Community Vitality 2024 - Urban Roots

 

Community Vitality 2024

Urban Roots London in partnership with Siloam United Church

Cultivating Food Security Through Urban Agriculture

GRANT: $282,354 FOR 3 YEARS

Anna Badillo and Amy Hall at work at Urban Roots’ Nolan Avenue site.

In the heart of London, Urban Roots London stands as a beacon of hope, addressing vital issues of food security, well-being, education, and the environment. Founded on the belief that everyone deserves access to high-quality, nutritious food, Urban Roots is pioneering innovative solutions that extend beyond mere sustenance, emphasizing the right to choose food aligned with individual needs and preferences.

Urban Roots’ business model revolves around offering fresh produce at affordable prices, providing free food donations through community partnerships, and supplying local restaurants through wholesale arrangements. Since 2017, Urban Roots has harvested over 82,000 pounds of food, selling 48,000 pounds at an affordable rate and donating over 23,000 pounds.

“Our focus is on ensuring that fresh, healthy produce reaches people who are facing food insecurity while promoting food literacy and enhancing community well-being along the way,” says Anna Badillo, Executive Director of Urban Roots London.

At the centre of the organization’s endeavours lies a commitment to environmental stewardship and community resilience. By growing organic produce within city limits at their farm on Norlan Ave., and at urban gardens at Parkwood Institute and Siloam United Church, Urban Roots reduces the distance food needs to travel to reach customers and fosters ecosystems that support biodiversity and soil health. Through collaboration and consultation with diverse community groups, Urban Roots ensures that their initiatives are truly grassroots-driven and inclusive.

The Siloam United Church site, pictured in June 2024, that will be extended thanks to the Community Vitality grant.

With the support of a $282,354 Community Vitality grant over three years, Urban Roots London will expand their partnership with Siloam United Church to grow food in the urban garden on the church’s land. Since 2021, the partnership has produced over 5,000 pounds of food for families facing food insecurity in east London through the United Churches Food cupboard program, ELUCO.

The grant will also enable Urban Roots to enhance their growing infrastructure, facilitating increased food production from May to October and year-round to help provide access to fresh vegetables even in the fall and winter months. They anticipate boosting food production by approximately 8,000 pounds to offer more affordable fresh produce to the community to help increase access to high-quality, nutritious food.

This infrastructure upgrade will provide living wage employment opportunities for youth at both the Siloam United Church urban garden location and Urban Roots’ main site on Norlan Ave. Additionally, the increase in produce production at the main farm site and the urban garden will help better serve the community with fresh, locally sourced food through their community pop-up markets and food box programming.

Find out more about the other Community Vitality recipients:

 
Grant Story, 2024 Impact StoryJapsimar MiglaniCV2024