2017 Annual Report

Ryerson Urban Farm
2017 Annual Report

Land acknowledgement

Ryerson Urban Farm operates growing spaces on the Ryerson University
campus in downtown Toronto.

Toronto is in the ‘Dish With One Spoon Territory’. The Dish With One
Spoon is a treaty between the Anishinaabe, Mississaugas and
Haudenosaunee that bound them to share the territory and protect the land.

Contact information @ruurbanfarm
@RyersonUrbanFarm
Mailing address ryersonurbanfarm.wordpress.com
Ryerson University
School of Nutrition, KHS-348C
350 Victoria Street
Toronto, ON M5B 2K3

Photo credits:
Front cover: Greg Henkenhaf
Page 5 (top): Sammy Tangir
Page 6: Sammy Tangir

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Year in review

In 2017, we saw the Ryerson Urban Farm settle into its new
home at University Business Services and our team grow to
two full-time staff and three Career Boost staff. In addition
to our regular programming, we successfully introduced a
workshop series and ticketed tours open to the public.
We installed two rooftop beehives along with wayfinding
signage in all of our gardens. Last but not least, we made
plans for a new rooftop farm on the 8th level of the Daphne
Cockwell Health Sciences Complex, scheduled in open in
the spring of 2019.

All of this takes place under our mission to demonstrate
best practices and engage the community in urban farming.

Thanks for your continued support.

Arlene Throness Jayne Miles
Urban Farm Manager Urban Farm Programs Coordinator

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About us

Ryerson Urban Farm (RUF) aims to build capacity for
urban agriculture through production, education and
research. RUF operates productive growing spaces
across the Ryerson University campus using
ecological growing methods.

RUF’s main production space, a quarter-acre
rooftop farm, is located on the Andrew and
Valerie Pringle Environmental Green Roof above
the George Vari Engineering and Computing
Centre. The original green roof was built in 2004
and converted to an ecological market garden in
2013 by RUF, which grew out of a student-led
initiative to grow fresh food on campus.

Now, RUF grows approximately 8,000 pounds of
produce annually, distributed between Ryerson
Eats, the Gould Street Farmers’ Market, the
Good Food Centre and a Community Supported
Agriculture (CSA) Program.

Project milestones

2011 Rye’s HomeGrown was founded by students in the School of
Nutrition with the mission to grow fresh food on campus.

2013 Centre for Studies in Food Security initiated a feasibility study and
pilot project for the conversion of the green roof into a farm.

2014 - 16 Conversion was completed and the project became the Ryerson
Urban Farm and joined University Business Services. Nearly 5000 lb
was harvested in 2014, 8000 lb in 2015, and 10,000 lb in 2016.

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In the field

We use ecological, spray-free methods to grow
the highest quality produce and maintain soil
fertility on our rooftop farm.

• 8,000 lb produce on a quarter acre (10,000 sq ft)
• 50+ different crops and 100+ different cultivars
• 2 beehives in partnership with local beekeepers Alvéole + 35 kg honey harvest

2017 Produce Distribution
Farmers’ Market
CSA (30 Members)
Health Food Stores
Ryerson Eats
Good Food Centre Donation

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TRAINEducation and engagement

LEARNOur operations incorporate educational
programming to demonstrate best practices in
VOLUNTEERecological market gardening.

• 18 Ecological Market Garden
Training (EMG) graduates

• 5 EMGs employed in urban
agriculture

• 11 Member Farmers helped
with CSA harvest

• 25 attendees at 3
workshops: fermentation,
mushroom cultivation and
floral arranging

• 9 presentations to
classrooms and industry

• 6 orientations for 57 people
(active roster: 29)

• 378+ volunteer hours at
weekly shifts in ground-level
gardens

• 63+ volunteer hours at
monthly shifts on rooftop

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VISITEducation and engagement

CELEBRATEWe offer a range of programming to meet the
diverse needs of the community.
FOLLOW
• 468 people on 40 tours
• Toured Minister of

Agriculture and Agri-Food
Canada; Congress of the
Humanities and Social
Sciences; delegates from
France and the Netherlands

• 3 Open Farm days with 205
attendees

• Harvest Party with garlic
planting + farm-grown
snacks prepared by
Ryerson Eats

• Piloted a pop-up farm stand

• 1211 Instagram followers
• 1066 Twitter followers
• 960 Facebook followers
• 763 newsletter subscribers

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Research

We collect our own data about our farm operations
and also engage with external researchers at
Ryerson and beyond.

• Employed 2 data coordinators through the Career Boost program
• Consulted on: Livestock study (UBC), rainwater harvesting (Ryerson), food

roof design (U of T), Urban egg farming (OCAD)
• Contributed to: Green Roofs for Healthy Cities’ Introduction to Rooftop Urban

Agriculture curriculum; Toronto Urban Growers’ Indicators for Urban
Agriculture in Toronto; Sustainability Matters’ Going Greener report

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2017Research

2016We work with faculty across disciplines at Ryerson
University to coordinate ongoing research and
data collection on the rooftop farm.

Green roof data collection and analysis
Dr. Kristiina Mai, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Ryerson
University

Monitoring of Hydrologic Performance of Ryerson’s
Rooftop Garden
Muhammad Ammar Khan, BEng Candidate, Department of
Civil Engineering, Ryerson University

Wireless Soil-Sensor Network for Rooftop Gardens
M. Nabeel Ahmed, MEng Candidate, Electrical & Computer
Engineering, Ryerson University

Exploration of Agricultural Green Roofs Soils for
Earthworm Populations, Nitrogen and the Possible
Interactions and Practices Involved, Southern Ontario:
Agricultural Green Roof Actors
Caitlin Santos, MASc Candidate, Environmental Applied
Science and Management, Ryerson University

Experiences of Community Gardening Participants in
Different Garden Settings
Adrian Lue, MA Candidate, Department of Geography &
Planning, University of Toronto

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Looking forward

We are already planning for 2018 to be another
significant year:

• Current rooftop farm infrastructure upgrades scheduled for spring 2018
• Increasing capacity for research and data collection on the farm
• Building our team with a new position for data collection and administration
• Plans for Daphne Cockwell Complex rooftop farm opening spring 2019

2017 Revenue generation
Farmers’ Market
Programming
CSA (30 members)
Ryerson Eats
Health Food Stores

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