Revolutionizing Campus Agriculture: How Durham College Tackles Food Security with Vertical Farming
Project at a Glance
Launched in August 2023 in Ajax, Ontario
Goal: Expand the Ajax Urban Farm with a modular vertical farm to enrich the horticulture curriculum, add a source of year-round produce, and promote urban agriculture.
Distribution: Produce is sold to the community, used by Community Care Durham, and incorporated into the college's culinary program and campus dining.
Impact: The Barrett Centre Indoor Farm serves as a hub for fresh produce, education, and community support.
Operator: One lead grower with student involvement from work-integrated learning programs.
“What excites me the most about any project is engagement with community and making a positive impact, and we’re doing that right here on this Ajax Urban Farm.”
The Barrett Centre team during the Ajax Urban Farm’s grand opening.
Addressing Food Insecurity in Durham Region with Sustainable Urban Farming
Food insecurity is a growing concern, especially in underserved communities where fresh produce is inaccessible or costly. Durham College recognized an opportunity to address these challenges while also enhancing its agriculture curriculum and creating educational pathways for students.
The college partnered with Growcer to make an impact in four key areas:
Food security: Providing accessible and immediate food access to the community.
Innovation: Conducting research and showcasing advanced agricultural technologies, such as those used in the Growcer farm.
Education: Offering educational programming, including dual credit courses with high schools and hands-on learning for students.
Policy impact: Advocating for and influencing policies to support sustainable urban agriculture initiatives.
“The main goal of the vertical farming unit was twofold: It was to provide accessible, immediate produce to our local community but also shine a light on what agriculture can be,” says Carey Yeoman, partnership manager at The Barrett Centre for Innovation in Sustainable Urban Agriculture.
“We have this perception that agriculture is working out in a field in all kinds of inclement weather,” Yeoman adds. “There are many facets to agriculture that the next generation should be excited about,” including the innovation solutions Growcer offers.
Durham College Alumni visit the Barrett Centre’s new vertical farm to see the many ways the campus is innovating agriculture.
Turnkey Vertical Farming Solution: Accessibility and Community Impact
In collaboration with Growcer and through funding from the Barrett Family Foundation, Durham College installed an Osiris Access modular vertical farm — a hydroponic system engineered to grow fresh produce year-round. The Barrett Centre team chose the unit for its AODA-compliant design, ensuring it could serve as an inclusive educational space for students and community members of all abilities.
Growcer’s support was integral to the launch of the farm, which is only the second AODA-compliant vertical farm in Canada. “We had tremendous support from Growcer that included two team members coming down, training our staff, and making sure that everybody felt well-educated and solid in their understanding of the operation before departing,” Yeoman recalls.
“We were able to establish this vertical farm as a very quick plug-and-play solution that delivered fresh and nutrient-dense produce immediately to our community, but it also provided an accessible model for engagement with employees and for education.”
The vertical farm sits right across the outdoor farm and hoop houses which are uses to grow a variety of other produce like peppers, tomatoes, and culturally relevant crops like okra.
Inspiring Future Urban Farmers Through Modular Farming Education
In a short period of time, the Barrett Centre Indoor Farm has far exceeded initial expectations, creating a ripple effect of positive outcomes for Durham College, its students, and local communities.
Educational Impact
With education as a central pillar, the Barrett Centre’s Ajax Urban Farm engages with local high schools, allowing students to earn a Grade 11 science credit while also earning agricultural college credit.
Furthermore, the farm's accessible design has inspired students of all abilities to explore agriculture, so much so that the farm has doubled the number of classes available. Students who never viewed college as an option are now interested in pursuing an agricultural education — and that’s a direct result of the interest in urban farming generated by Growcer.
The Barrett Centre’s vertical farm also has benefits on campus by providing a source of fresh produce for the campus eateries and restaurants. Paige Daniel, a student chef at Durham College, stresses the impact of incorporating fresh farm-grown ingredients into their culinary program: “One of our huge models is field to fork. It is a huge impact when we have our labs and we’re cooking with our fresh produce. The food that we get from our farm — it’s fresher, it looks better, and it tastes better than what you would get at your local grocery store.”
