The Trent Research Farm is a pioneering facility in climate-smart agriculture, providing leadership in sustainable farming practices, local food security, and environmental research.  

“We envision the Trent Research Farm being an active learning hub that students across the university will have access to through both formal and informal experiential learning opportunities,” said Dr. Karen Thompson, the Farm’s recently appointed inaugural director, and associate professor in the Trent School of the Environment. 

As director of the Trent Research Farm, Professor Thompson will be leading a group of faculty members in a proposal to create the Trent Farm Research Centre, with plans to establish governance and advisory boards to start the process of selecting on-farm research projects. The group will hire students for summer positions to set up and maintain their first stage of trial implementation. 

The Trent Research Farm works to address the urgent need to develop scientific-based understanding to promote and accelerate the development of new agricultural hotspots to secure sustainable food production in Ontario. 

Commenting on Trent’s leadership in this area, Prof. Thompson says, “Trent faculty are uniquely positioned to lead agri-food research due to Trent’s expertise and reputation in systems-level environmental research with an interdisciplinary focus on promoting social and environmental sustainability while considering diverse perspectives, and integrating Indigenous Knowledge.” 

Learn more about Trent’s School of the Environment and the Trent Research Farm.