Durham College
Whitby, ON
Focused on field-to-fork and sustainable business practices, the spectacular W. Galen Weston Centre for Food is home to Durham College’s programs in culinary, nutrition and food service management, food and farming, horticulture, hospitality, tourism and special events management, along with a retail store and Bistro ’67, a fine dining restaurant.
The W. Galen Weston Centre for Food integrates field-to-fork and sustainable practices into all we do. Our students have a lead role in the entire operation of our grounds and centre, including helping to grow upwards of 2,000 kilograms of food each year that is used in our post-secondary operations, restaurant (Bistro ‘67), and retail store (Pantry). The operation of the Weston Centre is dependent on maximizing student activities and experiences. We direct the student learning experiences, but the students execute them. From seed to growing, harvesting, post-harvest processing, value-added product processing, food science and technology, research and service, all aspects of our field-to-fork philosophy receive focus –to the community and consumer.
Demonstrating the success of an urban farm has broader societal implications. It increases food security, creates a sense of belonging, produces healthy food, provides learning opportunities, and efficiently uses land. High industry and community demand exists for innovative, viable, achievable small-scale food and farming solutions. The Durham College model is all of these and will be replicable and scalable.
Accommodating students studying culinary, nutrition and food service, hospitality, event management, tourism, agricultural and horticultural programs, the Weston Centre features state-of-the-art labs, facilities and production systems including
Culinary, Baking and Product Development labs
Food and beverage pairing lab
Classrooms, meeting and event spaces
A culinary demonstration lecture theatre
Centre for Craft Brewing Innovation (CCBI)
A market garden that grows over 2,000 kilograms of vegetables a year and offers a weekly farmer’s market during the growing season;
Multiple greenhouse bays that provide indoor growing production year-round producing microgreens and seasonal crops along with a developing aquaponics system;
A hydroponic vertical farm in a recycled shipping container that grows 700-plus heads of lettuce a week and salad mixes for a CSA and Bistro 67;
An arboretum of native and ornamental trees and shrubs that provide horticulture students with valuable habitat, windbreak beauty, and learning opportunities.
A developing Forest Garden of fruit trees and berry bushes with an understory of functional and edible plants that will produce crops like peaches, pears, plums, cherries, apricots, blueberries and raspberries;
A quarter-acre apple orchard with four varieties of apples;
Several ornamental and edible perennial gardens; and
Finally, a post-harvest facility is used to wash, pack and store all the yields coming from the farm to ensure food safety and high quality.
Apiary, pollinator and therapy garden
Aquaponics, grow walls and microgreen production
NEW- Biodigester building that will complete the field-to-fork loop. Process food waste and return it to the earth. Reduce food waste on campus by 90%. Create research and work-integrated learning opportunities for faculty and staff. Incorporate aspects of organic regeneration into the curriculum for related programs
Durham College's recently announced partnership with The Barrett Family Foundation will support the creation of a centre of excellence and a new urban farm in Durham Region- Ajax, Ontario. The Barrett Centre of Innovation in Sustainable Urban Agriculture will become an internationally recognized hub of excellence in urban agriculture practices, research, education and training, creating several new opportunities for students
A Proud Member of the Culinary Tourism Alliance
