🔔Application period to our two open positions close April 7! 🔔⁠ ⁠ Do you want to get into the soil and enjoy the outdoors (rain or shine), create growing relationships with young leaders and become more involved with your community? ⁠ ⁠ Our Summer Crew Lead is a seasonal position which supports our summer farm program for high school youth. The role is based around them through activities on the farm with the Programs Manager and Program Coordinator.⁠ ⁠ Our Youth Programs Coordinator is a full-time role who would be responsible for our youth leadership program for young adults (17 - 23). This position is built around leading the youth through the program, and prepping and facilitating with the program and farm teams. ⁠ ⁠ Apply today or share widely with farm- and community-minded folks!

It’s #FarmworkerAwarenessWeek everyone! As an organization with our roots in farming, it’s important to us to recognize and share. Farmers, ranchers, and farmworkers are the human heart of our food system. They work through all types of weather, and their care is behind the growth and harvest of the produce we all rely on to survive. ⁠ ⁠ Don’t overlook the rest of the agricultural supply chain either 👀. Less than 1% of food consumed in Austin is produced locally, according to the Office of Sustainability’s “State of the Food System” report. That means food production workers ensure the food brought to Austin is safe for transport, and truck drivers ensure it gets to grocery stores or processing facilities while it’s still fresh.⁠ ⁠ Many hands go into the food system and keeping folks fed. We’re deeply grateful for this labor and celebrate farmworkers, this week and always. ⁠ ⁠ Keep an eye on our stories! We will be sharing resources from organizations who are working to make conditions for farmworkers better and more equitable.⁠

🌱 It’s #FarmFactFriday and spring is in the air (and the soil)! Here are the greens we’ve been planting on the farm lately:⁠ ⁠ 🥦We’re growing broccoli (Melody and Green Magic), cauliflower (Amazing), purple napa cabbage (Minuet and Monet), green nappa cabbage (Primo Vantage), bok choy (Mei Qing, Bopak), lettuce (Green Forest/Coastal Star, New Red Fire), kohlrabi (Kolibri), mustard greens (Green Wave), collards (Flash), spinach (Kolibri), and arugula (Astro). Green-licious! ⁠ ⁠ 👨🏼‍🌾 Our farm team has been thriving and striving on their journey to expand the crop variety we grow. This is good for crop diversity and learning what is resilient to different issues our crops may face, such as abnormal heat or certain pests. It also allows us to learn what varieties are best suited for the land we work with.

👏 Congratulations are due to Sydney Corbin, our Community Engagement Program Manager and Pili Gyasi, our Programs Coordinator, for taking on roles in the City of Austin’s Food Plan process! They’re sharing their passion and knowledge – acting as liaisons for the community – Sydney as a Community Advisory Committee member, and Pili as a Food Ambassador. ⁠ ⁠ This Food Plan will act as the City of Austin’s and Travis County’s blueprint for the future, for building a food system that is sustainable and resilient while also being food equitable and food just. Learn more about it by following the link in our bio!

Urban growers and horticulture hobbyists, step right up! If you're looking to get your hands in the soil and grow your horticulture knowledge, join our Community Ambassador crew, starting March 15 ⏰​!. Ambassadors are a dedicated team of volunteers who assist our farm team and lead volunteers through the season. You’ll learn directly from our team while taking home the fruits (and vegetables) of your labor!. No experience required, but Ambassadors must be able to commit to being on the farm Wednesdays, 8 a.m. to noon, March 15 - June 6. Reach out to our Volunteer Manager at volunteer@urbanrootsatx.org with questions or interest today!

Our heart skipped a beet! Thank you to everyone who supported us in #AmplifyAustin 2023. With funds from 77 sweet-pea donors in the Urban Roots pod, we raised $21,439! This will help us continue sharing produce with our neighbors, grown together with youth leading volunteers.

We couldn’t do what we do without the support of our community, volunteers, partners and donors. We’d like to thank one of our funding partners, @texasmethodistfoundation, who awarded $16,150 last year towards program development and 30,000 lbs of produce, allowing us to dedicate that food to our community.

It’s beginning to look a lot like #AmplifyAustin! This 24-hour period of giving is an opportunity to show love to local nonprofits you really carrot-bout 💚 by ^amplifying^ them on social media and helping other folks find out about them and/or by making a donation of any size. We’ve even included an “I’m Supporting Urban Roots” badge you can share in your stories with just a couple of taps! Amplify Austin runs from March 1 at 6 p.m. to March 2 at 6 p.m. (but early donations are accepted!). Plant your seeds of community love today, by following the linkin.bio.

Come work with Urban Roots if: 1. You want to get your hands into the soil + pitch in right at the heart of our mission in a high-energy role, 2. You enjoy connecting meaningfully with youth, and 3. Supporting food equity in your community sounds like a good way to spend your days💚. We’re #nowhiring for two positions who work with youth! Apply today or tag/share with someone you think would be into the opportunity.⁠ ⁠ Our Summer Crew Lead position is a seasonal role that supports our summer farm program for high school youth, guiding them through activities on the farm, together with the programs manager and program coordinator.⁠ ⁠ Our Youth Programs Coordinator position is a full-time role that is responsible for our youth leadership program for young adults (17 - 23), working closely with our program and farm team to plan, prep and facilitate the program.⁠ ⁠ If you like working in the sunshine (and rain 😜) on a farm, growing alongside youth, and helping to make a more food equitable Austin, apply today by following the link in bio!⁠