Regenesis leads apple picking field trip at King City Royal Orchards
UTM students participated in Regenesis’ community-led approach to sustainability through apple-picking in King City.

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On September 19, UTM students traded classrooms for rows of apple trees during a Regenesis trip to the Royal Orchards, a sustainable partner farm in King City, alongside students from York University and Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU).

For $10, participants got bus transportation to the orchard, where they spent Saturday picking apples for $2.35 per pound. The event provided students an affordable opportunity to get off campus, spend time outdoors, and connect with other students while learning more about food, agriculture, and sustainability.

Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of Regenesis Michael Jodah, who prefers to go by Mike, shared Regenesis’ roots in an interview with The Medium. 

Regenesis began in 2007, when Mike was a student at York University. He was disappointed by how few sustainability organizations were focused on local grassroots action. He believed that meaningful change should start at a smaller scale, within communities themselves.

Mike saw Regenesis as a way to demonstrate that a community-led way of living was possible. By creating practical and grassroots initiatives, he hoped that the organization could inspire people to think about a future where a community-led, sustainable, and independent way of living is possible.

Since then, the organization has grown. As of 2026, Regenesis has expanded to five different locations in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) at several university campuses. That includes U of T’s tri-campuses, York, and TMU.

President of Regenesis UTM Iman Ghaus said the UTM chapter is focused on creating student-led initiatives that make sustainable choices more practical and accessible on campus.

These initiatives include programs such as the Free Store, the Borrowing Centre, the Regenesis Food Market, and UTM BikeShare. These initiatives are designed to encourage students to reuse and share resources, ultimately lowering consumption.

The Borrowing Centre allows students to temporarily access items that they may only need for a short period of time for up to seven days. Items such as air fryers, speakers, and other equipment are popular and useful for students, clubs, and short events. This not only helps reduce unnecessary consumption, but also lowers costs for students.

UTM BikeShare follows the same principle by giving students access to bicycles for up to seven days without cost. It provides an environmentally friendly mode of transportation for students—cycling as an alternative to driving.

Similar to the Borrowing Centre, the Free Store follows the same philosophy. What differs is that donated items are made available at no cost. People can donate items they no longer need, while students can take items that may otherwise have been thrown away or left unused.

Mike shared that the demand for the Free Store is especially noticeable. People rushed to get items when new resources became available. Demand became so high that Regenesis eventually implemented student ID checks and usage limits to maintain equitable distribution of resources. 

As many students are impacted by inflation, the Free Store and the Borrowing Centre are becoming more significant. Having access to free or shared resources can make a meaningful difference for students affected by OSAP cuts and increased tuition costs.

The Apple Picking trip embodies the philosophy of Regenesis by letting students partake in an activity connected to local food and agriculture.

Through exposing students to a variety of apples, a locally owned food truck, and local musicians, the apple-picking trip was Regenesis’ attempt to show students what a community-led way of living can look like in practice.

Regenesis UTM will be hosting a DIY Tote Bag Workshop on September 28, followed by a Thrift Shop Bus Tour through Toronto on October 3. Students can register for both events on UTM Regenesis’ Instagram page, @regenesis.utm. 

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