The Farms and their products

As you may know, many of the farms that we have profiled on our blog sell many products, mostly organic food. A few of these farms also offer non-food products that could be used on a daily basis, such as lotions, soaps, candles, home/kitchen products and much more.

I decided to take a look at a few of these farms, and I was surprised to see what these places actually sell. River School Farm sells products for your skin, and Lavender Ridge Farm sells products ranging from skin products to home/kitchen products. And all of the products are organic so they will definitely be able to benefit you. I’ve chosen four products to talk about, as well as a few links to where you can find them on the farms’ respective websites.

River School Farm:

Photo courtesy of River School Farm Market

 

Moisturizing Calming Cream – This skin cream is used for revitalizing all skin types. The cream is both anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. It is made of 100% of River School Farm’s organic products including coconut oil, beeswax and lavender. You can use it daily to help promote rapid healing, regenerate dry skin cells, reduce skin inflammation and heal blemishes. The skin cream can be refrigerated and used for up to three months.

Photo courtesy of River School Farm Market

 

Skin Saving Salve – River School Farm’s skin saving salve helps keep your skin nice, healthy and vibrant. It can be used to heal cuts, scrapes, bruises, sprains or any kind of rash/abrasion on your skin. It is anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-septic. It helps rejuvenate your skin and can help reduce scar tissue. Each skin salve includes essential oils of lavender, rosemary and frankincense.

 

 

Lavender Ridge:

Photo courtesy of lavenderridgereno.com

 

Lavender Soy Candle – Lavender Ridge’s candles are made with pure soy wax and lavender oil. They are easy on respiration and help sooth the mood in your home if you are feeling stressed out. These candle are also 100% free of any petroleum products. Soy, which is a pure vegetable wax, is able to burn for a very long time compared to petroleum based candles. The candle comes in a convenient 8 oz. container so it won’t take up much space.

Photo courtesy of lavenderridgereno.com

 

Hydrosol Spray – Yes, it’s true, there is a spray for your household that is made of lavender. Their lavender hydrosol spray is created by their lavender distillation process. This spray produces a natural cleanser for household areas that is anti-septic and also a non-irritating air freshener. This product is great for cleaning anything that is glass, your countertops, pet areas, the kitchen, the bathroom and much more. Each spray comes in a 24 oz. bottle. 

 

Hopefully you decide to purchase these products and try them out for yourselves. And stay tuned tomorrow for our profile on Lavender Ridge, where we’ll have more information about their products.

Happy shopping!

(All information courtesy of River School Farm and Lavender Ridge Farm.)

River School Farm Market: http://bit.ly/1qu6Ckx

Lavender Ridge Farm Products: http://bit.ly/1iz99Hg

 

Written by: Alexa Jones

Urban Roots- spring showers and flowers farm camp

I visited Urban Roots again this past Tuesday morning to see their second week of spring break farm camp. (To read more about the first week, see Samantha Altergott’s post). This week focuses on, as its name suggests, how the new spring weather changes what’s growing on the farm. Campers also learned about what was already out on the farm. Especially the rolly pollies. Those are quite the hit among the campers.

Two campers dig for rolly pollies in the hoop house.

This little camper was very excited to show me all the rolly pollies on her hands.

 

The campers bring snacks and lunch to camp, but Urban Roots workers also make snacks for the campers. On Tuesday, they were making salad.

Urban Roots workers make salad for the campers.

 

The first day of camp was on Monday, and education director Kim Daniel said, “Parents were optimistic about how much sun their kids could handle” and everyone finished the day a little burned. So for Tuesday, the kids came stocked with extra sunscreen and took even more shade breaks than the day before. During snack time, most of the kids found a shady spot to hide and enjoy their food. The igloo was a favorite.

Here, one of the campers tells me who her enemy is: the sun.

As some of the campers began to finish their snacks, the farm bunny became the choice entertainment. The bunny lives at Urban Roots all year round, as well as the farm cat, Hercules.

A few of the campers told me about the bunny and one asked if they could hang out inside the cage to hide from the sun.

 

When snack time ended, the campers broke into two groups: one with Kimmy Lessman, an education coordinator, and the other with Daniel. Daniel explained that her group had been with Lessman earlier that morning and vice versa. Daniel’s group did flower dissection. Lessman’s group prepared beans to grow inside wet paper towels in plastic bags placed in the hoop house.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

After dissecting the flowers, some of the campers used the pollen as “paint” for their faces.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

In Lessman’s group, the campers put beans into paper towels inside plastic bags with their names on them.

