own strawberry day”, There will be the packing, organizing kids, figuring out a stroller on uneven terrain, travel and expenses, packing the sunscreen.  But for someone who has decreased mobility, the barriers are insurmountable.

Thinking back to a few farms I have worked at or visited, I began to wonder where are the barriers?

• To arrive at the farm, you need private transportation – barrier –

• You must navigate across fields turned car parks – barrier –

• Board a tractor wagon, by climbing up large often steep steps – barrier –

• Disembark from that tractor wagon by jumping down or navigating steep steps – barrier

• Navigate uneven and rough paths to the picking area often with large divots from tractors working on soft ground —barrier

• You must traverse down narrow paths, crowded with other visitors – barrier –

• You must bend down or kneel to the ground without support reach the berries – barrier –

We recognize that all people, deserve and NEED equal access to natural spaces, gardens and experiential learning opportunities, and this is where Urban Agriculture can play a role.  In order to make the Ajax Urban Farm more accessible, we have installed several infrastructure features to help reduce the barriers typically found in agriculture including: being on a public transportation route, level packed gravel pathway around the garden, raised beds that are designed for those who cannot bend, and beds designed for those in a seated position, AODA compliant picnic benches, and frequent rest stops. 

We recognize that we are at the early stages of making this farm fully accessible. Through meaningful consultation with community organizations such as Grandview Kids, Alzheimer’s Society of Durham and independent individuals within our community, we continue to improve inclusivity. Steps yet to come include, installing signage that can serves as communication boards for non-verbal individuals, developing garden ranges with wider paths and accessible options in-row, and ranges dedicated for community engagement. 

The compact nature of urban agriculture, our connection to Durham College and the support we receive from the Barrett Family Foundation allows us to continue to improve the Farm’s overall inclusivity and accessibility through effective design. 

One of our foundational pillars of activity at the Barrett Centre is education.  While the diploma programs at Durham College focus on food science, the trade of farming and horticulture technician skills – the Barrett Centre’s education focuses on increasing community-based food literacy and reconnecting students with the simple but powerful act of growing food.

The Dual Credit class is a partnership between Durham College, the Barrett Centre and the Durham Catholic District School Board, where in the same class period, students earn a grade 11 Environmental Science Credit and a first year Vegetable Propagation credit from Durham College Food and Farming program. The class is jointly hosted within the high school for lectures and at Ajax Urban Farm for labs, prioritizing experiential learning.  The Barrett Centre Ajax Farm is uniquely positioned next to two high schools providing classes with access and continuous positive engagement with the farm space.

This turned into an incredible opportunity for a group of students to experience agricultural theory, complimented by practical experience while gaining food literacy skills – non of which would have been possible without the inclusion of urban agriculture in the community. 

There are two anecdotes that I will share about the impact that this class had on students. 

The first is about the humble sunflower seeds.  In one of the first lectures, the professor discusses edible parts of the plant.  How lettuce is a leaf, carrots are a root.  Though to some this may seem like very basic information -- for a lot of students this is very unfamiliar territory.

Introducing the classification of plants, through a high engagement lesson on what is edible, provides them botanical context to what they eat.

There was a hilarious moment when a student was able to connect the idea that the sunflower seeds you eat are actually connected to sunflower the plant – a lot of kids who grow up in urban spaces, are so disconnected from the food system that they often really don’t have any idea that their food doesn’t come from the grocery store – it comes from a plant!

The second anecdote that I want to share is the impact that this mighty urban farm had on students’ post-secondary pathways. In the beginning of the semester, many of the students spoke about the fact that they had no interest in going to any kind of post – secondary and that they felt it was not an option for them –

By the end of the semester, with a successful credit in their pocket and a positive post-secondary experience, they were excited about touring the “big campus” and exploring what other post – secondary options were out there! By introducing unexpected, interesting and accessible pathways to post-secondary education, urban agriculture helps to improve the life outcomes for many students in our community.

