After reviewing the website http://cityroots.org/?page_id=
Explain the goals of City Roots. Discuss the City Root's philosophy of farming and what activities that includes. Describe the types of events hosted by City Roots. Do you beleive there should be more urban farms in the the city- why/why not? How might organizations such as City Roots improve some of the public health issues we discussed earlier this semester?
Explain the goals of City Roots. Discuss the City Root's philosophy of farming and what activities that includes. Describe the types of events hosted by City Roots. Do you beleive there should be more urban farms in the the city- why/why not? How might organizations such as City Roots improve some of the public health issues we discussed earlier this semester?
City Roots is an urban farm right here in Columbia, South Carolina. One of its goals is to create a new environment and feel for an urban area. City Roots also is committees to environmentally friendly farming and promoting healthy habits and local foods. City Roots’ philosophy of farming includes going “beyond organic” in a “beyond sustainable” facility. The way that they accomplish this is by using various systems such as LEED standard buildings, composting, and eco-friendly processes of raising plants and animals. City Roots hosts a variety of events including dinners with local food, workshops, and farming opportunities. These allow the general public to become aligned with City Roots’ goals. I believe that urban farms would be beneficial to cities. While a large number of them would create crowding in other areas, a few urban farms could be very beneficial, as they would allow for easier access to local foods. They also would provide much less of an impact to the environment than big businesses. A third thing they could do for a city would be to provide a nice change from a crowded, clustered area. Urban farms would be beneficial if they were implemented in more locations. Organizations such as City Roots would provide healthy foods to the general public with no hassle. Often times, for many people living in cities, it is easier to eat unhealthy rather than gathering up many healthy options. City Roots and other organizations would provide easier access to healthy options such as fruits and vegetables. Since these organizations are right in the city, they can provide local food without any added hassle. The food would also be fresher and have less harmful preservatives and additives. Urban farms like City Roots could be beneficial to many places.
ReplyDeleteThe goals of City Roots are to encourage people to eat healthier foods such as the ones they grow (fruits, vegetables, etc.), to benefit the local community by encouraging people to buy local and thus keep their dollars in the community which they were earned, and to benefit the environment by reducing the distance food is transported before consumption and by not using chemical fertilizers or pesticides on their crops. City Roots summarizes these goals as “Good for you, Good for the Community, and Good for the Environment.” Some of the events hosted by City Roots such as the Harvest Dinner or the Nose-to-Tail dinner help to provide an inlet for citizens to learn about the locally grown foods available to them through tastings/informational dinners while at the same time allowing them to have fun in a social setting. I believe there should be more urban farms not only in Columbia but also in cities across the country and the world. Urban farms are a positive force because they allow more people to have a direct investment in the production of their own food in their own communities and it also has the economic and environmental benefits associated with locally grown food. Organizations such as City Roots may be able to help address public health issues by showing citizens that it isn’t difficult or out of their reach to not only consume healthy and natural foods, but to grow them for themselves in their own community. Local food co-ops or other similar organizations such as City Roots could play a vital role in the future battle against the growing trend of poor diets and declining health in the United States.
ReplyDeleteCity Roots aims to plant both emotional and physical roots in urban settings. City Roots seek to provide food that is beyond organic, and to operate a farm that is beyond sustainable. They make sure that any waste produced is food for something else’s growth. They also produce as much fertility on the farm as possible so as to avoid stealing resources from other places and people. Activities this includes are Barn Structure, Vegetable Fields Apiary, Compost, Perennials, Free Range Chickens, Herb Garden, Green House Production, Aquaponic Sytem, Microgreens, Propagation / Plant starts and Agritourism. City Roots hosts many events such as Dinners and Brunches that are made from farm resources and products. Also, they host movie nights, contests and other events to better the community as a whole. I do believe there should be more farms in urban settings. I believe it would be beneficial to the community because it would help produce fresh products, more open space and help reduce air pollution because there will be less machines and buildings. This would help improve obesity, an issue we already talked about in this semester. Also, this could help to improve pollution, community involvedness, green knowledge and even might help with political issues.
