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URBAN AGRICULTURE PROGRAM
Urban agriculture truly brings the farm into the city--but not a farm like anything you've ever seen before. FoodShare's Urban Agriculture Program demonstrates new and innovative ways to grow food in cities, on a scale that is larger than a typical community garden plot but smaller than a rural farm. At our warehouse in downtown Toronto simple technologies to grow food in the city are being developed. Small community-based businesses are being created that improve Toronto's food self-sufficiency and reduce the need for imports coming from a long distance.
FoodShare's Urban Agriculture Program grew out of our work facilitating community gardens. It was enhanced through collaboration with Annex Organics who began a sprouting business and a rooftop greenhouse and garden at our old Eastern Avenue warehouse. Since then FoodShare's Urban Agriculture Projects include the Sunshine Market Garden at CAMH, the Bendale School Market Garden, a mid-scale compost operation at 90 Croatia, aquaponics, beekeeping, living machines and a school greenhouse at our new site.
By experimenting with different growing methods,
inventing some new ones and adapting some very old ones, the
Urban Agriculture Project is able to show us just what is possible
on rooftops and forgotten spaces around the city.
Have you ever complained about the cardboard taste of a tomato? Then you haven't tried a Brandywine or a Black Krim. These
varieties have been planted by gardeners
for over one hundred years (sometimes more) and handed down because we value
their flavour, not their ability to travel hundreds or thousands of miles in
the back of a truck. By growing them in the city we can cut out that
travel time and expense and ensure that the food we eat has the best
possible flavour and
highest nutritional value.
Growing sprouts and seedlings is a great way
to improve access to fresh, local greens.
We also offer workshops on a variety of
urban agriculture topics teaching people how to grow their own
food in
the city: eg rooftop and
container growing methods;
growing heirloom plan varieties and more.
Volunteers in the
Urban Agriculture program most often focus on gardening, greenhouse work or
composting.
On some level community gardening and urban agriculture are the same: growing food in the city, experimenting with new technologies, composting, keeping bees, etc. At the same time there is a distinction around scale with urban agriculture projects, which tend to reflect larger scale production while community gardens are more connected to a community development approach to gardening in social housing, parks, and community spaces.
For more information on FoodShare's Urban Agriculture Projects:
- Contact mary@foodshare.net
- Download a backgrounder on FoodShare's work in Urban Agriculture.
