Episode 163: Durham College’s Living Lab For Sustainable Food

A college campus isn’t where most people picture the future of farming, but that’s exactly why this conversation surprised us. We’re joined by Kelly O’Brien, Associate Dean at Durham College, to talk about how their urban farms in Whitby and Ajax operate like living labs for sustainable agriculture, food security, and workforce development. Kelly walks us through what’s actually on these sites: market gardens, hoop houses, hydroponic growing (including a shipping container system), an apiary with bees, and community-first programming that invites people to learn, tour, and even shop a Thursday farmers market. We dig into how donor support through the Barrett Family Foundation helps keep programming accessible, while also pushing forward agriTech, research partnerships, and a bigger goal of helping other communities replicate the model. We also get practical about what happens after harvest. From apple orchard learning and post-harvest testing to freeze drying that keeps food from going to waste, this is a grounded look at how local food systems can be more resilient. Along the way we touch on honey flavours, pollination, student pathways into real careers, microgreens, aquaponics, mushroom propagation, and a biodigester that turns culinary waste back into nutrient-rich compost in a true field to fork to field loop. If you’re curious about urban farming, sustainable food education, or community-based solutions to hunger, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who cares about local food, and leave us a review so more people can find the show.