‘Urban farm’ in Ontario community hosting open house Thursday

A multi-functional urban farm and living lab in Ajax that brings together food production, education, applied research and community engagement is welcoming the community to an open house Thursday.

Durham College’s Barrett Centre of Innovation in Sustainable Urban Agriculture is opening up their premises in north Ajax  to let residents discover how urban agriculture is helping build a more sustainable and food-secure future during the Summer Farm Open House from noon to 5 p.m.

The free event at the Barrett Centre (1355 Harwood Avenue) will give visitors the opportunity to tour the farm, purchase fresh student-grown produce, meet the team behind its operations, learn about sustainable food production and enjoy family-friendly activities.

Using regenerative and organically-led farming practices, the farm grows fresh produce for weekly farm gate sales while also supporting local food security through donations to community organizations across Durham Region.

Visitors can:

• Enjoy complimentary fresh food samples prepared by Bistro ’67
• Shop for locally grown produce at the weekly farm gate sale
• Take a guided or self-guided tour of the farm
• Participate in educational activities for children and youth
• Meet the farm team and learn about sustainable urban agriculture

Since opening in 2023, the Ajax Urban Farm has served as a community hub for sustainable food production, education and research. The site features market gardens, hoop houses, pollinator gardens, an apiary, community garden spaces, fruit orchards and an indoor farm.

Through Durham College’s Work-Integrated Learning programs, students also gain valuable hands-on experience supporting daily farm operations.

The school, in partnership with Invest Durham (the Region’s Economic Development and tourism division) broke ground on the urban farm in the fall of 2022, a year after the Barrett Centre was launched at Durham College’s Skills Centre.

Opened with the support of The Barrett Family Foundation and the Region of Durham, the Barrett Centre’s vision was to become an internationally recognized hub of excellence in urban agricultural practices, research, education and training. This included a working urban farm and an education and research program to turn undeveloped land in Durham into an active farm that supports the community.

“Durham College is a recognized leader in urban agriculture education,” said foundation spokesperson Bob Barrett at the centre’s ground-breaking. “The vision to modernize and replicate their current model of urban farming into a regional, national and global entity is very impressive and innovative. Our investment in the college and creation of the Barrett Centre will allow them to scale their operations into a global hub for urban agriculture knowledge and best practices.”

Regional Chair John Henry called Durham a “destination of choice” for those wanting to invest in urban, indoor and vertical farming and said the urban far will have a “profound positive impact” on the community for “generations to come.”