By Kylie Rowe | @KyRoBiz
Kylie Rowe is the Vice President of Corporate Relocation at Dickson Realty, an ambassador for Reno, Sparks and Lake Tahoe.
Co-Author Cassidy L. Leslie | @clleslie_
Cassidy L. Leslie is a born writer and storyteller with rural Nevada roots.
Dickson Realty Spotlight on Urban Roots with Fayth Ross from Dickson Realty on Vimeo.
Urban Roots is a non-profit organization that offers programs aligning with its three pillars encouraging healthy eating habits, academic achievement, and environmental stewardship for children. Their mission is to grow healthy minds, bodies, and communities throughout northern Nevada with hands-on garden education, allowing them to change the way kids learn and eat.
Urban Roots originated from an idea that Josie Glassberg had while she served as a AmeriCorps VISTA with Sierra Nevada Journeys. Starting as just a thought that would promote seed-to-table education to all of northern Nevada, it grew roots in the community and became more. With wide community support, the organization has since served nearly 8,200 children and 1,600 adults. As Urban Roots continues to grow, the public continues to support the organization by offering partnerships and volunteer opportunities.
Through the Urban Roots partnership with the Washoe County School District (WCSD), students build and maintain a garden that becomes the outdoor extension of their everyday academic curriculum. Outside of the regular school schedule, Urban Roots also offers day and week-long camps during various breaks in the WCSD calendar for students ages 5 to 15.
A more recent local partnership with Renown Health helped Urban Roots create a teaching farm in what was formerly an old parking lot off of Second and Gould streets. It took Urban Roots half a year to start and finish the project which contains greenhouses that are 30 feet by 72 feet. This community farm teaches young farmers how to grow the food they eat. At this location the young farmers grow and provide nutrient-dense produce for community members with diabetes or cardiovascular disease.
Every Saturday at the Renown-sponsored location, volunteers give their time and care for the community garden from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Renown, Northern Nevada HOPES, and other food pantries are working to partner with Urban Roots for a prescription pantry coming soon. The nonprofit also hopes to gain volunteer groups that will adopt gardens for harvest located at various schools in northern Nevada.
Corporate groups that wish to participate in volunteering can schedule days and times by emailing Urban Roots Director of Farm Operations at [email protected]. For more information the public can visit the new Urban Roots office location at 10 Vine Street, Reno, NV 89503, or find more online at www.urgc.org.
