A college campus isn’t where most people picture the future of farming, but that’s exactly why this conversation surprised us. We’re joined by Kelly O’Brien, Associate Dean at Durham College, to talk about how their urban farms in Whitby and Ajax operate like living labs for sustainable agriculture, food security, and workforce development.

Kelly walks us through what’s actually on these sites: market gardens, hoop houses, hydroponic growing (including a shipping container system), an apiary with bees, and community-first programming that invites people to learn, tour, and even shop a Thursday farmers market. We dig into how donor support through the Barrett Family Foundation helps keep programming accessible, while also pushing forward agriTech, research partnerships, and a bigger goal of helping other communities replicate the model.

We also get practical about what happens after harvest. From apple orchard learning and post-harvest testing to freeze drying that keeps food from going to waste, this is a grounded look at how local food systems can be more resilient. Along the way we touch on honey flavours, pollination, student pathways into real careers, microgreens, aquaponics, mushroom propagation, and a biodigester that turns culinary waste back into nutrient-rich compost in a true field to fork to field loop.

If you’re curious about urban farming, sustainable food education, or community-based solutions to hunger, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who cares about local food, and leave us a review so more people can find the show.

You probably don’t think about gravel until a dump truck slows traffic or a new pit proposal sparks a neighbourhood fight, but the truth is bigger: your roads, sidewalks, schools, hospitals, and even the concrete under your feet all begin as stone, sand, and gravel. We connect those dots with Sharon Armstrong, executive director of the Ontario Stone, Sand, and Gravel Association, and unpack why aggregate is a “natural resource hiding in plain sight” across Ontario infrastructure.

We get practical about how roads are built, why different aggregate sizes and specs matter, and what separates pits from quarries. Sharon explains why transport is often the biggest cost and a major emissions driver, and why the industry mantra “don’t make gravel travel” changes how you think about local supply versus long-haul trucking. We also dig into the real-world friction points that fuel public controversy, from truck traffic to the misunderstanding that you can just source material somewhere else.

Then we walk through the licensing and approvals process: hydrogeology studies, air and noise work, traffic planning, municipal zoning, public consultation, rehabilitation plans, and what happens when decisions end up at the Ontario Land Tribunal. We also explore rehabilitation outcomes people rarely hear about, including recreation sites and emerging aquaculture uses that can speed up biodiversity in extremely clean quarry water. Plus, we answer listener gardening questions on fertilising, petunia recovery, and harvesting peppers and tomatoes.

If you care about construction, land use, environmental review, or the future of Ontario building, this conversation gives you the missing context. Subscribe, share this with someone who debates local pits, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.

Cheese gets called “simple food” right up until you hear what actually goes into making it. We start with a bit of real life under the canopy, from sore muscles and gravel work to staying sharp outdoors after close calls with coyotes. Then we pivot into a full-on, listener-friendly breakdown of artisan cheese, because there’s a lot more happening in that wedge than most of us realise.

Haley from Ontario Cheese Union joins us to talk about Ontario farmstead cheese and the makers behind it, including cow, goat, sheep, and even water buffalo milk. We dig into what water buffalo milk changes nutritionally and practically (including protein and cholesterol questions), and we walk step-by-step through the cheese making process: starter cultures, rennet, curds and whey, draining, moulding, pressing, and the little technical choices that turn the same ingredient into mozzarella, gouda, or cheddar.

We also get into the wild world of blue cheese and why it often needs its own space, how aging works as moisture reduction that intensifies flavour, and why some aged cheeses can be easier on lactose-intolerant eaters. We don’t dodge the uncomfortable stuff either: processed cheese, additives, shelf life, and what “consistent” flavour can cost. If you love food, cooking, and outdoor living, this one is packed with practical cheese tips you can use at your next farmers market.

Subscribe so you don’t miss the next conversation, share this with a fellow cheese lover, and leave a review with your most controversial cheese take.