There are two primary ways that the Barrett Centre provides food literacy education at an early age.  The first is the Food IQ program and the second is through our online learning and resource distribution.

The Food IQ program operates out of the Durham College Whitby Campus Professional Kitchen Labs, and is modified to meet a wide age range of students from grade 6 – 12. 

Each workshop begins with a short lesson, where students learn about shopping on a budget, the financial and nutritional differences between eating out and eating at home, the benefit of growing your own food and introducing the field to fork model. 

Students then have the opportunity to work in the professional kitchens.  Learning essential culinary skills to create a nutrient dense and delicious meal, lead by Barrett Centre staff.  The recipes they create are intended to be appealing and easy for the students to replicate at home, like veggie fajitas.

In these Food IQ Sessions, we witnessed that students were proud of the food that they prepared with their own hands.  We have received a great deal of positive feedback from teachers who were surprised and impressed that their students were excited about healthy food options.  

In terms of asset distribution, the Barrett Centre hosts an online Urban Agriculture Community Portal, that houses a variety of digital resources.  The Knowledge Centre hosts growing tips and tricks, articles to help people grocery shop on a budget, activities for school aged kids that compare the cost of eating at home vs eating out, a range of seasonally appropriate and cost-effective recipes. 

In addition to providing the digital database to the public for no cost, the barrett Centre actively distributes the information to community through our newsletter with over 500 subscribers, thousands of printed copies to local food banks and at various events including the Community Care Durham mobile food market, or other pop-up information stands. 

An exciting element that is in development now, is a series the Barrett Centre’s open-source learning pathways.  These are being designed to provide youth, second career or any other interested community members, both domestic and abroad with relevant and reliable education, beginning with urban agriculture and developing outward into related fields within the urban agri-food sector.

As we continue to increase food literacy within our communities’ youth, we hope that they share that knowledge with the adults around them, and carry those skills, knowledge and behaviours throughout their life.  Understanding that education without access is only half of the story.

When speaking to the social and educational benefits it is important to highlight those impacts go far beyond moments on the farm.  To support the social determinants of long – term health and wellness outcomes within our community.

A 2013 article by Shankar et al, titled Education as a Social Determinant of Health: Issues Facing Indigenous and Visible Minority Students in Postsecondary Education in Western Canada, echo the understanding that the social determinants of health include economic status, access to food, access to housing, a social safety net and education. 

Their research suggests that the level of education becomes a strong indicator of long-term health and of quality of life.  Education shapes their employment options; and is a component in making informed life decisions.  Post-secondary education is often a minimum requirement for jobs that offer a life with the capacity to support an individual’s social needs. 

When looking at the impact of the Barrett Centre Urban Farm, we are benefitting health outcomes by providing nutrient dense food and a place for community connection.  Simultaneously developing pathways to post secondary education, all through programming at the farm site. 

From an operational point of view, one of the benefits of being a part of an institution is that we have access to a wealth of support and knowledge that would not be as easily available to the average entrepreneur. 

As part of the college, the Barrett Centre has access to experts, a host of experienced faculty, institutional policy, finance, Human and Resource departments that we can pull from! It is from this supported position that we are able to engage in the long-term conversations that are needed to transform our food systems and work on many of these complex problems. 

One of the critical long-term conversations we are continually exploring is all about the ecosystem services that urban agriculture has to offer.  Ecosystem services must be and currently are addressed in urban settings through various infrastructure solutions.  Think flood water mitigation, urban cooling, carbon sequestration, air quality assistance. 

Urban Agriculture, when intentionally designed, can help with flood water mitigation, through swales, productive rain gardens, absorptive landscapes --- Carbon sequestration through orchards, coppicing, biochar; urban cooling through increase evapotranspiration and shade cover and ability to add fountains or other small water features; and of course, the AIR QUALITY! Have you ever walked into a garden and just taken a big breath in? It is absolutely transformative. 

