Cultivaction
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Welcome to Cultivaction

info@cultivaction.ca

Welcome to Cultivating Urban Greenspaces

Mohammed Al-Duais, Ph.D, Erik Chevrier, Ph.D., and Nico Schutte (mushroom cultivator) are happy to welcome you to the course. 
 
Some of you are taking this course is part of CultivAction Solidarity Cooperative’s Urban Agriculture Certificate Program and some of you are taking the course without certification. 
 
Those of you who are taking the course for certification are asked to show up to at least two hands-on learning days per month and participate in at least four reading discussions. Mohammed will be leading guided learning days on Wednesdays and Erik will be leading them on Tuesdays from noon to 4 PM. Other farm members are also there on Friday, from noon – 4 PM. If you cannot make it to those days/times, we can work out another day for you to come to Loyola, our farm in Senneville, Permaculture St.Anne de Bellevue, and/or the Duff-Court Urban Farm.We will discuss topics and agree on readings in the first class on May 16th. 
 

Location of Class

We will hold class at the Loyola Farm and in room CC-310 at Concordia. We will mostly be outside but will use the class when it rains and for lessons that need Power Point. Please see the map on the right hand menu for each location. We will notify you by email a day before each class to let you know where we will be located.
 

What to Expect to Learn

Each lesson will be posted in the drop down menu in the right column a day before each class. 

  • How to grow food in urban (or peri-urban) environments
  • How to incorporate SPIN (Small Plot Intensive Farming) methods 
  • How to become more self-sufficient by producing a variety of fruits and vegetables at home or in the community
  • How to understand community food systems and apply the knowledge to urban gardening/farming
  • How to run a social economy based urban farm
  • How to cultivate annual and perennial food plants
  • How to incorporate permaculture methods into urban gardening/farming
  • How to get the most production in an urban garden/farm
  • How to understand gardening cycles – what to do in different seasons
  • How to incorporate mushrooms into your urban farms/gardens
  • How to forage in urban areas
  • How to use natural methods for pest control
  • How to distinguish between weeds and beneficial plants and flowers
 

Weekly Topics

  1. Introduction to Urban Agriculture, Permaculture, Urban Foraging and Food Systems
  2. Seeding
  3. Food Systems and Cycles
  4. Mycology and mushroom farming
  5. Introduction to Plant Ecology
  6. Maintaining an Annual Garden
  7. Maintaining a Perennial Garden
  8. Benefits of Urban Farming
  9. Natural Solutions to Common Garden Problems
  10. Healthy Soil, Healthy Plants
  11. Post Harvest
  12. Putting your Garden to Bed
 

Weekly Lesson Plans

1. Introduction to the course

2. Activity 1 – ‘Plant a Seed’

3. Overview of the Course 

4. Activity 2 – Garden Tour and Explanation of Farm Plan

Virtual Tour (if raining)

5. Activity 3 – Garden/Farm Activities

6. Wrap-up

Recommended Reading: 

Agroecological and other innovative approaches for sustainable agriculture and food systems that enhance food security and nutrition. A report by: The High-Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition.

Hello everyone, I hope you are having a great week. The weather will be great; therefore, we will meet outside at the farm. 

1 – Introduction and check-in.

2 – Food systems and cycles activity.

3 – Introduction to gardening tools, gardening space, processing space and service areas.

4 – Get into groups and make a planting plan, then follow up with a crop throughout the class.

5 – Fix a date to visit other urban farming/gardening plots in the West Island of Montreal.

6 – Wrap-up and questions.

Hello everyone, after observing the weather reports and discussing with Mohammed, we will still be meeting in St. Anne de Bellevue at Jardins Harpell. The rain is predicted to stop at 4:30, therefore, we should be okay. If it does rain, we can still take a small tour and go to St. George Church to take shelter. 
 
Please bring an umbrella and/or rain clothes in case. 
 
I will be holding a hands-on learning activity at Loyola starting at 12:30PM, but it looks like it will rain at that time. Mohammed will be in St. Anne de Bellevue early in case anyone wants to show up early. 
 
I will hold the first reading discussion from 3 – 4PM at Loyola. If it is raining, we will meet in the farmhouse (apartment beside the farm). We will discuss the first chapter(s) of A Foodie’s Guide to Capitalism and Braiding Sweetgrass. 
 
You can reach me via phone at 514-998-5889 or Mohammed at 514-443-3263.
 
