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 in July and August taking in the sun and breathtaking views of the city by visiting our newest rooftop farm, 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.
In July, the Urban Farm is participating in TMU’s Plastic-Free July Challenge and we encourage you to bring reusable bags and beverage containers when purchasing from the farm stand to help us reduce our use of single-use plastics.
Dates and times
Summer Open Farms run on Wednesdays between July 12 and August 30, from 11 a.m. to 1 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 + HST
Student rate: $15 + 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 27: Flower bouquet making
Celebrate the Urban Farm’s new flower farm with this evening workshop! From 6:30-8 p.m., learn about the new flower plot, how to harvest flowers, and pick your own to make a beautiful summery bouquet to take home with you! Register at the link above.
September 8: Fermentation
1-2:30 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: Terrarium making
2-3:30 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 20: Herbal infusions
2-3:30 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. At this workshop 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 27: Potato harvest
2-3:30 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!
October 4: Salve making
2-3:30 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 18: Garlic planting
2-3:30 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 20: Microgreens
1-2:30 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!
October 27: Hot compost, vermicompost & compost tea
1-2:30 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!
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 15 | 1-2 p.m. |
| September 29 | 1-2 p.m. |
| October 13 | 1-2 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.
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. The Workbee Orientation will take place on September 6th, 2023 from 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.
| Date | Time |
| September 13 | 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. |
| September 20 | 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. |
| September 27 | 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. |
| October 4 | 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. |
| October 18 | 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. |
| October 25 | 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. |
Join the Urban Farm at TMU as we celebrate the harvest at this free event on October 5th from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the Daphne Cockwell Complex (DCC) rooftop farm.
Tour the farm
The event will begin with a rooftop tour of the Indigenous Foodways and Black Food Sovereignty Harvest Collective and Learning Circle, courtesy of Wellness Week’s Cultivating Connections program. Interested in joining the tour? (google form) Register here (external link) .
Sample delicious rooftop produce
Attendees will enjoy delicious snacks created by the chefs at TMU Eats, featuring rooftop produce from the Indigenous Foodways Program, the Black Food Sovereignty Initiative and the Ecological Market Garden at the Urban Farm. Bring your own reusable mug and sip on medicinal and herbal rooftop tea blends!
Participate in a seed exchange
Seed keepers are invited to display their seeds and exchange with the Urban Farm and other growers who are practicing seed saving. For those interested in bringing seeds and doing an exchange, we invite you to email urbanfarm@torontomu.ca with any specific needs you may have for your display.
The event will end with a chance to take home Urban Farm Market Bucks, a Garden Grab Bag, and more!
Date: Thursday, October 5th
Time: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Location: DCC rooftop farm, 8th floor, Daphne Cockwell Health Sciences Complex at 288 Church Street
Cost: Free! Let us know you’re attending by filling out the (google form) Harvest Party RSVP form (external link)