32 GERMINATION.CA NOVEMBER 2017 IT’S NO SECRET that urban agriculture has enjoyed a resur- gence across Canada over the last decade. Urban gardens have been springing up from coast-to-coast at a frenetic pace, driven by consumer demand for greater food secu- rity and a desire to “buy local”. Once considered primarily the domain of not-for- profits, urban agriculture is now attracting a new crop of urban farming businesses that are catering to so-called locavores — and looking to make a profit in the process. One such operation is Lufa Farms in Montreal, which operates a 31,000-square foot greenhouse on top of a downtown office building and has more than 1,000 subscribers for its weekly food box program. Other large urban ag operations include Red Pocket Farms in Toronto and Sole Food Farms in Vancouver, with five farms spread out over 4.5 acres. Some experts have called urban agriculture the wave of the future. It’s little wonder — consumer research conducted by Vineland Research and Innovation Centre in Ontario shows that more than a quarter of grocery shoppers consider themselves to be “socially responsible locavores.” Another study, conducted on behalf of BMO, indicated Canadians are willing to pay 16 to 19 per cent more for locally sourced produce. Ron Berezan, an urban agriculture guru based in Powell River, B.C. and a frequent gardening commentator on CBC Radio, says while urban gardens are a relatively new concept in Canada, they have been immensely popu- lar in the developing world for some time. “There’s definitely been an uptick in activity in the last decade [here in Canada],” says Berezan, a certified perma- culture teacher and designer. “What is new for this generation is that in the last decade or so, people are feeling motivated again to want to grow their own food. For millennials, it’s a hip and cool sort of a thing and it’s part of the question of envi- ronmental sustainability for a lot of people.” Opportunities for the Seed Industry The increased interest in urban agriculture has focused more attention on the power and potential of seed, Berezan says. Most larger urban centres now host Seedy Saturday events where people come together to swap seed, buy seed from commercial growers and attend workshops. “That didn’t happen 20 years ago — those were not going on. It’s sort of grown together with the farmers’ market phenomenon and the whole local food phenom- enon,” he says. This newfound interest in urban ag is also influencing how new communities are planned. Berezan was recently invited to take part in design charrettes, or planning ses- sions, for two new subdivisions where urban agriculture was a key element developers wanted to include in their designs. THEURBANAGRENAISSANCE Urban agriculture is enjoying a resurgence across the country as food security becomes a bigger priority for consumers. What opportunities does it present for the seed sector? Jim Timlick The Edible Campus Garden in Montreal seeks to involve citizens in the creation of green, edible community spaces by demonstrating how productive planting can be woven into urban spaces without diminishing their utility or functionality.