Labeling her bag.

They begin putting their beans in paper towels and labeling their bags.

 

 

They then wet their paper towels.

This camper wets his paper towel.

This camper is excited for her bean to grow.

 

They then put their bags into the hoophouse, so they could grow.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Camp runs through the rest of the week. Urban Roots will be hosting summer farm camps over the entire Washoe County School District summer break. For more information and to register, visit here.

 

Written by: Sage Leehey

Urban Roots- birds, bugs and butterflies farm camp

This past Thursday, April 3 I went over to Urban Roots. I was surprised by what I saw. After we did our farm profile on them a few weeks back I wanted to find out more about them especially since Sage was the one who wrote their farm profile. What I learned about this farm was truly something amazing. I learned that they are not just farmers. They are here to teach the kids about farming and where their food comes from. This is the first year Urban Roots has offered a spring break farm camp. This past week their focus was on Birds, Bugs and Butterflies. This next week they will be focusing on Spring Showers and Flowers.

While I was at Urban Roots, I had kids come up to Cheryl Skibicki and myself asking us questions. They even told us about what different activities they were doing at the farm.

On Wednesday, April 2 the children made bird biscuits using bird seed. (Photo credit: Samantha Altergott)

On Thursday April 3, the children listened to a story read by Kimmy Lessman, one of Urban Roots education coordinators. (Photo credit: Samantha Altergott)

Children following one of their education coordinators to their next activity. (Photo Credit: Samantha Altergott)

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The children played a game where the toilet paper rolls were the bees and the yellow and white balls were pollen. (Photo credit: Samantha Altergott)

The children started their birds nests on Wednesday and continued working on them before lunch on Thursday. (Photo credit: Samantha Altergott)

This little boy wanted his bird to have options so he had a little slide and defense areas set up around his birds nest, so his birds would be safe. He definitely used his imagination. (Photo credit: Samantha Altergott)

Two boys working on their birds nest. (Photo credit: Samantha Altergott)

They have almost finished their nest before lunch will be served. (Photo credit: Samantha Altergott)

Here is a complete bird nest done by a group of children. (Photo credit: Samantha Altergott)

I had a great time hanging out with the children for an hour on Thursday. I learned some very interesting things about Urban Roots. They want to educate children, help the community learn more about farming and continue to grow their own food, which they share with 4th St. Bistro and Great Full Gardens.

Links:

Urban Roots: http://www.urgc.org

Great Full Gardens: http://greatfullgardens.com

Written by: Samantha Altergott

Hungry Mother Organics: farm fishing

Where do you usually buy fish in the local area in Northern Nevada? Since I am an international student from Japan, the only thing I miss a lot in Nevada is ‘fish.’ When you go to a shopping center here, you notice that most of fish are labeled that they are imported from Chili or many other countries as well as San Francisco, Los Angels, and Las Vegas. Also, Nevada is in a dusty high desert area, and climates change randomly. So, I did not even expect that I could eat local organic foods and fish on a daily basis. However, Hungry Mother Organics changed my life and views of Nevada local area.

(photo from: http://images.businessweek.com/photos/2013-05-16/how-to-farm-fish-in-the-nevada-desert#slide1)

Hungry Mother Organics has been growing certified organic plants and produces for local neighbors in Northern Nevada since 2007. Hungry Mother Organics is known as a family farm business. Mark O’Farrells, its founder, and his son, Jake, help to promote Nevada grown-organic-products. You can find Hungry Mother products at local restaurants, farmer’s markets and at the Whole Foods Market in Reno.

Hungry Mother Organics sells fresh and organic eggs, fruits, vegetables and seedlings for home gardeners. Its vegetables include bell peppers, potatoes, strawberries, tomatoes, garlic, carrots, lettuce, herbs and much more.

(photo from: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/hungry-mother-organics-minden?select=KVC_Ne_TB0E1dwrO4nARDw#KVC_Ne_TB0E1dwrO4nARDw)

Hungry Mother relies on a greenhouse to protect about 200,000 seedlings from the elements. The plants are heated from below with tubes of hot water. That keeps them at 75 degrees F with less energy than it would take to heat the air in the greenhouse, which could be 30 degrees cooler.

