The Barrett Centre Winter Lecture Series - 2026

The Barrett Centre Winter Lecture Series is a three-part educational series. This three-part digital series will highlight how municipalities and industry partners can work together to strengthen local urban agriculture initiatives. Exploring project development and financing, urban agri-business operations, local food security, economic opportunities and benefits of urban farms that extend well beyond food production.

The series will run Thursday January 29th, Thursday February 26th, and Thursday March 26th, from 1:30-3:30pm, hosted on MS Teams. The sessions will be structured as having three 20-minute presentations, followed by a moderated Q&A session with all presenters.

The themes for each of the sessions are as follows:

Thursday January 29th: Networks That Nourish: Building Collaborative Ecosystems for City-Grown Food

Thursday February 26th: Growing with Confidence: Financial Strategies for Scaling Urban Food Initiatives

Thursday March 26th: Policy & Planning for Urban Agriculture: Building Sustainable Ecosystems

Speakers will draw from active projects and lived experience, offering both strategic and on-the-ground perspectives. The series is designed to be flexible and accessible. Each session stands alone, and participants may register for individual sessions based on their interests.