Dear Friends and Supporters,
Okra. Yep, I’m starting with okra. When I was growing up, okra was fried and mushy and nothing that I was remotely interested in. But just a few short weeks ago, while walking around the farm with my brilliant predecessor Max, I ate fresh okra off the vine. And it was good! That was the moment I knew . . . being a part of Urban Roots is choosing to let go of what you thought you knew and reawaken to the possibilities of what can be.
And I don’t think that feeling is unique to me. During my first month on the job, I’ve heard from countless people about the transformative experience Urban Roots has had in their lives. Whether they participated in one of our amazing youth leadership programs, visited the farm to volunteer, or enjoyed one of the delectable produce boxes this summer, the feelings of hope, joy and opportunity were nearly universal.
That’s not to say that this year hasn’t been hard. The team at Urban Roots has been tested just like the teams at every other nonprofit in our country. But Urban Roots’ staff, Board, and supporters pivoted with creativity and commitment. From a successful digital internship program to growing more veggies than ever to donating more than half of that to ensure our neighbors didn’t go without good food, it was a reawakening of what can be. Yeah, I’m bragging about them. But I can because this all happened before I arrived on the scene. And our team has even more exciting things on the horizon.
We have been hard at work with the earliest start to our fall planting season ever, which means there will be fall veggie boxes soon! And applications for the Food and Leadership Fellowship are open, plus applications will open on August 28th for the South Austin Internship. Although we won’t be holding our in-person fall event, Seed to Harvest, this year, we do have some fun digital events queued up. So be on the lookout for all of this and more!
Hopefully, we can all meet out at the farm sooner rather than later. But, in the meantime, please feel free to drop me a line and keep up with us online.
Wishing you endless opportunities for “reawakening the possibilities” through food, family, and friends!
Sincerely,
Frances Deviney
Executive Director, Urban Roots Board of Directors
she / her / hers
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