Nov. 7, 2023

Urban farming has been on the uptick in recent years but research carried out by Seneca Polytechnic showed there was a gap in the market.

While a growing number of people are interested in the field and starting to do urban farming, some are having difficulty accessing land, financing and the skills to make a business out of it.

Enter Toronto Urban Farmer Training (TUFT).

The free, 10-week program developed by Seneca and community partners teaches people how to run an agricultural business in the city. The program, which launched in January, was so successful, it scored an excellence in agri-food education honourable mention from the provincial government at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto on Nov. 4.

“I’m thrilled that our program is being awarded this recognition,” said Andrew Paton, TUFT Research Manager, who helped get the initiative running as a Seneca Applied Research project.

“We have received positive feedback and to see the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMFRA) giving urban farming training an award is a boost to the whole sector,” he said.

Lisa Thompson, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said she was proud to present the 2023 Excellence in Agriculture Awards.

“The recipients lead by example and have demonstrated ingenuity, drive and passion,” she said.

The second cohort of about 30 TUFT students recently started the program, which covers everything from food production to creating a business plan.

Seneca teamed up with academics and urban growers to create the program, thanks to $360,000 of funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada over a three-year period, beginning in August 2021.

Toronto Urban Growers (TUG), a non-profit network that supports urban-grown food, is one of Seneca’s partners.

TUFT recognizes that the experience of urban farmers is needed to help bridge the gap between aspirations and the realities of starting a food business, said Rhonda Teitel-Payne, Co-coordinator, TUG.

“The perception that growing food in the city is just a hobby is changing,” she said. “This award demonstrates confidence in the ingenuity of urban farmers for creating businesses that will not just earn them a few dollars, but will also foster healthy communities.

Toronto Metropolitan University and the non-profit West Neighbourhood House’s Greenest City project, which focuses on food and climate change solutions, also collaborated on the project.

The next TUFT session will be held in 2024. And while funding for the current project wraps up in the summer, both Ms. Teitel-Payne and Dr. Paton said they’re hoping TUFT will continue.