edible notables
GROWING FARMERS
Urban Roots starts program to support local agriculture.
WRITTEN BY SUE EDMONDSON
PHOTOS BY DAPHNE HOUGARD
A local garden-education nonprofit is expanding its programs to promote local agriculture as well as our economy.
With hands-on offeringssuch as school gardens and summer camps, Urban Roots’ leaders have been teaching Northern Nevada children how to grow food, using sustainable gardening practices, since 2009. While following the path of food through gardening experiences, youths learn many lessons along the way, including community diversity, healthy choices, a sense of place, cooking, harvesting, creating garden art, caring for farm animals, permaculture, managing a farm stand, and sustainable lifestyles.
Starting this fall the nonprofit’s leaders will add a new program to its roster. Thanks to a three-year AmeriCorps grant — and in partnership with University of Nevada, Reno — Urban Roots’ leaders hope to cultivate young farmers with its FarmCorps program that’s tailored to 18 to 25 year olds.
“We wanted to expand the age group of the people we serve,” which is ages 4 to 15, says Jeff Bryant, Urban Roots’ executive director.
The timing is right for FarmCorps, he adds.
“Northern Nevada is experiencing a big wave of buying local, and people are focused on food and nutrition,” he says. “I’d wanted to develop a ‘farmer incubator’ program for some time. UNR (leaders) wanted to do the same thing. Our partnership is serendipitous.”
The grant covers 20 positions, five of which are full time. The full-timers will support agricultural research and a new Master Farmer certificate program, for which they’ll serve at UNR’s Main Station Field Lab and with the High Desert Farming Initiative at the UNR Valley Road Field Lab in Reno. The FarmCorps participants also will help maintain school gardens and assist K-12 educators.
Opportunities for part-timers include research internships at UNR’s College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources and Small Business Development Council to assist the High Desert Farming Initiative. Ten summer service members supplement full-time positions during the peak season.
Plans include supplying fresh produce to UNR food services and, eventually, to Washoe County students.
“Our emphasis is always service to the community,” Bryant says.
For details, to sign up for programs, or support the organization, visit www.Urgc.org.
Freelance writer Sue Edmondson writes for publications in Northern Nevada and Northern California. She still hopes that someday she’ll grow up to be a farmer.
