Archway Urban Farm

This interview details Archway Urban Farm, a company based in Canada. The interview is with Marina Gibson, Farm Manager at Archway Urban Farm.

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What is the origin story of The Archway Urban Farm?

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Archway Urban Farm began in 2015 with the seed of an idea to develop a not-for-profit teaching farm.  It began as a partnership between the volunteer Farm Manager and our local Archway Community Services organization.

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We developed a beta project on a small, non-conforming lot in the heart of downtown Abbotsford, BC. Our first several years were spent developing our presence in the community and striving to generate enough locally grown fresh produce to meet demand. Our initial area provided about 1200 ft² of growing space! We quickly realized we needed more room to grow. We spent about 2 seasons searching for a suitable expansion site. We were fortunate to connect with a local farmer who owned land at the very edge of the urban-rural interface, and who appreciated the opportunity to do community good by collaborating with Archway Urban Farm. In 2021, Archway Urban Farm moved to a half-acre field site at EcoFarm - a major Agri-Tourism operation in the Fraser Valley. 

We have since been able to expand our production space to include two unheated hoophouses. We are now on track to establish some AgTech growing units as well at our field site. Our goal is to have these in operation by early summer 2024. This has been made possible by funding through the Royal Bank of Canada's Tech for Nature fund. 

What are some of the biggest challenges facing The Archway Urban Farm in the future?  

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Archway Urban Farm's biggest challenge is staffing. We are not a family farm. We are managed by a full-time volunteer, and one goal is to increase the amount of produce donated to the community. To do this successfully, we need to be able to grow enough produce and earn enough revenue from produce sales to cover expenses. A second goal is to reduce the need for grants and funding to operate.

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Staffing is a challenge because of the wages, and the experience level of seasonal staff each year. Many are drawn to the ethos of Archway Urban Farm, but very few are ready for the rigors of intensive farming. This challenge will increase as we add in the AgTech units to our field operations. We grow a diverse set of crops in diverse environments. To date, we have only been able to operate seasonally which undermines our ability to retain staff from year to year - especially regrettable as we lose the benefits of their training from season to season.

What is unique about The Archway Urban Farm compared to competitors? 

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Our farm is unique in that we operate as a not-for-profit.

Our goal is to increase the consumers':

• understanding of how food is grown,
• access to fresh, local, nutrient-dense food
• commitment to supporting local

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The expectation is that the goal above supports local agriculture in general. All the while, Archway Urban Farm intends to support other not-for-profits in their food distribution to disadvantaged populations.

What are some other relevant metrics of the company (growing area size, production quantity, team size, etc.)?

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Archway Urban Farm started off small as a demonstration plot in 2016. We now have 12x more growing space than our initial season. Archway Urban Farm is adjusting to the increased production demands from the larger space. We expect that we can produce 20,000 lbs of produce in our increased space. Our team size consists of 1 volunteer Farm Manager and 2-3 seasonal staff.

What are some goals in 2024 and beyond for The Archway Urban Farm?

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Our goal for 2024 is to eliminate the gaps in production that we experienced in this past season. 

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Another goal is to establish our Vertical Ag units to produce greens, cilantro, and ideally, spinach. 

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We will be establishing a cooler and upgrading our wash-pack station in late spring 2024 as well.

We expect to have a permanent, year-round position as a Farm Supervisor in 2024 to reduce the seasonal effects on our employment.

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How can people connect with you or learn more about The Archway Urban Farm?

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The best way to reach us is via email: farm@archway.ca  

If you are a local school group or organization that wants to book a farm experience, please feel free to email: farmschool@archway.ca

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