ReplyDeleteCity roots is one of a few select places that can be called urban farms. Located here in Columbia,they intend to provide food that goes "beyond organic" and operate in sustainable way with minimal waste. In order to farm sustainably while still being in the city, City Roots fertilizes with natural byproducts such as compost. Even the buildings on site are regulated green facilities. They plant and rotate crops in smaller plots to avoid depleting the soil. They raise tilapia in a aquaponic system to filter the water and mature the fish naturally. To promote agritourism, they host events, school tours, and workshops to educate the community on things like beekeeping, and crop cultivation. They also host Harvest Dinners to showcase the produce they grow. Even without visiting the farm, one can participate in activities by reading the recipe of the week and donating to CSA. I would absolutely support more urban farms because food systems are a huge environmental concern. Food transport accounts for massive amounts of energy consumption. Processed foods also contribute to a huge health concern in the united States. Public health issues are addressed through City Root initiatives by reducing exposure to fertilizers and hormones present in non- organic produce. The food is not processed or treated chemically, so it promotes health and longevity. Supporting City Roots promotes a more healthy diet and lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteCity roots is an in-town farm that offers local food to those that live in Columbia. They promote eating locally by emphasizing three specific benefits. The first is that these foods are good for you. Eating fresh vegetables has proven health benefits and often can cure health issues by providing proper nutrition. For example, my dad fought in the Persian Gulf war and due to exposure to harsh chemicals suffered many health problems. About two years ago my brothers girlfriend, a dietician, recommended that he try a vegan diet consisting of fresh food. After doing so for only a month many of the negative affects cause by the war were gone. Many farms, including city roots, do not use pesticides and other chemicals that can harm the body. Secondly, buying food from local farmers helps to support the community. This keeps money circulating in the local community. Finally, buying local food helps the environment as the food does not have to be shipped around the world. This decreases the gases needed to deliver the product to the consumer. City roots is part of the local farmers market. They also host events like dinners the feature local, fresh foods.I believe that farms like these are very necessary. They provide fresh foods that keep one's body properly nourished. When food is not locally grown and fresh gases are often used to ripen the food and the product does not deliver the nutrients like it should. It also helps to support small farmers and allows them to continue to grow fresh food. Also, smaller farms often do not provide the harsh chemicals that many other farms do. These chemicals can be extremely damaging to ones body, especially over time. The chemical exposure can even cause medical issues such as cancer. Avoiding these chemicals will help exponentially.
ReplyDeleteCity Roots is an advocator of good health, focuses on keeping our dollars in our local community, and is environmentally friendly because its food is organic and locally grown, which helps to keep CO2 out of the atmosphere. City Root’s philosophy of farming is producing produce that goes beyond organic and sustainable. They try to produce as much of their own fertility as possible and use the waste of something to help with the growth of something else. Their philosophy is a very wholesome, holistic view. City Roots hosts events such as harvest dinners, in which they use seasonal vegetables from their farm. They also offer their venue for renters who are interested in hosting events and they offer citizens volunteer opportunities so as to enrich our relationship with the food that we eat. For those interested in farming as a career, internships are also available.
ReplyDeleteI think there should most definitely be more urban farms in the city because it provides citizens with local, healthier, more environmentally friendly options. It also reconnects us with the food that we eat, knowing where it came from and knowing that we support a local venue. City Roots has major potential to improve public health issues because it produces healthy, organic, wholesome food that is not processed. The more people who get involved with City Roots, the healthier of a community Columbia will have.
City Roots is a farm located in Columbia with the goals of bringing the community together and encouraging sustainability and healthy living. One of their initial goals, which has now been fulfilled, is that of planting forty different kinds of vegetables within the city limits. As their website states, City Roots is dedicated to “providing a fertile place for people to become rooted to.” One of their goals is to not only limit producing waste, but also to use any waste they might produce to benefit something else. They have organic food and a sustainable farm, but they take it to an entirely new level. Their philosophy simply shows everything the farm is doing to encourage a very minimal, if not no, impact on the Earth. Some of the ways the farm accomplishes this is through making all its buildings LEED certified, utilizing crop rotation in their vegetable fields, composting, planting perennials (especially berries), having a greenhouse and a tilapia pond in an aquaponic system, vermicomposting, producing microgreens, adding the practice of early seeding, and encouraging agritourism. Some of the events City Roots Farm hosts include renting out the barn and outdoor space for special occasions and Harvest Dinners. The rental involves a liaison and event planning service, and the harvest dinners consist of a family style dinner cooked with locally grown vegetables and local meats, as well as a cocktail-accompanied tour of the farm. I think that urban farms should be encouraged, especially after learning about the success of the City Roots Farm. These farms will make fresh produce available to urban families and make healthy eating a more convenient possibility. City farms will encourage community building in an area that usually gets little to none of that. These city farms can also increase the health of those in the area because eating pesticide-free, locally grown food is extremely beneficial to the human body. The local businesses will help out the economy by circulating local dollars, and the reduced use of energy will reduce CO2 levels in the air. All of these results will have a positive effect on human health throughout the city.
