Evolution of urban agriculture projects over a decade: Le milieu universitaire est une pouponnière pour les projets d'agriculture urbaine

A Frenglish perspective on urban agriculture ''gouvernance'' and ''évolution''

Education is an ongoing, never ending, activity. L'homme apprend par ses erreurs, pour autant qu'il ait la chance d'expérimenter. Universities are a great place for grown ups to pursue learning through involvement, trial and error, before creeping our in the "real world" to change societies. Tandis que le secteur universitaire est un milieu de croissance personnelle et interpersonnelle qui se veut libéral (dans le sens d'ouverture), on y apprend aussi à vivre dans une structure hiérarchique. Urban agriculture, or more encompassing sustainability initiatives, exhibit a wide breadth of organisational structures that grow and evolve whithin university communities. 

Evolution of the R4 Composting project in the Concordia Greenhouse from early 2000 to 2008.

To catch of glimpse of this diversity, let’s ask ourselved a few questions: D'abord, la communauté universitaire est-elle restreinte aux étudiants, corps professoral et personnel de soutien (sensus strictu) ou englobe-t-elle aussi les voisins qui voient le campus depuis leur salon (citation d'Alexandre Beaudoin, PAUSE, UdeM)? Even among the university users themselves, should initiatives be solely driven and supported by and for students (i.e. CRAPAUD, UQAM); is it desirable to have university staff strongholding initiatives against depressive waves in the summer months or when student organisations partly dissolve under narrow visioned leadership (i.e. UdeM); or are arising mixed governance structures created through deep mutual collaborative efforts solely positive (i.e. Sustainable Concordia)? 

Opening of the Concordia Atrium in 2009: (left) The instigator, Diana Kirkwood. (center) Some more good publicity for Concordia which rains back as more support for student led initiatives, here posing for L'Actualité. (right) Newly renovated and welcoming public space, the Atrium is born. Check out the small Fig tree in the pot on the left of the image.

The Concordia Greenhouse in 2015: The vermicomposting tables (left) and worm reproduction beds (center) now serve to grow herbs. The fig tree is now massive (right) and makes the joy of the Greenhouse Coordinator!

Au sein de ces entités aux chartes variées qui entretiennent des liens plus ou moins étroits avec les directions universitaires et des organisations d’agriculture urbaine locales, le thème des organisations à but non-lucratif, de coopérative de travail (i.e. Miel Montréal) ou plus entreprenariale (i.e. Alvéole - ai-je entendu dire capitaliste?) cohabitent et se confrontent parfois. Just like mini-societies, universities are diversified places, and the growing urban agriculture movement fluctuates between loose organic structures to highly vertically integrated programs nested within higher administrative strategic planning. 

The large scale composting system launched at Concordia in 2008 was born from a collaborative effort. A student led and research program was adopted by Facilities Management. Everyone was proud. Photo credit: Concordia University.

Reste à assurer la durée de ces associations et ce qui ressort comme une force pérenne c'est la flexibilité et l'ouverture qui permettent une fluidité dans les objectifs, la gouvernance et les projets. Nothing’s created, nothing’s lost, everything transforms. It’s been amazing to return to Concordia where I’ve learned so much, by trial and error, in various sustainability initiatives. Dans la serre du 13e étage du pavillon Hall, j’ai sué à grosses gouttes en contribuant à la conception d’un système de vermicompostage et de l’Atrium, ce lieu accueillant pour tout la communauté. Climing back up the dark steps to the greenhouse door, my heart stopped to beat for a second : What has happened since I left six years ago? Ce que j’y ai vu m’a fait sourire: d’autres après moi se sont approprié cet étage et l’ont transformé à leur image. The space was nothing like it used to be, but I could still see the vermicomposting beds transformed into production planters and the giant fig tree I planted that made the sweet joy of today’s Greenhouse Coordinator — I’ve never even tasted a single fruit, the plant was so young when we brought it up there!

Behind Hingston Hall circa 2005: Grass and a compost pile!

Same place, near Hingston Hall, ten years later in 2015. Lots of vegetables... and a compost pile!

Near people's potato garden circa 2005: Grass and a gigantic wooden box composter.

Same place, near People's Potato Garden, ten years later in 2015. Tons of squash and garlic grew in the once grassed terrain.

J’ai aussi vu que la vie humaine était une grande roue qui tourne et que plus ça change, plus c’est pareil. After planning the implementation of a large-scale on-site composter at the Loyola campus to evolve from the small wooden box bins, I saw City Farm School proudly introduce… their multiple composting units made of recycled pallets. Mais avec du recul, on apprécie mieux les changements dans notre vie. J’ai grandi, donné et appris beaucoup en travaillant entre l’arbre et l’écorce (les groupes étudiants et l’administration qui forment ensemble Sustainable Concordia), et j’ai toujours senti avoir perdu une petite partie de moi-même en quittant ce milieu vibrant pour d’autres aventures. But it was for the best, it left the space for other creators to learn how to innovate, within this urban agriculture university community movement.

Text by Louise Hénault-Ethier