More Than a Farm
Urban Roots Empowers Youth
Words by Jess Hagemann Photos by Eric Morales
DaeDae, 17, just finished his fourth farm internship with Urban Roots, a youth development organization that uses food and farming to teach life, job, and leadership skills.
Working at Urban Roots, says DaeDae, has made him a “better person,” transforming this formerly shy high school junior into a more confident student and spokesperson. “I’ve made friends I wouldn’t have met otherwise … learned public speaking skills. Also,” he adds, “I’m a hyper person, and being here taught me to channel my energy into something productive.” Like many Urban Roots graduates, DaeDae plans to garden the rest of his life.
Set on three acres of fertile floodplain a mile east of 183, Urban Roots produces more than 30,000 pounds of food a year. Fully 40% of the haul gets donated to local food pantries; the rest is eaten or sold at farmers’ markets. Over 700 tomato plants, a “potato block,” a whole “squash forest,” and 3,000 pounds of onions alone—plus eggplant, okra, fig trees, and more—flourish in a sunken sunny valley, irrigated with well water and free of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers.
Farm internships, according to social worker and Urban Roots Executive Director Max Elliott, give students aged 14-17 “the chance to grow food and know where it comes from.” Duties include planting, weeding, harvesting, filling wholesale orders, and managing the Urban Roots weekend stall at the Republic Square farmer’s market. Youth interns also participate in hands-on culinary classes, where in getting to taste new fruits and vegetables for the first time, they develop healthy relationships with food. Meanwhile, Food & Leadership fellowships teach 17 to 22-year-olds about food justice as they work to improve food access in Austin.
In addition to taking home as much free produce as they want, both youth interns and fellows are paid positions. Urban Roots will dole out almost $100,000 in stipends this year, because as Elliott asserts, “We really value the youths’ work and recognize that we need to invest in young leaders.” Part of Urban Roots’ mission is to provide young people with an “embodied” food experience, meaning that they’re working with their hands as well as leading with their voices. Everyone from adult volunteer groups to elementary school field trips are managed and directed by youth leaders, so when you come out to volunteer (and anyone over the age of 10 can!), you’re not “just” pulling weeds—you’re creating a leadership opportunity for a youth as well.
Established in 2008, Urban Roots turned 10 years old this year. Eventually, they hope to expand to other farm spaces, but the program’s future hinges on community involvement. The youth interns and fellows love to host community lunches featuring farm-to-plate dishes and give brown bag presentations to businesses and rotary clubs; for them, storytelling is as rewarding as hands-on service, because they get to share what they’ve learned—and, like DaeDae, how they’ve grown. In that sense, Elliot says, “We’re more than a farm. We’re a vehicle for change.”
Part of Urban Roots’ mission is to provide young people with an “embodied” food experience, meaning that they’re working with their hands as well as leading with their voices.
Contact:
(512) 750-8019
Farm: 7651 Delwau Lane
Office: 4900 Gonzales Street
info@urbanrootsatx.org
urbanrootsatx.org