The O’Farrells started raising tilapia in 2012. The farm uses a system known as aquaponics to conserve water and nutrients. The waste the fish produce nourishes the plants, which naturally cleans the water before it’s pumped back into the tank. Water going back into the fish tank is tested for ammonia and nitrates. Jake explains that he wants it to be perfectly clean. The filtered water then returns to the fish tank.

(photo from: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152786896965068&set=pb.360626150067.-2207520000.1396530000.&type=3&theater)

Hungry Mother Organics has started to raise about 900 tilapia in 2012, and last year, O’Farrells’ family got a permit to raise up to 20,000 fish.

If you are interested in growing healthy mind and body, Hungry Mother Organics is the right place to go to.

• Address: 3190 HWY 395 Minden, Nevada 89423
• Phone: (775) 267-3084
• Website: http://hungrymotherorganics.com/

 

For more information, you can see this YouTube uploaded video:

 

Written by: Ayaka Hatta

Organic? What’s That?

Photo courtesy of healthunlimitedbiz.wordpress.com (via Google)

A lot of us have heard of the term organic before, but what does that even mean? What makes something organic?

When something is organic, it means that when grown or produced, there are zero synthetic additives. Organic products must not be grown with synthetic additives including pesticides, chemical fertilizers, iodizing radiation, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and different kinds of dyes.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) states that the products must also not be processed with anything like industrial solvents, irradiation or genetic engineering. Farmers who end up growing the crops want to make sure that what they are growing is natural or organic, or else they pay a penalty.

Photo courtesy of lifehacker.com

For a more formal definition of organic, here is what the USDA National Organic Program says:

“Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation. Before a product can be labeled “organic,” a Government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards. Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets to your local supermarket or restaurant must be certified, too.”

Organic foods will have labels depicting if the product is 100% organic, organic or made with organic ingredients. If it is organic, that means that it is made with 95% organic products. If the label strictly says ‘made with organic ingredients’, then a minimum of 70% of organic products are used, with the remaining 30% strictly forbidding the use of GMOs.

Organic products are occasionally known to be only crops or vegetables well that isn’t always the case. Organic meats, eggs and dairy products come from animals who are not given antibiotics or growth hormones.

Photo courtesy of organic.org

You also may have heard about organic food being too expensive or that it tastes nothing like ‘regular food’. Here is a link that’ll lead you to all the myths thought up about organic food, and you may end up being shocked: http://bit.ly/1lCLPO3

Happy eating!

Resources for all information given: <<http://www.organic.org

 

Written by: Alexa Jones

River School Farm: A place of learning and fun

River School Farm (Photo courtesy of Alexa Jones)

If you’re looking for produce and products that are organic, or if you want to gets hands-on training on how to grow a garden, River School Farm is the place you need to go to. Located past McCarran and 4th Street, you would need to turn onto three more streets before finally reaching your destination at 7777 White Fir Street, but you can’t miss the farm one bit.

This is the first farm I’ve ever been to, and let me just say, I was very impressed. It really felt like a farm because I saw goats and chickens, as well as ducks, roaming around the farm area. I noticed that they had a hoop house and a couple of low tunnels that helped insulate the produce that were being grown inside. The farm has established multiple organic micro eco-farm sites that grow produce throughout the city that include the farm itself, Hug High School, and the Patagonia ESA, or Environmentally Supported Agriculture.

Inside of one of the RSF’s hoop houses. (Photo courtesy of Alexa Jones)

What is interesting about this farm is that they grow their crops and greens year-round, so even during the wintertime, there is produce being grown for the Reno community. From flowers and herbs, to fruit and vegetables, the River School Farm delivers all kinds of organic produce.

The farm sells their fresh produce and herbs, as well as products (body care and gardening supplies) to the community of Reno. Co-event coordinator Abbie Alterman showed me around the farm a little bit and told me about where the produce they grow actually goes.

“We sell to a few local restaurants in town, and we have a market site on our website so people can buy what we have available,” Alterman said.

“On Thursdays we have a designated pickup from 1pm to 7pm so that people can come and receive what they ordered, so it is easy for them.”

As stated in last week’s post about CSAs, we mentioned how River School Farm is one of the CSAs within the city of Reno. Alterman informed me that they do not really do CSAs anymore, but instead just advertise what kinds of produce they have in season for the community.

“We’ll say that we have spinach in season or that we have a certain vegetable or herb in season, so that way people can hop online and put what they want into their cart and then we harvest everything for them,” Alterman said.

