An alumni-led campaign has launched to save the Guelph Centre for Urban Organic Farming (GCUOF) at risk of reduction by the integration of the Honey Bee Research Centre (HBRC) at the one-hectare location.
The announcement for the integration which came in January of this year is drawing much criticism as the date to announce the architectural drawings approaches on Thursday.
The campaign states that the plan for the 20,000 square foot HBRC building along with the parking lot where the farm currently operates will result in very little fertile land and the farm as it currently exists will no longer be viable after construction.
Don't Harm the Farm -led by a group of individuals passionate about the farm- is campaigning to ensure that a different location is found for the HBRC with the ultimate goal to preserve the certified organic research and experiential learning farm.
“They say food university, well we’re the only place that grows food on campus. They say their mission is to improve life and we support all life here. The biodiversity on this hectare is greater than any other hectare in the whole Wellington County,” says professor of philosophy and environmental ethics Karen Houle, who volunteers at the farm.
The dean of the Ontario Agriculture Culture, Rene Van Acker who founded the farm in 2008 and has provided the funds to sustain it until now, says integrating the new facility which focuses on bee health education, research and advocacy is beneficial for both centres. He says while it is difficult to sustain the farm, it is also challenging to find a site for the new HBRC.
“It's been something that we were keen on developing, to have a place on campus where we grew food which is important to the OAC obviously and then we were in the process of trying to find a new site for the honey bee research centre. We cant rebuild on the current site because it is surrounded by wetland,” says Van Acker.
“We supported it in its development over the years. We've had challenges to keep it growing over the years. Over time, it has been a place where students have volunteered and supported food hospitality.”
Because both centres are located in the arboretum and both report to the OAC, Van Acker says it made more sense to create an integration plan.
“We've never had any intention to eliminate the organic farm ever. Nobody ever said that's going to happen,” says Van Acker about the campaign that claims that 70 per cent of the farm will be occupied by the new HBRC.
“I don’t know where those numbers are coming from,” says Van Acker adding that currently, it is uncertain how much of one hectare will be occupied by the HBRC given that the architectural plans have not been finalized.
Van Acker says the OAC is open to finding other sites but it is difficult and given that a new site is found for the HBRC- a possibility they are open to - the farm will not have to be reduced at all.
“It's challenging to find another site because of the many factors included,” says Van Acker adding that one needs to consider the proximity to the campus, accessibility on campus and impact on any trees of significance.
“Its a lot harder to find a honey bee research centre. We have to be very careful where we build in the arboretum,” says Van Acker.
The $10 million new HBRC project will include a 100 hive apiary, an interactive education space, a cafe, a gift and book shop, an office, a garden and parking.
The funds and the new placement for the centre were approved by the Physical Resources and Property Committee of the Board of Governors last November.
The campaign, which recognizes the need for the honey bee research centre, says it should never come at the expense of the most biodiverse, food productive hectare on university land.
“Left with one out of our seven greenhouses on a small corner, and having had to endure a multi-year disruption due to the construction of a major capital project, the farm, the uncompacted non-toxic soils, and all its myriad ecological and cultural relations and projects, will simply not be viable as a farm anymore,” says Houle.
“After 11 years of incredible food-growing, sustainability-work and community-building, we will be unable to work with our many on- and off-campus partners, or train our hundreds of volunteers and welcome our thousands of guests from daycare kids to new Canadians learning local food literacy.”
Houle says with 400 different kinds of plants, no use of pesticide, and growth of plants from around the world to support cultural diversity on campus, the farm is magical.
The campaign claims that the GCUOF plays an important role at the university whether its student-faculty research and teaching or supporting the circular food economy. Healthy organic food is produced on-site and is used by Hospitality Services and then returned for compost for future soil and food production.
The campaign also says the farm has largely contributed to the success of the $10 million Smart Cities Challenge for the City of Guelph.
Houle says last year, the students in the Central Student Association referendum voted in favour of supporting the farm in a time when students are given the option to opt-out from student fees.
“They opted in because it matters. They want to know where the food comes from they want to be part of sustainability initiatives that are very real, they want to compost for better soil, they want to alleviate their climate change anxiety, and this is the way to do it,” says Houle.
“It used to be an agriculture thing but its not an agriculture thing anymore. It's about food and wellness and justice.”
Van Acker says ultimately, he is glad that there is a campaign that shows community support for the farm.
“I'm happy people value it. Its good to see because we’ve struggled to support it for 11 years," says Van Acker.
