WHAT: The course Urban Agriculture (PLNT 1000) is offered by the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences. The University 1 level course was envisioned and designed by plant science professor Anita Brûlé-Babel four years ago as a way for students to explore urban food production. It covers the principles of vegetable, fruit and herb production; landscape plants; and the use of natural systems for composting, water management and as a way to reduce our reliance on pesticides.

SUCCESSES: The project not only yielded an excellent crop but engaged students in discussions about property rights, food security and income generation for the economically disadvantaged. “It was telling and inspiring that mostly non-agricultural students enrolled,” says course instructor Tyler Guerrieri. “The course brings together people with new perspectives and interests to discuss what roles cities play in feeding themselves.”

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT: Knowledge gained through the Urban Agriculture course will be put to good use, helping community gardeners replenish the soil and continue to produce food. Tammy Junghans, an arts student with interests in legal rights and justice issues, noted succinctly: “Gardening in the community—any community—is good for all of us.”

THE IMPACT: “Food security was on my radar as a justice issue, and food insecurity here in Canada is a topic that I find very interesting. I was looking for a course related to my interests when I discovered Urban Agriculture,” explains Junghans, who also participated in an investigation into human trafficking in Romania with ERDO or Emergency Relief & Development Overseas, an aid organization that focuses on food assistance. Part of the investigation included the development of greenhouses on the property of a shelter that focuses on the rescue and rehabilitation of girls as young as 13 who are being trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation. “As a result, the shelter will be able to grow their own food year-round, help the girls develop marketable job skills and facilitate the healing and rehabilitation process,” she says.

FUNDERS: In kind support from T & T Seeds

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• Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences

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