ReplyDeleteGood point about the "carbon- foot print" of buying produce thats from far away
DeleteCity Roots is an urban farm in Columbia that spread its ideas of helping people simply by growing crops within city limits for anyone who likes really fresh goods. Their primary goal is to spread knowledge through the seed, and provide locals a model to promote a healthy diet and lifestyle. They have over 40 types of crops for sale (and expanding) and they have a long-term interest invested to “the people”: stimulate the local economy by providing fresh produce for restaurants in the area, as well as teach others how to compost, be more sustainable and other environmentally friendly practices. City Roots has a specific philosophy to farming which is make sure all products are organic, sustainable, fresh and available to everyone in the Columbia region. They also use product waste for the growth of something else, and there are many activities that help them promote these practices. Some of the things that happen on a daily basis would be composting, the tilapia pond, the green house, the fields of various goods, free range chickens, down to the structure of the barn meeting LEED regulations. The agritourism at City Roots is a huge ordeal because it is a way of community building and a teaching tool. They host event venues, do school tours and hold workshops for various activities. One of the event venues I found really cool was a Nose to Tail dinner they hosted a couple weeks ago. The dinner party featured produce grown on the farm with a very gourmet menu selection. I feel that more urban farms would be a fantastic and practical idea for stimulating local growth and expansion, as well as fighting health issues such as obesity. Not only does City Roots provide locally grown produce sustainably grown, but it also teaches the people whole to lead a more wholesome and healthy lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteCity Roots wants to bring the roots back to the city of Columbia. They have built a 2.75 acre farm within the city limits and produce fruits, vegetables and other crops through sustainable and earth-friendly practices. They wish to educate the public on issues and provide organic, locally-grown foods to Columbia residents. Their philosophy for farming (and for life) is to be organic and sustainable without producing waste and reusing their resources for other purposes. This is achieved through their LEED certified greenhouse, tilapia aqua pond, free-range chickens and fruits. Composting, vermicomposting and propagation allow them to limit their waste and prepare the soil for the next harvest.
ReplyDeleteOne event is their Harvest Dinner. A surprise dinner prepared by a local chef using local produce and meats. Other events also include dinners and fundraisers made with locally grown and produced foods.
I think it is a great idea to have more agricultural land within the city of Columbia. The locally grown foods help citizens to be more healthy and spread awareness about sustainability, healthy eating and the environment. More farms could help with the watershed problem by providing more permeable land to absorb rainfall. However, with a scarcity of land within the city, it is difficult to have more farms.
City Roots and other organizations such as Sustainable Carolina and CVSC can help bring awareness about environmental issues just by being different and standing out. It is rare to see a real, producing farm within a large urban city and just the presence of CIty Roots in Columbia will draw attention. They can also use their locally grown, organic food to proactively move the city towards healthier living by providing access to the kinds of local foods they encourage citizens to eat.
The goals of City Roots is to provide food that is much more than just organic and to operate a farm that is beyond sustainable. City Roots seeks to use waste that they produce as another food source for something else's growth. They try to avoid stealing by producing their own fertility on their farms as much as possible.
ReplyDeleteTheir philosophy on farming is that they believe in using every aspect of everything they produce wholly, wasting as little as possible if not none.
Events hosted by them include things such as dinners, festivals and tours. Dinners that they host help to provide an inlet for citizens to learn about all the locally grown foods that are accessible to them through tastings, while providing somewhere enjoyably safe to socialize. I don’t necessarily disagree with the idea about having more urban farms in cities, however the idea would not translate completely across to every city. It would be a positive thing to have if it was able to workout, because it allows more people to be more hands on and see how there food is produced. Yes, locally grown food would be beneficial to the economy and environment, yet it’s possibility of working in some of the largest cities across the United States definitely is something more far off into the future that could be a goal.
I did not know about City Roots, and it makes me happy to see a farm providing fresh foods to people in areas where they can not grow their own produce. The goals of City roots is to provide fresh produce to people. Eating fresh produce is more healthy than eating canned or frozen. Using City roots to get your produce instead of going to the store is good for the community because the food doesn't have to be shipped. Most all of it is locally grown therefore it is right here in your neighborhood. City roots is good for the environment! They do not use any chemicals when growing their food. No fertilizers or pesticides are used and since it is locally grown a truck doesn't have to drive hundreds or even thousands of miles to deliver the food! One even that City Roots host is called the harvest dinner. At this dinner you go to City Roots farm and enjoy tasty adult beverages and then enjoy a meal(local everything including the meat of that night). You enjoy the meal with the chef of the night and the farmer. What a great way to learn more about a farm that is providing you with locally grown stuff! I think that having a farm like City Roots is an amazing thing and there need to be more like them so that more people can be impacted! Farms like City Roots help make people healthier because they use no chemicals when growing their produce. All around it is an amazing thing for the community!