Durham College experiments with growing jalapeño peppers in their vertical farm to great success.
The jalapeños were full of spice and slight sweetness.
Community Impact
With produce distributed to the community, mobile markets, and food banks, the farm directly addresses food insecurity in the Durham Region, to the excitement of community members.
“Most people who have looked at our food have reacted very positively. They’re always astounded by how verdant green the growth is, how long the lettuce stays fresh, the flavor in our herbs — even the spice in our peppers. Everyone seems to love it,” shares James Conway-Beaulieu, who runs the vertical farm.
The Barrett Centre’s Urban Farm is a tool for community engagement across various stakeholders from alumni to policy makers.
Sustainability Impact
The farm has become a model for sustainable urban agriculture, reducing reliance on external supply chains and minimizing environmental impact. Yeoman highlights Growcer’s readiness to help achieve these goals: “When we moved over to Growcer, we were wildly impressed with the level of support that we received, the friendliness of everybody who helped, and just the preparedness that Growcer came with in terms of having a product that was ready to deliver and making the policy and planning permission process so much easier.”
Conway-Beaulieu further notes that the modular vertical farming system simplifies the growing process: “These systems take a lot of the thought out of it, and it’s really just maintaining and keeping it going week to week. I think these systems are probably the future of agriculture.”
Ideally, that future includes more hydroponic farms and continued interest from local students. “I would absolutely love this to expand to other schools,” Conway-Beaulieu says. “I think this is an excellent opportunity to not only provide jobs for graduates but allow people who have ideas to innovate in the field and do better. It gives them an avenue to do it and in a safe space.”
Durham College’s first harvest.
Despite having an outdoor farm, the Durham College team wanted to show the many facets of urban agriculture and include indoor growing.
Modular Vertical Farming: A Scalable Solution for Colleges and Universities
Durham College’s Barrett Centre Indoor Farm is a prime example of how modular vertical farming can tackle food insecurity, foster education, engage communities, and create sustainable futures.
“The outcomes for this have been tenfold of what we expected. We have high student engagement. Students wander over on their lunch break to come and see what’s happening on the farm,” Yeoman says. “If you’re considering a similar project, make sure you know your goals. And don’t be afraid to ask for help. The folks at Growcer are incredibly well-prepared. Chances are they’ve dealt with it before or thought through a solution before you can.”
Through this collaboration, Durham College is proving that sustainable, accessible agriculture can thrive anywhere. If you’re interested in redefining the future of food in your region with innovative technology and comprehensive support, reach out to Growcer to learn more and get started.
Results
Providing accessible, fresh produce to the community in three different ways: at market price directly to consumers, at a subsidized rate to Community Care Durham’s Mobile Market, and through donation to Second Harvest which distributes via local food banks.
Launching a dual-credit program with the high schools next door to offer a high school and college credit. Doubled the number of classes available and inspired students to consider attending college.
Conducting innovative research and providing hands-on work integrated learning opportunities in agriculture on campus.
Webinar: Transforming Campus Food Sustainability
Watch an interactive Ask Me Anything (AMA) session featuring Growcer and partnered schools, where you will dive into the transformative potential of sustainable food solutions in higher education.
Discover why schools are adding innovative food systems like Growcer’s to cater to diverse student populations, enhance campus dining experiences, and achieve their sustainability goals.
The expert panel will provide insights into implementation strategies, successful case studies, and how these solutions can foster student engagement in sustainability and nutrition education.
Key Takeaways:
Introduction to Growcer’s innovative growing systems and relevance to post-secondary institutions
Strategies for integrating sustainable food production into campus dining and curricula
Real-life success stories from universities growing with Growcer farms
Opportunities for student involvement in food security initiatives and work-integrated learning
Tips for strengthening community ties through local food partnerships