Urban Roots would like to welcome four new members of our team! During this season, we’ve brought on folks new and known to Urban Roots to help us as we grow. We’re ecstatic to announce our Communications Intern, Renae Billiot, our Volunteer Manager, Shaina Smith, our new Farm Assistant Jenny Atmar, and our Programs Coordinator, Pili Gyasi to our team. Learn more about our new family members below.
About Renae: Renae, a Communication Intern, is an Urban Roots alumni who graduated with a Creative Writing degree from St. Edward’s University; perhaps predictably, they have a slight (large) obsession for all things story and their chunky cat. Their skill set includes writing and revising, facilitating writing workshops and queer groups, and being handy with a farm hoe. Since coming to Urban Roots, their experience sparked a learning journey about their local food ecosystem, grassroot efforts, and community building. Recently, Renae’s vices include D&D and rewatching 2000s TV serials.
About Pili: Originally from Chicago, Pili came down to Austin to finish their Public Health degree at UT Austin. After graduating during the pandemic, Pili got more involved with their community, thus the beginning of their Urban Roots story! After volunteering for some time, they took a break away from the farm to complete farm training program with Farmshare Austin. They’re excited to bring their love for education, relationship building and conversations about social justice to the team as the new Program Coordinator! When Pili isn’t busy cultivating food and relationships, they love to cook and share recipes with fellows, volunteers and friends– clearly Pili is a foodie!
About Jenny: Our new Farm Assistant, Jenny, joined the team after completing the Farmer Starter course with Farmshare Austin. After obtaining a Biology degree and various food industry jobs, they found farming and reconnected with their first love, the outdoors. Their approach to farming is informed by their belief in a shared spirit with nature, their eagerness to disrupt exploitative food systems, and their value of community, and they came to Urban Roots because they share many of the same values. When they aren’t thinking about farming or food or flowers, you can find them watching drag & playing with gender, or finding any way to live as freely as they can.
About Shaina: Following college, Shaina began a career in hospitality, which spanned 12 years taking her to Washington D.C.. Shaina came back Austin in 2018 following career growth, but got disillusioned with the corporate world. Taking a leap of faith, she left her corporate job and for opportunities to invest in herself and the community. After that, she found the Urban Roots Community Crew and loved her experience, leading her to her current role as Volunteer Manager. Currently, Shaina has a frenchie named Ivan, 13 plant babies, and loves to camp!
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Urban Roots is hiring! We’re seeking a new Lead Farmer who will lead our non-certified organic, “slow farming” processes across two urban farms in east and southeast Austin. The Lead Farmer works directly with the Farm Operations Manager and the Farm Assistant to help grow fresh produce for Austinites experiencing barriers to accessing good fresh food. The right candidate is passionate about food equity and sustainability, has a great sense of humor and is excited about taking the lead in implementing sustainable growing practices that will yield between 35,000-40,000 pounds of food each year for the community. Want to join the team? Learn more here and APPLY TODAY! The application period closes Wednesday, May 25, 2022. Questions? Contact us at jobs@urbanrootsatx.org.
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Featured Photo Credit: Lauren Slusher Photography
Have you heard the news? Urban Roots’ 10th annual Tour de Farm event is next month, set for May 11, 2022 from 6-9 p.m. at Meanwhile Brewing! Hurry to get tickets here for this inspiring gathering that will feature a conversation with our community about food and food access led by Urban Roots youth leaders during the farm tour. You won’t want to miss the delicious chef-crafted, farm-to-table dinner featuring Distant Relatives modern African American food and a menu with veggies sourced from Urban Roots farms! The menu will be paired with delectable items from the Meanwhile Brewing taproom and local artisan food and beverage makers. Learn more about the featured chef and beverage makers below.
Our signature event of the year will also include exciting performances by Ray Prim and his band and Chulita Vinyl Club ATX! Plus, attendees will enjoy a South Austin Farm tour, an auction and raffle, lively yard games, and great conversation. Event sponsorships are still available. Contact Development Director Eric Maxson at eric.maxson@urbanrootsatx.org to learn more.
