Project Description: (version française ci-dessous)

Black Creek Community Farm (BCCF) sits on approximately 3.2 hectares (8 acres) of land owned by the Toronto and Region Conservation (TRCA), the regional authority mandated to manage the lands adjacent to water courses in and around the city. Located near the southeast corner of Jane Street and Steeles Avenue, in one of Toronto’s most vulnerable and stigmatized communities, this innovative initiative engages residents of the community in urban organic farming, leadership development, environmental stewardship and health promotion. This site has long been a showcase project for the TRCA, serving as a flagship for its effort to connect agricultural production with conservation approaches as well as community development.

The site is a former dairy farm acquired by TRCA in 1952, sitting across the river from Black Creek Pioneer Village. It includes Braeburn House, a 19th-century stone house that is used today as a training and support facility. The heritage house was moved to this location in 1962 stone by stone when threatened by demolition.

In 2002 the TRCA turned over the eight acre parcel to the City of Toronto’s Community Gardens Program (CGP) under a Management Agreement. A master plan for the site was prepared for what was to become the Toronto Urban Farm, which operated for a decade as a demonstration site for beneficial management practices in urban agriculture and organic and heirloom vegetable seedling production, with a focus on youth training and leadership skills development.

After the management agreement ended, TRCA sought proposals for this site, awarding it to a partnership led by Everdale, an established environmental learning centre with a long history of training new farmers at its farm an hour outside the city. Everdale led the reinvention of the farm with the mission “to engage, educate and empower diverse communities through the growing and sharing of food.” Moreover, BCCF is an anchor in a broader initiative that TRCA has been undertaking, the Sustainable Neighbourhood Retrofit Action Plan (SNAP), which aims to accelerate the implementation of environmental improvements and urban renewal at the neighbourhood scale.

A plan for BCCF has been developed by the design firm DTAH. A number of physical improvements to the farm have been implemented since its launch. Some major infrastructure has been added, including large greenhouses and a shade structure that is large enough for outdoor events, as well as smaller interventions such as a brick oven and chicken coops. These material improvements are helping BCCF become a hub for knowledge about food issues for its nearby community as well as for the city overall.