RSF Event Entrance Sign (Photo courtesy of Alexa Jones)

Another unique thing that I found out was that the farm regularly hosts special events ranging from weddings to barbecues! I wouldn’t blame people for choosing their location because it is absolutely beautiful. If you go down a few steps past the main entrance, you’ll see that there is an amphitheater where such events would be held.

If you ever wanted to get tips on how to garden, learn some new yoga poses, or even enroll your child in a music or dance class—yes, I did say dance class—you can easily register online to learn all kinds of different things at the River School Farm.

My overall experience at the farm was fantastic. I never knew how much a farm could really contribute to a city like Reno. I also did not expect the farm to have so many exciting activities and events.

River School Farm hoop houses and low tunnels (Photo courtesy of Alexa Jones)

The goal of the River School Farm is to advocate, teach and demonstrate how by the year 2020, we will be able to grow at least 20 percent of our food. How amazing would that be? 20 percent may seem like a small amount, but in reality, it could end up being more than what we would expect. This farm really focuses on trying to teach us how to express ourselves and give a chance to have a sustainable living space while being eco-friendly, and eco-educated (see, I came up with a new term).

If you want to be educated, and still have fun, River School Farm is the place for you.

(If you check out the “Upcoming Events” link in the top right hand corner of our blog, you can find events happening at the River School Farm, if you’re interested.)

 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

Written by: Alexa Jones

What’s in season?

Eating produce when it’s in season is better for you in a lot of different ways. The first thing you’ll probably notice is the flavor. Produce simply tastes better when it’s in season because it is totally fresh and fully ripe. For similar reasons, produce is also more nutritional in season. It’s fully ripe and has more sun exposure, allowing it to have more antioxidants and other nutritional goodies. Additionally, when food is grown in season, it doesn’t need as much human assistance, which means less pesticides or genetic modification. And lastly, it’s typically cheaper in season simply because there’s more available and it’s easier to grow. Here’s a guide to what’s in season at various times of the year in Nevada:

Spring

From Wikipedia.

apricots

arugula

asparagus

fava beans

green garlic

greens of all sorts

leeks

mushrooms

nettles

Summer

From blindpigandtheacorn.com

beets

blackberries

blueberries

broccoli

chard

cherries

corn

fennel

garlic

green onions

leeks

mushrooms

onions

lettuce

parsley

peaches

plums

radishes

rhubarb

spinach

strawberries

Fall

From worldcommunitycookbook.org

broccoli

cabbage

carrots

grapes

leeks

lettuce

melons

mushrooms

onions

parsley

parsnips

peaches

pears

pumpkins

radishes

raspberries

spinach

strawberries

watermelons

zucchini

Winter

From bestcoolseeds.com

leeks

onions

   For more information about what’s in season, you can browse through About.com’s website and search by state or season. And for more information about why eating in season is beneficial to you, take a look at MindBodyGreen’s article.

Written by: Sage Leehey

Do you have pet chickens? Do you wish to harvest them yourself?

Tweeter (on the left) and Cheeps (one the right) were my childhood pets. When my brother was in kindergarten we adopted some of their class chickens. (Picture credit: Steven Altergott)

 

Many people don’t think having pet chickens is a good idea. They look at you like you are crazy. Growing up my family had two chickens. We had a rooster named Cheeps and a hen named Tweeter. There were always fresh eggs around the yard. It was great. It was almost like an Easter egg hunt everyday of the year.

The chickens helped fertilize our backyard. We even got some entertainment out of them. My dad would try and catch the rooster because he was a sneaky animal, he would always run away when it was time for bed. He would try and jump over our fence.

Tweeter when she was a pullet. She would let you get close to her and pet her almost like you would a dog. (Picture credit: Steven Altergott)

They were housed in a chicken coup at night off the ground and my dad was the one tasked with catching them and putting them in their coup at night. (If you were unaware chickens are fast runners and hard to catch.)

Heres a video on why chickens are good pets:

 

 

So I bet you are wondering what backyard chicken harvesting  means. It involves more than one person usually. Backyard chicken harvesting is when you are getting ready to turn your chicken into food. That’s probably one of the easiest ways to explain this event. While it is not simple to harvest a chicken, many people around the country do harvest their own chickens. You receive a fresher supply of chicken and know exactly where it came from and what your chicken ate. There are rules when it comes to processing your own chickens.

