On their website they say that they "transform underutilized spaces into thriving gathering places through urban agriculture. More than growing a garden, we grow community."
A quick visit to one of their locations in Vancouver allowed me to get an impression of what that transformation could look like.
In Norquay School, there is a nice play area, a few planting beds and vast gravel surfaces where kids roam in breaks and after school hours.
What my crappy phone-camera managed to capture is a compelling proposition for at least some of our school's yard.
Some of the photos are not that bad actually and of course that's not the point of teaming up with Fresh Roots.
Urban societies today are in a fascinating crossroads of defining many of their habits, including the act of farming their own produce.
Exposing kids to the possibilities at school age seems like a healthy way of keeping them connected to their source of life and hands on understanding of what sustainability could mean.
Farming is a labor intensive engagement. The friendly people at Fresh Roots may encourage more of us to reclaim the fun that is also part of it.
This Back Yard farming operation is located at the Vancouver Technical Secondary.