Purchase Tickets or a Table Sponsorship Today!!
Tour de Farm is showcasing James Beard nominee Damien Brockway from Distant Relatives as the headlining chef of the event! Distant Relatives is “inspired by the textures, flavors, heritage and narrative of the African diaspora within the United States.” As a result, they “employ strong elements of Pecan and mixed hardwood smoke, heightened spice profiles, traditional preservation methods and a nose to tail, root to stem approach utilizing products from our local food system. Distant Relatives has and continues to be a project that supports the agricultural, artisan and underserved communities by continued partnerships with local artisans, farmers and likeminded organizations.”
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On behalf of the Board of Directors, we are proud to preserve this land and to make this long-term commitment to not only the work we do, but to the people and partners in East Austin that we serve.
Urban Roots is thrilled to share that we recently purchased our East Austin farm! After serving as our home for over a decade, Urban Roots is honored to plant our roots even deeper in East Austin and make it a permanent part of the organization. For us and many others, the East Austin farm has always been a place to escape, a sanctuary, a way to nourish the community, and a place to build community. Urban Roots Board Chair Erin Fohn said, “This farm has been at the heart of our organization since inception, and we’re extremely proud and humbled to maintain a home that allows us to continue to serve our neighbors in East Austin. On behalf of the Board of Directors, we are proud to preserve this land and to make this long-term commitment to not only the work we do, but to the people and partners in East Austin that we serve.”
Urban Roots doesn’t just grow food, it’s so much more than that. Our mission is to work with youth leaders to grow and share fresh food and build a community dedicated to food equity. Not only is Urban Roots growing for our community and supporting youth leaders so they can be food justice change-makers, but we’re also increasing our food access efforts, and growing our physical footprint and team to better support the needs of our community. Purchasing the farm helps secure our future in contributing to a food system that is more sustainable, equitable, and just.
We’d like to take a moment to thank and honor the long-time supporters and Board Members of Urban Roots and everyone involved to make this farm purchase possible. We’d also like to extend our gratitude to Board Member Sergio Negrete, who championed this farm purchase. Sergio added, “This piece of property has been very special for Urban Roots for the past 10+ years. I’m extremely happy for the organization as this beautiful location will allow Urban Roots to continue doing amazing things for youth and our community for years to come.” Last but not least, a huge thanks also goes out to our attorney Jerry Webberman, for his legal guidance throughout this process. We couldn’t have done it without you!
Looking forward, Urban Roots is focused on the busy spring and summer season ahead! We are excited to host our signature event of the year, Tour de Farm, on May 11th, and we hope to see you then (tickets are now on sale)!
Learn More About Urban Roots and Our Growth Over the Years:
It all began with just one field and 15 teenagers. And we’ve been growing every day since. Since 2008, Urban Roots has graduated over 570 youth leaders, awarded $758,000 in youth stipends, grown 415,000 pounds of food, and donated 185,000 pounds of that beautiful produce to our Food Access Partners. Additionally, in partnership with the City of Austin, we also grew from one to two farms. Our new Southeast Austin farm enables us to grow even more food and become an active member of a vibrant community that all too often faces barriers to accessing fresh food.
Every part of the Urban Roots family, from our teams working on the farms to our broad family of supporters, does their part to make a more just food system. That means making Austin a city where everyone has equitable access to healthy, fresh food that is accessible, culturally appropriate, and nutritious. And leading the way is a group of empowered youth, equipped with the knowledge and skills to guide their own lives and to create positive change in their communities.
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Urban Roots is excited to announce that tickets are now on sale for the 10th annual Urban Roots Tour de Farm event, which is set for May 11, 2022 from 6-9 p.m. at Meanwhile Brewing! Hurry to get tickets for this inspiring gathering that will feature a conversation with our community about food and food access led by Urban Roots youth leaders. Our signature event of the year will also include exciting performances by Ray Prim and his band and Chulita Vinyl Club ATX that you won’t want to miss. Purchase your ticket or table sponsorships here before they’re all sold out! Plus, event sponsorships are still available! Contact Development Director Eric Maxson at eric.maxson@urbanrootsatx.org to learn more.
