Current and Past Research

Rachel MacHenry (MA) and Joseph Medaglia (MA)

May 2022 - Ongoing

To install a meteorological station on the roof of the George Vari Engineering and Computing Centre to monitor temperature, precipitation, wind speed/direction, humidity, and certain types of solar radiation; to use data as a teaching tool and for other research purposes. 

Prof. Claire Oswald (PhD)

August 2020 - Ongoing

Currently, the excess irrigation and stormwater from the Urban Farm at TMU's blue-green roof that is not held within the growing media (green) or retention layer (blue) of the roof drains into the municipal drainage system. Although investigations over the last two years indicate that the blue-green roof significantly reduces runoff, irrigation using chlorinated municipal water is required in prolonged dry periods, and nutrients from the soil substrate are likely wasted during the runoff process. This study aims to implement and investigate a blue-green roof water recirculation system for irrigating the cultivated crops on rooftop farms, adopting the strategy to further close the water cycle.

Afsana Alam Akhie (BSc) Dr. Darko Joksimovic (PhD)

April 2023 - October 2023

As part of the "Toward Sustainable Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture for Net-zero Food Systems" (TOsustain) program at the University of Toronto Scarborough, our goal is to assess the state of pollinators. To do this, we will use passive nest boxes at the side of the site and check on them periodically. This will be done by placing two nest boxes that are 30cm x 10cm in size at each site to recruit cavity nesting pollinators. Sampling is passive and would not disturb any of the on-farm activities. Nest boxes would be placed in the farm at the end of May until the end of September.

2025 - 2027

As part of the "Toward Sustainable Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture for Net-zero Food Systems" (TOsustain) program at the University of Toronto Scarborough, our research goal is to determine the level of crop diversity on urban farms. To do this, we plan to survey the diversity of crops being grown in urban farms throughout the GTA. We would like to count the number of crops in a 2-by-2-m sampling square randomly across your farm. We will use a high-resolution camera to image each sampling square. In each sampling location, we will also select individuals of each crop species and measure crop photosynthesis and water-use efficiency and collect a leaf at each plant. For this survey research, we will leave (temporarily) a small flag denoting the site of each survey location for future visits.

2025 - 2027

As part of the "Toward Sustainable Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture for Net-zero Food Systems" (TOsustain) program at the University of Toronto Scarborough, our research goal is to estimate soil carbon storage potential for climate change mitigation and enhanced soil health. To do this, we would like to take soil carbon dioxide measurements from your farm. This will require 3 visits (in late May, June and July) where we will set up a soil chamber (about 20cm diameter) on the soil surface and take a measurement with a gas analyzer. This will be done at 6 locations at the farm. We will also take a small bag of soil to a depth of about 10cm. This will not disturb any plants growing nearby. We will use these samples to determine carbon storage.

2025 - 2027

The Design Fabrication Zone partnered with the Urban Farm for a second time to present the 2024 Creative in Residence program. Inspired by this year’s theme of Wind Rose, Cookie Burnell’s 3 month residency delved into the concept of growth as a dynamic force in nature and technology. Through their explorations in post-human circuits, Cookie’s work challenged the capitalist interpretations of growth that lead to environmental and social issues, instead exploring natural processes like decay and symbiosis. The residency culminated in Rare Access Point, an exhibit inside the DCC greenhouse that incorporated plant residues from the Urban Farm into wind-theme sculptures and interactive installations, ultimately engaging participants into conversation around decolonial approaches to technology and sustainability. 

May 2024 - November 2024

The Design Fabrication Zone partnered with the Urban Farm to present the 2023 Creative in Residence program, reflecting on the Urban Farm ecosystem as a site for creative intervention, looking to the curatorial theme of ‘decay’ as a transformative and sustaining force that fosters creativity. Over the course of 3 months the artist was guided by this theme to produce an art installation, featuring organic and inorganic waste materials from the Urban Farm, exhibited inside the greenhouse of the DCC rooftop.

May 2023 - November 2023

Identify the most productive varieties of fava beans across different farms in Ontario.

April 2022 - October 2022

Joseph Medaglia (MA) and the Natural Dye Network in Northeast America (external link) .

May 2022 - October 2022

To investigate the performance of low-cost sensors and sensor networks for continuous and real-time monitoring of a productive green roof and gain a better understanding of rooftop hydrologic and thermal benefits analysis, including supervision of plant growth and temperature.

Afsana Alam Akhie (BSc) Dr. Darko Joksimovic (PhD)

April 2022 - October 2022

To compare the ecosystem services, such as the ability to mitigate urban heat island and the potential to manage stormwater, of a rooftop farm, a green roof and a conventional roof. 

Tamer Almaaitah (MSc), Dr. Darko Joksimovic (PhD)

August 2020 - December 2021

Prof. Kristiina Mai (PhD)

Prof. Kristiina Mai (PhD), Maleeka Batool (BEng), Dau Ekubor (BEng) and Rose Esfandi (BEng)

Paul Coleman, health research specialist with Toronto Food Strategy, Toronto Public Health; Rhonda Teitel-Payne, co-coordinator with Toronto Urban Growers

Muhammad Ammar Khan (BEng,  Department of Civil Engineering, Toronto Metropolitan University)

M. Nabeel Ahmed (MEng, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Toronto Metropolitan University)

Caitlin Santos (MASc, Environmental Applied Science and Management, Toronto Metropolitan University)

Adrian Lue (MGeog, Department of Geography & Planning, University of Toronto)