The Personal Use Exemption reads as follows: “A person who raises poultry may slaughter and process the poultry if (a) slaughtering or processing poultry is not prohibited by local ordinance (b) the poultry product derived from the slaughtered poultry is consumed exclusively by the person or the person’s immediate family, regular employees of the person, or nonpaying guests (c) the slaughtering and processing of the poultry is performed only by the owner or an employee (d) the poultry is healthy when slaughtered (e) the exempt poultry is not sold or donated for use as human food, and (f) the immediate containers bear the statement, ‘NOT FOR SALE’.” (https://extension.usu.edu/cache/files/uploads/Harvesting%20Poultry%20Legally5-12.pdf)

River School Farm, here in Reno, NV recently had a workshop on harvesting your backyard chickens.

Here are some steps to harvesting your own chickens.

1. Setup.

• Get an old traffic cone or other cone shaped object.
• Cut the top off of the cone shaped object and then nail it to a tree.

Setup is now complete. Next we will go onto slaughtering your chickens.

2. You will put your chicken face down in the cone.

• The chicken will stay there until they have stopped flapping and all of the blood has been drained.

After the above set has been completed you will then take the chicken out of the cone and put them on trays. Next we will talk about the way to clean your chickens.

3. You will need: a butcher’s knife, a large cutting board, tins for the chicken parts, rubber gloves and a big enough pot filled with color water for the carcass.

4. Plucking the feathers.

5. Skinning the carcass.

6.  Remove the feet.

7. Remove the organs.

• The heart and gizzard can be used to make chicken stock. Chicken stock is just chicken broth.

8. You may find partially formed eggs instead your chicken. You can keep these papery thin eggs. They are nutritious and good for you.

You have finished harvesting your chicken. It can take as little time as 30 minutes.

9. Wash your chicken and then you can throw them in the stock pot.

 

Disclaimer: This post is meant to be informative and descriptive. Check your state’s laws on harvesting your own food and make sure you comply with them before you do any sort of harvesting/slaughtering.

Here is a link to another blog post about  your own chickens: <<http://lesliehalleck.com/articles/detail/backyard-chickens-harvest-the-benefits-of-an-urban-flock>&gt;

Link to a photo blog with pictures of the harvesting: <<http://www.simplebites.net/our-fall-chicken-harvest-boo-contains-real-life-farm-to-table-images/>&gt;

Written by: Samantha Altergott

Community supported agriculture, what is it?

Pleasant Valley Farm (Picture credit: http://www.localharvest.org/images/member/image_61313.jpg)

CSA as most people call it is a community of growers and consumers supporting one or more local farms, sharing both risks and benefits of the food production.

CSA members pay at the beginning of the growing season for a share of the upcoming harvest. After harvesting has began the members receive weekly crops both vegetables and fruits found in a vegetable box scheme.

This is what a vegetable box would look like if you were to join a Community supported agriculture group. (Picture Credit: http://www.tanakafarms.com/CSA.html)

What is a vegetable box scheme?

This operation delivers fresh fruits and vegetables directly to a customer or a local collection point. The produce varies based on the season and what is available each week. The schemes are usually manned by a small co-op or a grower. The schemes works by a subscription method. The customer subscripts and then receives their weekly deliveries.

 

Products customers may receive from being a CSA member:

These are veggie buckets which you may receive if you joined a CSA. (Picture credit: https://www.biodynamics.com/content/community-supported-agriculture-introduction-csa)

• Herbs
• Honey
• Eggs
• Dairy products
• Meat
• Vegetables
• Fruits

**Occasionally fresh cut flowers and other ornamental plants are offered as part of the weekly pickup arrangement.

Local CSA found by Reno, NV. (Picture credit: <<http://www.localharvest.org/search.jsp?jmp&scale=9&lat=39.4779&lon=-119.89758&ty=6>&gt;)

Why have a CSA?

The point of having a CSA in your area is to help support local farms and make those farms become the community farm. As a member of a CSA, you are paying the farmer for costs of farming and labor. You are helping support the farmer and receiving both the benefits and risks of helping your farmer grow his crops. You are gaining satisfaction by working closer with the land and participating in direct food production.

