RESEARCH

With a month and a half to go, things are getting serious over here. We're currently testing out paint colours, and deciding whether or not to sand the barn board -- it makes for an easier application, but may take away from the overall aesthetic. Once it dries and we remove the tape, we can make a final decision.

MATERIAL PICK-UP

We have a pile of scraps and off-cuts that can be repurposed for structure, but we were determined to find some authentic barn board to be used as cladding. After scouting out materials last weekend, we knew exactly where we had to go. A big thanks to Mike and Austin at the Barn Board Store in East York, who helped sift through the material, avoid splinters and load up the truck!

AND SO IT BEGINS...

Materials research has begun. A little Saturday morning road trip to the barn board store, the urban tree salvage, and home depot.

FARMSCAPE

Between 1996 and 2006, Ontario lost 600,000 acres of Farmland due to mass housing developments. This startling statistic has extensive ramifications on existing rural landscapes, and the notion of preserving farmland. Additionally, it puts more pressure on farms that remain and has a ripple effect in the grocery store, where the price of food is constantly on the rise.

In Toronto, a preference for locally sourced farm products is rapidly emerging, as people are choosing ‘local’ as a means to a healthier, greener, more sustainable lifestyle. Unfortunately this lifestyle comes at a premium and often is out of reach for many families.

Farmscape is intended to highlight the importance food plays in our everyday lives by calling attention to the agricultural landscape. The cart will be constructed with salvaged wood boards in an ode to traditional farm buildings, while a two-dimensional graphic overlaid on the rough textured wood will recall the agricultural landscape familiar to so many of us. The variety of green shades used in the graphic will emphasize the unique diversity in crops and range of seasons celebrated in Ontario. 

Following The Stop’s mission statement, Farmscape aims to relate the notion of rural landscapes with urban living, while “fostering opportunities for community members to connect to resources.” By bringing to light the importance of rural agricultural landscapes, the community’s awareness of farming and eating locally will be enriched.