Now in our fourth year, Urban Roots is a youth development program that uses sustainable agriculture as a means to transform the lives of young people and increase the access to healthy food in Austin. We provide paid internships to Austin youth, age 14-17, to work on our 3.5 acre urban farm in East Austin and during the 25 week spring and summer program, young people learn the value of meaningful work, gain essential life and business skills, and discover how to eat and cook in healthy ways while growing sustainably farmed vegetables for the community. We donate 40% of our produce to local soup kitchens and food pantries and sell the rest at farmers' markets in Austin and through our small CSA. Additionally, we provide our youth with a variety of workshops in order to ensure a well rounded education on food, sustainability, and serving their community. We operate under four objectives:
1. To transform the lives of under-served youth by providing them with jobs, service opportunities, and life and job skills. 2. To empower youth to become active and informed advocates for sustainable agriculture, environmental sustainability, food access, and hunger relief through the creation and operation of an urban farm. 3. To distribute healthy and affordable food to residents of East Austin. 4. To educate adults and other youth in the community about growing food, sustainable agriculture, and the value of healthy lifestyles.
For many farm interns, the program inspires them to cultivate healthy relationships with food. Many interns claim that they have tried many new vegetables and herbs for the first time and most parents said that they noticed that their children were eating more fruits and vegetables and consuming less sodas and fast food. Through this exposure to sustainable agriculture and many service opportunities, interns gain a greater understanding of the issues of hunger and food access in central Texas. They are also given the chance to pass on this knowledge and develop public speaking skills by discussing their experiences at multiple events around the Austin area. These presentations train youth advocates to work with the community and raise awareness among their peers and we see great potential for our youth’s leadership skills to continue to contribute to the discussion of equitable food access in a meaningful way.
Quotes from 2010 Farm Interns:
“I never knew I liked vegetables until I came out here...I’m serious!”
“Its kind of hard not to eat fruits and vegetables when you’re actually growing them. Its like, Oh Man, I kind of want to see how it tastes. So I’ve tasted peppers and I’ve tasted beets for the first
time.”
"Urban Roots helps me a lot in different ways. I remember the first time I went to Caritas. I was new in America, but that was the first community service I had been to. When we started cooking and serving, I started thinking about those people who are here looking for food. I feel like I am helping a lot and I was so proud of myself. This program was the best. My life changed and I am a leader
now."
“There’s a lot more to what we’re doing out here than just farming and a job. We learn a lot of life skills, we build relationships. It’s a good experience.”
The green grants contest is designed to give a boost to the green economy. We want to draw attention to projects that are doing a great job of combining social justice with environmental responsibility, and reward them with a grant toward their work.
What kind of groups are eligible?
If the project is good for both people and the planet and a $1,000 or $2,500 grant could make a difference to them – you should nominate the group. The group is not required to be a nonprofit organization or have 501c(3) status.
Will you be contacting my nominee?
If your nominee makes it into our top-ten, we will contact them to let them know. We'll work with the ten nominees to get a full description of their projects on our Web site for the round of top-ten voting.
What kind of projects are you talking about?
Here are some examples: Maybe a local school could use a green-grant for its organic garden project. Maybe a local pro-bicycling non-profit organization wants to extend its reach into the inner city. Maybe a local solar-installation business wants to make a commitment to provide job-training. Really, we're looking forward to seeing what you report to us. We're excited about publicizing good news about the green economy and rewarding good green projects.
When will the grants be given?
The nomination period runs through June 7. The top-ten voting runs through June 30. We'll publicize the winners and disburse the grants shortly after that. We'll also keep up with the winners and profile the great ways that they use their "green grants."
How else will the nominees benefit?
We'll list all the nominees (not just the top ten) on our Web site with links to their work. This will become an honor roll of organizations doing great green work in their communities, bringing together social justice and environmental health. People from all over the country will see their work and have an opportunity to link to it.
How are the top ten nominees chosen?
Top ten nominees will be chosen by Green America staff.
How are the green grants funded?
A generous Green America donor provides these funds for us to disburse to other groups as we see fit. This year, we decided to invite you to help us decide who receives these grants.