List of CSAs in Reno, NV: 

1. River School Farm (next week’s farm profile, check back next Thursday, March 27th)
2. Great Basin Basket CSA
3. Pleasant Valley Farm

 

Information and Sources:

Great links to find out more information on CSAs:

1. <<http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/csa/csa.shtml>&gt;
2. https://www.biodynamics.com/content/community-supported-agriculture-introduction-csa

You can search for CSAs near you by entering your zip code, city or state. : <<http://www.localharvest.org/search.jsp?jmp&scale=9&lat=39.4779&lon=-119.89758&ty=6>&gt;

Link to Great Basin Basket CSA, they have a list of their crops and products: <<http://www.localharvest.org/search.jsp?jmp&scale=9&lat=39.4779&lon=-119.89758&ty=6>&gt;

Link to River School Farm CSA, list of their crops and products: <<http://www.localharvest.org/river-school-farm-M25002>&gt;

Link to Pleasant Valley Farm, list of their crops, products and locations: <<http://www.localharvest.org/pleasant-valley-farm-M61313>&gt;

Written by: Samantha Altergott

Urban Roots Garden Classrooms

Urban Roots sign

If you’re downtown and go about two miles west down Fourth St., Urban Roots Garden Classrooms will be on your right. You would probably miss it if it weren’t for a big sign at the end of the driveway at 3001 W. Fourth St. And you might still, like I did my first time visiting Urban Roots. From the road, you can’t see the small farm that Urban Roots has created there. It’s tucked behind a building with various tenants—one used to be a bar, but Urban Roots now occupies that space—and some sagebrush and trees.

But once I parked my car and walked behind the building, I saw the hoophouse, chicken coop, teaching areas, plants and farm cat that signaled I was definitely at the right place.

Urban Roots is a nonprofit organization that uses their farm for teaching purposes—mostly for kids but also for adults. Kim Daniel is the education director at Urban Roots and has an obvious passion for farming and gardening education.

“The broad mission of Urban Roots is to connect people to where their food comes from, so our mission is growing healthy bodies, minds and communities through seed to table education,” Daniel said. “Basically, we want people to understand where their food comes from and then have a connection to why healthy food is important.”

Hoophouse

Urban Roots has one hoophouse that allows the farm to grow all year long because it has wind and weather protection.

Currently, there are different types of lettuces growing inside. Outside, some kale made it through the winter, too.  The summer is a more active time of year for the farm.

“In the summertime, we grow anything that we can get to grow,” Daniel said. “We grow lots of tomatoes, different kinds of herbs grow here all year long, but we grow broccoli and garlic and really, we’re willing to try anything. Cauliflower, cabbage are popular, too.”

Farm Cat

The farm has some lively year-round residents as well. The chicken coop currently has four hens, and they expect a few more in the spring. A bunny and a farm cat also call Urban Roots home. The farm cat is adorable, orange and very friendly. He jumped on the table when Daniel and I were talking and insisted on being petted, switching back and forth from her to me.

Also in the summer, Urban Roots usually plays host to a sheep or goat from one of the local farms. This is mostly because that’s when Urban Roots has most of their Farm Camps for kids ages five to 12. The summer camps are each one week long and run from June 16 through to Aug. 8. There are also camps during some of the school breaks, including the two weeks of Washoe County School District’s spring break this year from March 31 to April 11. Each week has a different theme and will teach children various different kinds of

Chickens

things.

Urban Roots works with schools in the area to create and maintain gardens on their campuses, too. And if your child is homeschooled, there are various options for Farm School classes.

“We use gardens and farming as a vehicle for science education,” Daniel said. “We do camps and we work with schools and their school gardens. We do teacher trainings, and we also teach volunteers how to work with schools and to garden themselves.”

Another portion of Urban Roots includes education programs for adults.

“We do adult education programs, which focus on permaculture, which is sustainable agriculture, and folk art stuff, which is—now that we’ve grown all this stuff, what else can we do with it? How can we can? And those sorts of things,” Daniel said.

And for college-age students, Urban Roots works with the University of Nevada, Reno for their FarmCorps program focusing on agricultural research. In this program they look into things like what an be grown in the area and if there are better methods for growing those things.

Urban Roots is constantly changing and growing. The old bar space they now occupy was a recent addition to the organization. They moved into it at the beginning of this year and have been renovating it to use as indoor teaching space—mostly for when the weather doesn’t cooperate.

But their goals and mission stays the same: connect people to their food.

“I think that we just have gotten really disconnected from how food is really manufactured and that people don’t necessarily understand that you don’t have to have manufactured food,” Daniel said. “There are things that you can do at your house or at your school to have really fresh food, which is typically healthier for us. And with sort of an epidemic of obesity and disconnect from the land, I think this is an important step to get people to live healthier, more fulfilled lives.

Farm Cat

Chicken Coop

Urban Roots