The heavy downpour of rain may have kept many Londoners inside this past Saturday, but it wasn’t enough to keep the Urban Roots London team away from the farm. To celebrate the launch of its 2018 Season, Urban Roots hosted a “Summer Solstice Launch Party” on Saturday, June 23, 2018, inviting all of its partners, potential partners, volunteers, and supporters attend in an effort to connect the Urban Roots community to one another. Board members and volunteers started working the farm and clearing the hoop house for planting, despite the steady downpour of rain, until the clouds parted to allow for a harvesting demonstration and a pleasant mingling for comments and connection. Urban Roots was pleased to have so many partners and supporters join in and bring their thoughts on what Urban Roots is doing and the importance of rethinking and redefining food production and distribution through an Urban Agriculture Model within the City of London.
With delicious coffee from Fireroasted Coffee Company and an amazing charcuterie spread from The Root Cellar, the Urban Roots family gathered to share reflections on the urban agriculture movement in this City. We heard from Councillors Michael van Holst and Tanya Park, Member of Parliament Irene Mathyssen’s office, community advocate Shawn Lewis, the Argyle Community Association, London InterCommunity Health Centre, London Training Centre, and The Root Cellar. Urban Roots also received the encouragement and support of other ongoing partners and supporters, including Yotuni Enterprise, Pillar Non-Profit Network, Canadian Mental Health Association – Middlesex, the Middlesex London Health Unit’s Harvest Bucks program, and the Crouch Neighbourhood Resource Centre.
Last season, Urban Roots proved that it could grow amazing produce on a small plot of land within the City of London. This year, the farm is growing on a space six times the size and hoping to produce at least if not more than six times the amount of food to distribute to amazing restaurants, our local neighbours and social agencies, and amazing charity partners to distribute the food to people in need. None of this would be possible without the connections Urban Roots is making in the community and its wonderful partners, sponsors, and volunteers. Urban Roots looks forward to continuing its work to revitalize underused land within the City of London for agriculture, by producing high quality, organic vegetables and herbs for local distribution and donation. Urban Roots thanks all of its many volunteers and supporters, including the City of London’s Active & Green Communities program as well as its Season Sponsor, Lerners LLP, for their generous and ongoing support of this event and others!
Urban Roots invites Londoners to save the date for its Annual Harvest Dinner Fundraiser hosted at the farm at 21 Norlan Avenue, London, Ontario, in partnership with Wolfe of Wortley on September 16, 2018. Stay tuned at urbanrootslondon.ca or on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more details on upcoming events, how to get involved, how to support, or the Harvest Dinner!