But these are LONG conversations that require patience, research and many – many complex relationships, conversations and solutions that need to be woven together. It is in these conversations we are able to function as translator for farmers and community members to help positively impact the systems and policies that shape the urban landscape.

One of the benefits of being a part of the institution is that we have access to a wealth of support and knowledge that would not be as easily available to the average entrepreneur, in order to facilitate those long-term conversations.

It is our goal, through our various projects and innovations, like indoor farming, market garden efficiencies and, education and training, to lead the way for the next generation of farmers and agri-business owners.

Institutions like ourselves are uniquely positioned to provide multiple functions on agricultural lands by providing access to cultural and environmental services.  We can help to replicate models of urban agriculture and thereby encourage the communities in which agriculture projects reside, to flourish. 

Urban Agriculture increases food security, opens doors to ag-tech and innovation, creates education opportunities and models like the Barrett Centre Ajax Urban Farm help to make the case for municipal farm replication and policy change. 

Leading the way for entrepreneurs, community - based programming and policy recommendations so that the next generation of farmers – eaters – students – and PEOPLE can thrive. 

References

Kapsalis, E., et al. (2022). Disabled-by-design: effects of inaccessible urban public spaces on users of mobility assistive devices – a systematic review. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology. 19 (3).

Aran, N., et al. (2023). Patterns of Suicide and Suicidal Ideation in Relation to Social Isolation and Loneliness in Newcomer Populations: A Review. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health. 25: pp 415-426.

Laska, MN, Larson, NI, Neumark-Sztainer, D, Story M. (2012). Does involvement in food preparation track from adolescence to young adulthood and is it associated with better dietary quality? Findings from a 10-year longitudinal study. Public Health Nutr. 15(7):1150-8. DOI: 10.1017/S1368980011003004.

Omidvar, N., (2022). Effects of school-based interventions on Food and Nutrition Literacy (FNLIT) in primary-school-age children: a systematic review. Cambridge University Press.

Newell, J., et al. (2022). Ecosystem services of urban agriculture and prospects for scaling up production: A study of Detroit.  Cities (125).

Shankar, J., et al. (2013). Education as a Social Determinant of Health: Issues Facing Indigenous and Visible Minority Students in Postsecondary Education in Western Canada. International Journal of Environmental Res. Public Health, 10(9).

Durham Region (2024). Enabling Agriculture-Related and On-Farm Diversified Uses in North Durham. https://yourvoice.durham.ca/agriculture-related-and-on-farm-diversified-uses-in-north-durham#:~:text=On%2Dfarm%20diversified%20uses%20include,value%2Dadded%20agricultural%20products.%E2%80%9D

Ontario Government. (2023). Top 10 Ontario agri-food exports, 2023. https://data.ontario.ca/dataset/top-10-ontario-agri-food-exports/resource/5128d4cb-00e5-49e3-b38f-6a2ecbb71caa

Additional Relevant Reading

Deksissa, T., et al. (2021). Integrating urban agriculture and stormwater management in a circular ecoomy to enhance ecosystem services: Connecting the dots.  Sustainability 13 (8293).

Hume, C., Grieger, J., Kalamkarian, A., D’Onsie, K., Smithers, L. (2022). Community gardens and their efects on diet, health, psychosocial and community outcomes: a systematic review. BMC Public Health 22 (1247).

Horst, M., McClintock, N., Hoey, L. (2017). The Intersection of Planning, Urban Agriculture, and Food Justice: A Review of the Literature. Journal of the American Planning Association, 83 (3).

Yueying, G., et al. (2023). The Effect of Food is Medicine Interventions on Diabetes-related Health Outcomes Among Low-income and Food-insecure Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Canadian Journal of Diabetes, 47 (2).

Pedro, A., Gorner, A., Lindner, A., Wende, W. (2020). “More Than Fruits and Vegetables” Community garden experiences from the Global North to foster green development of informal areas in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Research in Urbanism Series 6 (328).