Academic Requests
The Urban Farm supports academic requests across disciplines and studies related to ecological rooftop farming using green roof technology. Whether it be a virtual presentation, a classroom lecture, or a rooftop farm tour, the Urban Farm can facilitate unique experiential learning opportunities tailored to course learning objectives and research interests.
Class presentations and farm tours
The Urban Farm offers rooftop tours for TMU classes of all sizes from June to October, and virtual or in-person classroom presentations year-round, providing attendees with a behind the scenes snapshot of our operations. With complex environmental, social and financial implications, rooftop farming intersects with a wide range of disciplines. No matter what the class, the Urban Farm can provide an engaging learning experience. From ecology to food justice, tours and presentations will lead participants through the varied facets of designing and operating a rooftop farm, as well as how students can get involved in Urban Farm programming.
If you would like to request a classroom presentation or tour of the Urban Farm, please complete this (google form) Urban Farm at TMU: Request for Classroom Presentation or Rooftop Farm Tour form. (external link) Due to a high volume of requests, the Urban Farm cannot guarantee availability. Please be sure to submit your request with at least two weeks’ notice and we’ll do our best to accommodate.
The Urban Farm offers rooftop farm tours to classes from June into October.
What to expect
Classroom tours are led by enthusiastic and knowledgeable Urban Farm staff. In a unique outdoor classroom setting, participants will learn about:
- Urban Farm’s history;
- how it relates to their field of study;
- how and what food is grown;
- ecological best practices in rooftop farming;
- emerging research in urban agriculture;
- green roof technology; and
- so much more!
Fees
Rooftop tours are subject to a $150 chargeback via internal transfer for TMU classes, or a $150 online payment for external groups. All funds generated through class tours help support ongoing programming and operations at the Urban Farm. If your program does not have a budget to support the fee, please email urbanfarm@torontomu.ca to learn more about what options are available to you.
Class size
Depending on the size of your class, we may need to break into staggered groups, or limit the tour to one of our two rooftop farm locations.
Are you interested in visiting the Urban Farm, but you’re not part of a class? The Urban Farm hosts tours, workshops and events throughout the growing season. To learn more and register, visit our engagement page.
The Urban Farm offers classroom presentations year-round for classes located at the Toronto Metropolitan University campus. If your class is not located at the Toronto Metropolitan University campus, the Urban Farm can provide a virtual presentation.
What to expect
Classroom presentations are led by enthusiastic and knowledgeable Urban Farm staff. This 20 minute classroom presentation will include a high-level overview of the Urban Farm’s history and operations, along with detailed information on the programs offered at the Urban Farm and how students can get involved in their campus rooftop farms.
Fees
20 minute classroom presentations are free of charge.
The Urban Farm offers classroom lectures year-round for classes located at the Toronto Metropolitan University campus. If your class is not located at Toronto Metropolitan University campus, the Urban Farm can provide a virtual presentation.
What to expect
Classroom lectures are led by enthusiastic and knowledgeable Urban Farm staff. With engaging presentation content, students will learn about Urban Farm’s history, how it relates to their field of study, how and what food is grown, ecological best practices in rooftop farming, emerging research in urban agriculture, green roof technology and so much more! Please be sure to indicate any additional topics you would like the presentation to cover. Once we have an understanding of the subject matter for your course, we’ll connect you to the Urban Farm staff member who is best suited to speak to that area of expertise and how it relates to the Urban Farm at TMU.
Fees
Classroom lectures are subject to a $150 chargeback via internal transfer for TMU classes, or a payment of $150 + tax for external groups. All funds generated through classroom lectures help support ongoing programming and operations at the Urban Farm. If your program does not have a budget to support the fee, please email us at urbanfarm@torontomu.ca to learn more about what options are available to you.
Short-term research requests
The Urban Farm supports a broad range of experiential learning and research requests across disciplines. If you are interested in conducting a research activity that requires one-time or short-term access to the Urban Farm, please complete the (google form) Urban Farm Request Form (external link) and a member of our team will get in contact with you. Examples of short-term research requests include:
- One-time tours or site visits of our growing spaces
- Interviews with Urban Farm staff members
- One-off sampling and measurements
- Data and information
Are you interested in a longer term research project? Consider applying to become a research partner through the Urban Farm Living Lab.