The Barrett Centre of Innovation in Sustainable Urban Agriculture at Durham College (DC) has been recognized by the Government of Ontario through the 2024 Excellence in Agriculture Awards.

The awards were announced at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto on November 2 and the Barrett Centre received an Honourable Mention in the Urban Agriculture Excellence category from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA).

Durham College President Dr. Elaine Popp was joined by Barrett Centre Partnership Manager Carey Yeoman and Community Engagement Coordinator Jennifer Hoban in accepting the award.

“We are so honoured to receive this award on behalf of the Barrett Centre and Durham College,” said Yeoman. “This is a testament to what can be achieved in our communities when municipalities, regions and community partners work together to create a lasting impact on food security and agricultural literacy.”

Recently, the centre celebrated the first anniversary of the grand opening of its innovative and dynamic Urban Farm in Ajax which has been developed as a community-based living lab replicating and scaling the successful farming operations already established at the college’s Whitby campus as a model for other urban farms. The Barrett Centre also operates an innovative indoor hydroponic growing unit on the urban farm which allows freshly grown food to be accessible to the community even during the winter months.

“I’m thrilled to congratulate the entire team at the Barrett Centre on this award and I am incredibly proud of their achievements including a fantastic inaugural growing season at the Ajax Urban Farm,” said Popp. “Managed by DC’s Faculty of Hospitality and Horticultural Science, the urban farm presents DC students with meaningful opportunities to gain hands-on learning experiences through the farm’s mission to build a more resilient, inclusive, collaborative, and diverse food system in our community.”

Some of the biggest challenges facing society today include food insecurity, access to a safe and stable supply of fresh food, economic stability and environmental regeneration of the land for local food production.

The adoption of a holistic and sustainable approach to urban agriculture, and vertical, regenerative farming methods offers socio-economic solutions that build resiliency into our communities, create financial opportunities for people, and solve food insecurity issues while also enhancing soil and air quality.

“Agritech is an incredibly exciting area for our students to participate in,” said Yeoman. “Connecting our students with industry leaders not only furthers their learning but allows our farm to bring food to market more efficiently.”

The Barrett Centre was founded at DC through the generous support of The Barrett Family Foundation and is a hub of excellence in the field serving as a model of best practices in urban agriculture.

Learn more about the Barrett Centre and urban agriculture resources for the Durham community.