ReplyDeleteCity roots is an awesome idea, not just because urban residents have the ability to eat naturally grown food. But the overall idea that people are growing food in a place that you would never see a garden.. This is good because of astitics, but because people will start thinking differently once seeing these "urban garden". Also the growing process is all organic and the graden is self sustaining. Yes its great that organic food is available to locals. But to me this just puts "go green" living more "organic" directly in the faces of people.
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ReplyDeleteCity roots is an urban farm located in Columbia, South Carolina which strives to not only plant actual roots of natural resources but human roots as well. The original goal of City Roots was to simply put down plant roots, but throughout the process they realized that it was also important to create a fertile environment for the citizens within the community to become rooted. The philosophy of City Roots is to create an environment that is completely sustainable and is creating completely organic foods. They are trying to make sure that any waste products produced within the farming area can then be used as some other form of nourishment to another being within the natural environment.
City roots is helping locals to learn about the benefits of urban farming through workshops and dinners being help open to the public. In my opinion there should be more urban farms in the city because it is not only a sustainable way to produce food to a way to also produce local foods that are healthy for the consumers to eat. The use of urban farms would greatly reduce health issues as there would be greater opportunity for the consumers in the city to purchase organic good which do not contain preservatives and growth hormones as many non-organic farms use.
City Roots philosophy is “We at City Roots seek to provide food that is beyond organic, and to operate a farm that is beyond sustainable”. In order to accomplish this goal the farm ensures that the waste they produce is food for someone else’s growth, or they make it into fertile compost. Some of the methods and practices that City Roots uses on its farm include: a LEED certified barn, fields that cover 3 acres of cultivation and utilize crop rotation, apiary (pollination and honey), compost, free-range chickens, a herb garden, and a 3,000 gallon tilapia tank with an aquaponic system. Of these practices, I found the tilapia tank and the compost ones to be the most interesting to me and I look forward to learning more about then during our field trip. Blueberries
ReplyDeleteCity Roots hosts Harvest Dinners at the site, such as the dinner that occurred on Monday, October 22nd. These special dinners feature excellent chefs who prepare cocktails mixed with seasonal juices and fruits, and the dinners are made from a surprise menu! One can assume that the dishes will consist of a variety of locally grown seasonable vegetables and herbs. These dinners allow guests to explore the sustainable farm as well as interact with other locals and enjoy a family style dinner. City Roots also does educational tours for students and people interested in learning more about Columbia’s urban sustainable farm and its practices.
I hope that in the future Columbia and other large cities will adopt urban farms because I think that they are a great resource not only to the local economy but also the region’s residents. The accessibility to fresh and locally grown produce cannot be surpassed by a large-scale grocers’ market. Additionally, I think that the presence of urban farms would help to raise awareness for sustainable farm practices and the additional health benefits that go hand in hand with such methods.
Lastly, I think that urban farms could help relieve some of the concerns with those that do not have enough to eat. Oftentimes, local farms will donate their leftover harvest to local food shelters in order to either reduce their waste or merely to see some of their crop go towards good. In this way, the implementation of urban farms could help reduce the high demand for food for the poor in large cities.
Thanks for such a thorough evaluation of City Roots- I am excited for our trip
DeleteCity Roots is an urban farm here in Columbia.They run both a sustainable and an fully organic farm .At this farm they try to waste as little as possible, and use whatever waste they can in more recyclable ways.They strive to give the community oportunites to eat locally grown food which they may not have previously had the opportunity to do. One of their goals is to educate the community about more green ways of living, and teach them about the benefits of urban farming. They do this through wokshops and dinners such as the Harvest Dinner. At these dinners, chefs prepare both the meals and cocktails from locally grown cuinineso that the attendees can see the potential the food grown here in Columbia has. I think it is important to our community that we have more urban farms. It gives us the chance to better our local economy by supporting local businesses and farms, as well as be more green by eating local foods that are in season and avoiding the transportation and pollution involved with eating foods from all over the country and world. It would also help improve some of our local health issues because we would be eating foods without growth hormones, preservatives, and other chemicals.We would also cut down on eating packaged foods which have numerous health risks.
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