 
We will meet at Jardins Harpell located right beside the train station at 5PM. Mohammed also said that people can show up early for some hands-on learning activities. If you are taking the bus, you will have to take a transfer from the 211 to the 112.

Hello everyone, tomorrow we will meet in room CC-310. Here is the plan for the class. 

1 – Introduction and check-in.

2 – Lesson about food systems and cycles

3 – Annual Plant Activity

Activity Folder

4 – Garden Tasks (weather dependent)

5 – Wrap-Up

Hello everyone, I hope you are having a great week. We will meet at the farm at 5PM (or 3:45 PM for those participating in the reading group). 

The plan for the class is as follows:

1 – Introduction and check-ins

2 – Activity – Getting to know plants and garden planning

3 – Plant ecology and maintaining an urban greenspace

4 – Farm tasks

5 – Conclusion

 

Hello everyone, it looks like it will rain tomorrow. If it does, we will meet in room CC-310. If it doesn’t rain, we’ll meet at the farm. 

Here is a breakdown of the class: 

If it doesn’t rain:

1 – Introduction and check-in

2 – Introduction to mycology

  • the ecology of mushrooms in the forest, and how they could benefit your garden’s ecosystem
  • mycelium facilitates transportation of water and nutrients through the soil web, & discuss its importance given our changing climate
  • the difference between indoor and outdoor cultivation
  • step by step indoor growing techniques
  • cover some popular medicinal mushrooms and their benefits: how to make mushroom medicine
  • how to select a space with a proper microclimate for growing mushrooms
  • how to assess which technique is best for you as a mushroom cultivator
 
3 – Hands-on Mushroom Workshop
  • how to build a garden mushroom bed in straw and/or woodchips
  • how to grow mushrooms from grain spawn in straw buckets
  • how to inoculate hardwood logs for long-term, prolific mushroom production. (takes about a year or so before you see any mushrooms)
4 – Wrap-up and questions
 
 
If it rains:
1 – Introduction and check-in
3 – Design an ideal garden activity
4 – Wrap-up and questions

Hello everyone, I hope you are having a great week. Here is the plan for class.

1 – Introduction and check-in
3 – Garden tasks
4 – Wrap-up and questions

Hello everyone, I hope you are having a great start to the week. Here are some important updates for class this week. 

1 – I (Erik) am out of town this week because of a family emergency. Everything should be okay – my mom had to have surgery and needed help. Mohammed will teach the class on September 5th by himself and will be travelling to Loyola after his course finishes at 4 PM. Although, the shuttle bus is reliable and fast, please be patient if he runs a few minutes late for this one class. 

2 – Because I am not in Montreal, I will postpone the reading group meeting until further notice. 

3 – Mohammed will meet everyone in the classroom CC-310 to begin, then will take everyone outside after a presentation about incorporating perennial plants into your garden. 

 

Here is the plan for class:

1 – Introduction and Check-in

2 – Incorporating Perennial Plants into Your Garden

3 – Garden Tasks

4 – Questions/Concerns

Hello everyone, I hope you are having a great start to the week. Here is the plan for class.

1 – Introduction and Check-in

2 – Seed Saving

3 – Post-Harvest

4 – Garden Seed Saving Activity

5 – Conclusion and Questions

Farm Map

Campus Buildings Map

Cultivating Urban Greenspaces

This urban agriculture course is offered biweekly for the entire growing season. The course consists of 12 engaging classes beginning in May finishing in October. The course is for adults of all ages who want to learn how to grow nutritious food in an urban setting. Whether you are looking to transform your property into an edible garden, learn how to maintain a community garden, or you want to improve your existing gardening skills, this course will provide you with theoretical knowledge and practical skills to support your journey towards becoming more self-sufficient. This course is for anyone who is interested in learning about gardening, urban farming, and urban permaculture. 

Why is Urban Agriculture Important? 

Agriculture is one of the leading sources of global pollution, industrial farming is destroying our biosphere and chemical pesticides and fertilizers have negative effects on our health. Buying locally grown food is a great way to minimize your environmental impact, and learning to grow your own food is even better! Food prices are on the rise; a study from Dalhousie University, the University of Saskatchewan, University of Guelph and University of British Colombia found that food prices increased by 10.3% in 2022. Growing your own food is a rewarding way to reduce your carbon footprint, save money and learn practical skills that you can share with others. Whatever your motivation, with a little bit of knowledge and practice, it is possible to grow an abundance of healthy fruits and vegetables and participate in a movement to cultivate a more resilient and food secure future. 

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