Trent University and ClearWater Farm Partner to Enrich Hands-on Learning and Research Opportunities for Students

With a mutual goal of preparing the sustainable agriculture leaders of the future, Trent University and ClearWater Farm are collaborating to enhance research and hands-on learning opportunities for students at the University.

L-R: Trent University Professors Dr. Shaun Watmough, Dr. Karen Thompson, acting Vice-President of Research and Innovation, Dr. Cathy Bruce, and Executive Director of the Ontario Water Centre, Colin Dobell. Photo courtesy of Trent University.

“Trent University is excited to be partnering with ClearWater Farm. Our mutual interests and expertise in small-scale sustainable agriculture will enhance student and farmer-apprentice skills through practical experiences. Our students will build connections with farming experts at ClearWater, who can advise and support them as they enter the agriculture sector,” said Dr. Cathy Bruce, acting vice-president of Research and Innovation at Trent. “This partnership will also leverage Trent’s research expertise in the School of the Environment, and we look forward to collaborating on research initiatives to support sustainable practices, including addressing local and regional food security.”

Through the Memorandum of Understanding, signed on December 1, 2021, the two institutions will explore new pathways to micro-credential and for-credit courses, research collaborations, experiential farming opportunities, and special events

ClearWater Farm is the flagship initiative of the Ontario Water Centre, an educational charitable organization aimed at nurturing young the eco-leaders of the future through youth-oriented experiential learning programs that showcase water-wise practices and technologies.

Over the past four years the Ontario Water Centre has developed, piloted and rolled out the Young Agripreneurs program, a multi-year apprenticeship based at ClearWater Farm designed to help young people transition to a career in regenerative agriculture. Its partnership with Trent University will allow ClearWater to expand its educational farming endeavors to the post-secondary education sector.

“In the short-term, while we are focused on the experiential dimensions of new farmer education, we believe academic learning provides an essential complementary framework for developing true expertise,” said Colin Dobell, executive director of the Ontario Water Centre. “We are hoping to partner with Trent to co-develop micro-credentialing opportunities for our ‘agripreneurs’ in a variety of fields required to succeed as a regenerative farmer.”

The partnership will enhance the commitment of both organizations to environmental science and greentech, small-scale sustainable agriculture, and learning from Indigenous knowledge and practices.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.