The evening will showcase young voices of change and a delicious chef-crafted, farm-to-table dinner featuring Distant Relatives modern African American food and a plant-strong menu sourced from Urban Roots farms. The menu will be paired with delectable items from the Meanwhile Brewing taproom and local artisan food and beverage makers. The benefit evening also include a South Austin Farm tour, an auction and raffle, lively yard games, and great conversation!
Purchase Tickets or a Table Sponsorship Today!
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Today we celebrate Cesar Chávez Day, in honor of the legacy of Cesar Chávez’s tireless work, first as a farmer, and then as labor organizer and Civil Rights leader. He began working on a farm young, and witnessed the oppression Latinx and Filipino-Americans faced, especially by Anglo ranchers and farm owners. He found the injustice around him inexcusable, and utilized nonviolent methods to fight for civil and worker rights, using boycotting and strikes to grab the attention of the nation. Chávez wanted to ensure the United States couldn’t ignore the exploitation of the migrant farm workers who fed them.
Cesar Chávez co-founded the National Farmworker Association (now known as United Farm Workers of America), hand-in-hand with fellow civil rights activist and leader Dolores Huerta and others. It was one of the first successful labor unions for farm workers in America. He’s a true example of grassroots efforts and on the ground activism; he participated in voter drives to being a figurehead in the boycott of grapes, driving potentially more than 17 million Americans and Canadians to join the Delano Grape Strike.
Urban Roots strives to follow in the footsteps of what he’s provided with our holistic approach to what we do. We aren’t just a farm, after all, and we value the people we work with, the youth we empower, and the community we work with. We strive to not just feed our community, but to nourish it, empower it, and help it grow, as our youth and staff grow, and as we grow as an organization.
With the world being what it is right now, we feel our local efforts are more important than ever to ensure our community is nourished, and that we’re connected as a whole. Like Cesar Chávez said, “The fight is never about grapes or lettuce. It is always about people.” Feeding our community is extremely important, and part of what we do, but we cannot forget the power of community, connection, and collective activism.
Learn more about Cesar Chavez Day here.
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Thank you to Edible Austin and their readers for selecting Urban Roots as a 2022 Local Heroes award recipient, and for featuring us with glowing words in the March and April edition of their magazine. The article discusses our growth from Urban Roots being “just 15 teenagers in a field” and how far Urban Roots has come since then. If you’d like to read the article, go to page 31 here.
Photo Credit: Edible Austin
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This week we’re celebrating something near and dear to the heart of Urban Roots; we’re celebrating National Farmworker Awareness Week from March 25th to March 31st! Farmers, like our own, nurture and nourish their communities, and National Farmworker Awareness Week is a week to honor and bring attention to the hard work they do to accomplish that. In a time of food insecurity and difficult conditions, farmers ensure our nation has a fresh, healthy food system, and now more than ever, you’re our heroes! We’d like to give farmers, ranchers, and farmworkers everywhere a heartfelt, Texas-sized thank you for all that you do, as well as our own incredible farmers! We’d also like to thank our volunteers, as well as the Urban Roots youth, who allow for Urban Roots to nourish our community; we couldn’t do it without you!
If you’d like to learn more about conditions and issues farmers face, or show support and celebrate your local farmers, you can read more about National Farmworker Awareness week below:
Lastly, learn about some more Texas-based farmer organizations below:
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Video Credit: Embody Media
We’d like to thank one of our amazing partners, Ghisallo Cycling Initiative, for lending us shipping containers for the South Austin farm! These allow us to store farm essentials like our tools and equipment, instead of transporting them back and forth between farms on a daily basis. This will allow us to better operate both farms simultaneously and more flexibly. As our Farm Operations Manager Jacob Grob put it, “More storage, more tools and more people equals more food to share with our community.”
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