Programs & Events
The Urban Farm offers a variety of experiential workshops and education-focused events to the university community. From hands-on training in the fields to deep dives into the history of our food systems, there are plenty of opportunities for you to get your hands dirty at the Urban Farm!
Spend your Wednesday lunch hours taking in the sun and breathtaking views of the city by visiting our newest rooftop farm this summer, located on the 8th floor of the Daphne Cockwell Health Sciences Complex (DCC)!
What to expect
Each Summer Open Farm allows guests free access to the DCC rooftop farm, where they can bring their lunch and relax amid Toronto’s first purpose-built rooftop farm dedicated to Black food sovereignty and Indigenous food sovereignty initiatives.
While visiting, be sure to stop by our pop-up farm stand where you can purchase fresh produce, flowers or grab a glass of homemade iced tea, all made with ingredients grown right here on campus.
Dates and times
Summer Open Farms run on Wednesdays between June 19 and September 25,
from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Location
Daphne Cockwell Health Sciences Complex (DCC), 8th floor, 288 Church St.
The Urban Farm offers hands-on, educational workshops on a range of topics and themes in ecological farming throughout the growing season. Workshops are open to students, staff, faculty and members of the community.
What to expect
Each Workshop Wednesday includes an educational component as well as a hands-on activity on a different topic each week.
Fees
General Rate: $20 to $35 + HST
Student rate: $15 to $25 HST
All proceeds from workshops help support ongoing programming and operations at the Urban Farm.
Dates and times
Workshops run monthly between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. on select Wednesdays, and between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. on select Fridays throughout the fall.
Registration
(external link)
July 11, August 8 and September 5: Golden Hour Flower Pick
6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m
Celebrate the summer blooms at the Urban Farm! In this evening workshop participants will learn about the new cut-flower plot, how to harvest flowers, and some tips on designing a beautiful summery bouquet to take home.
September 8: Fermentation
1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Do you want to learn how to preserve summer vegetables to enjoy them all winter long? Fermentation is an easy and tasty way to make the most of the harvest. In this workshop, we’ll discuss the basics of fermentation, including its health benefits and the science behind it, as well as prepare some lacto-fermented goodies together!
September 13 and September 27: Terrarium making
2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Interested in creating your own little ecosystem? This hands-on workshop will provide you with all the materials and info you’ll need to create a terrarium and how to take care of it. You’ll get to leave with your own terrarium to take home!
September 15: Potato harvest
2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Come dig for treasure at the Urban Farm! And by treasure we obviously mean potatoes. There’s something so exciting about unearthing a field of potatoes that have been hidden beneath the soil for many months. Join us for this special event, where you’ll get to leave with a handful of potatoes to take home with you!
September 18: Herbal infusions
2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Acquaint yourself with the wild and wonderful plants that grow all around us and are commonly referred to as “weeds”. Many of these underappreciated plants that grow in the cracks in the pavement, on lawns and in garden beds around the city are extremely nutritious and medicinal. You will learn how to identify these plants, more about their properties and will make a simple vinegar infusion. You will leave with an artisanal vinegar that has been enriched by the power of plant medicine that you can use in salad dressings, marinades and more!
September 20: Salves - oil and balm infusions
2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Have you ever wondered how you can harness the medicinal properties of plants for your skin? This workshop offers an introduction to making your own salves including, plant and carrier selection and how to make and use them. All participants get to take their salve creations home!
October 4: Hot compost, vermicompost & compost tea
1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Compost is essential to ecological growing at the Urban Farm, introducing beneficial microbes to the soil, as well as transforming crop residue and weeds to generate fertility. Attend this workshop for an introduction into the fascinating world of compost: you’ll learn about the process of hot composting, witness a vermicompost bin in action, and leave with some compost tea for your plants at home!
October 11: Garlic planting
2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Did you know that garlic is planted in the fall? This delicious staple crop actually overwinters in the field and is harvested many months later during the height of summer. Join us for the beginning of this journey as we plant our fields with garlic. We’ll teach you all about how to grow and harvest garlic and you’ll leave with a few bulbs and cloves from this year’s garlic stock.
October 23: Microgreens
1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Have you ever wanted to learn a simple way to grow nutrient-dense greens at home? Then this is the workshop for you! You’ll learn how to grow, harvest and store microgreens, and get the chance to take some home to level-up your meals!
Come experience the changing of seasons at the Urban Farm by signing up for our Field Walk series! Throughout the course of three sessions, you will learn about phenology, have a chance to practice your observation skills and witness the relationships, patterns and shifts in the farm ecosystem as summer becomes fall. Sign up is for all three sessions as spots are limited!
| Date | Time |
| September 13 | 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. |
| September 20 | 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. |
| October 27 | 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. |
A Black Food Sovereignty initiative at the Urban Farm, the Harvest Collective and Learning Circle offers free, experiential learning modules to the university community on the third Friday of every month. We’ll explore Black food history and the contributions people of African, Caribbean and Black of African descent (ACB) have made to Canadian food systems, demonstrate how to successfully grow and harvest culturally significant crops and medicines and learn about contemporary issues in food and climate justice.
Learn more about the Harvest Collective and Learning Circle.
Throughout the growing season, the Indigenous Foodways program offers a variety of workshops for community members that explore Indigenous wisdom and traditions related to land stewardship, ecological knowledge and ways of growing. You’ll learn about traditional companion planting methods and participate in workshops on seed saving, harvesting traditional medicines, supporting native pollinators, and more.
Learn more about the Indigenous Foodways program.
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to work on a rooftop farm? Students are welcomed to join us for Workbee Wednesdays, where they will participate in various tasks at the Urban Farm, including weeding, fertilizing, mulching, crop removal and more.
Workbee Wednesdays run on select Wednesdays throughout the Fall semester, from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
| Date | Time |
| September 11 | 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. |
| September 18 | 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. |
| September 25 | 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. |
| October 2 | 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. |
| October 9 | 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. |
| October 23 | 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. |
| October 30 | 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. |
Check back in September to register for an orientation session!
Before registering for Workbee Wednesdays, participants must attend an orientation session, after which participants will be sent registration links for Workbee Wednesday sessions each week. Workbee Orientation sessions will take place on September 4, September 11, and September 18 from 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Want a glimpse into the life of an urban farmer? By becoming a Community Farmer, participants will get their hands dirty in our four-week training program where they will participate in the Farm’s weekly harvest and field operations, learn about growing techniques and seasonal crops, and even help with the distribution of the food to our community partners.
Community Farmers will receive a small Garden Grab Bag of produce they had a hand in harvesting each week! Participants must be able to attend all of the weekly shifts.
| Date | Time |
| Weekly, from September 13 - October 4 | 8:30 a.m. - 11 a.m. |
Fees
$40 + HST for students, $60 + HST for the public for the full four weeks. Refunds are not available.
Join the Urban Farm at TMU as we celebrate the harvest at this free event on September 25, 2024 on the Daphne Cockwell Complex (DCC) rooftop farm. Stay tuned for more details!