The O’Brien Farm Foundation recently received the National Trust of Canada’s 2023 Governors’ Award at their annual conference in Ottawa, Ontario.
The National Trust Awards are given out annually, and honour contributions to community,
identity, and sense of place around the country. The foundation’s Executive Director, Aaron
Rodgers, was in Ottawa to receive the award.
The O’Brien Farm Foundation was chosen for its restoration work on Thimble Cottage, a
175-year old historic home located on the O’Brien Farm property, as an example of how
heritage places can address contemporary needs, by teaching and practicing sustainable
food production while preserving and utilizing original buildings.
Thimble Cottage is an integral component of the foundation’s Learning Centre, which also
includes a Visitors Centre and Kitchen Barn which opened to the public this past June. The
city of St. John’s, the province, and the Government of Canada’s Atlantic Canada
Opportunities Agency (ACOA) have been the major funders for the farm development, with
support from a number of generous donors.
The O’Brien Farm is an active, working farm with a focus on educating the public about
sustainable food production. The farm also shares the history of Irish settlement in St.
John’s through the story of the O’Brien family.