NEW MILESTONES AT URBAN ROOTS LONDON
Since becoming VERGE’s first investment of the year, our friends at Urban Roots London (URL) have shown resilience and optimism despite the ongoing challenges brought by COVID-19, and have continued to create social, environmental, and community impact through new partnerships and initiatives.
Urban Roots London is a non-profit organization that revitalizes underused land to support local agriculture initiatives in London, Ontario. It is committed to growing fresh produce for those who may not otherwise be able to enjoy them, while simultaneously operating its projects in a self-sustaining manner suitable for broader urban agriculture applications. URL follows a ‘model of thirds’ distribution system, in which two-thirds (or more) of all grown food is either donated or sold at reduced rates in local neighbourhoods.
NEW PARTNERSHIPS
So far in 2021, URL has formed several new partnerships to improve the sustainability of its practices and further its mission of making high quality produce accessible to all members of the community. The first of these collaborations was with Volt Transportation, a new startup based in London that provides zero-emission delivery services to organizations looking to reduce their carbon footprint. Through this relationship, URL is now able to supply produce to its partners without contributing carbon emissions in the process.
In the spirit of shifting away from traditionally wasteful practices, URL has also partnered with A Friendlier Company (another VERGE investee!) to provide reusable takeout containers at its farms, thereby displacing the need for single-use plastic. Once again, URL is affirming its commitment to sustainability by supporting local startups who share its social and environmental vision – a double win!
Pictured: Hannah, one of the farm labourers from Siloam United.
But the collaboration doesn't end there… Over the past seven months, URL has been working with Siloam United Church to revitalize a plot of under-utilized land into a space suitable for urban agriculture. URL and Siloam United Church are donating 100% of all grown produce to local organizations, such as the Glen Cairn Community Resource Centre, and have harvested over 700 pounds of fresh vegetables on the farm to date!
While these feats should not go unnoticed, neither should the day-to-day work that URL does for our community. In fact, its composting program located at 21 Norlan Avenue has harvested over 2,700 pounds of produce, and has collected over 3,545 pounds of compostable waste from individuals, families, and local businesses!
HARVEST DINNER
Each year URL hosts an annual Harvest Dinner Fundraiser as an opportunity to celebrate the bounty of the season while supporting the financial needs of the farm. While this event is typically a beautiful affair on the farm itself, through COVID-19 the organization has found creative ways to bring the spirit and celebration of the Harvest Dinner right into people’s homes!
The 2021 Harvest Dinner, taking place on September 26th, will feature an exciting menu created and executed by some of London’s most vibrant chefs. Harvest Dinner attendees can choose from 4, 5, or 6 course options featuring produce straight from the Urban Roots farms and prepared by Maryam and Malvin Wright of Yaya’s Kitchen (another VERGE investee), the dynamic team at Growing Chefs, and Erin Negus of Alchemy Bake Shoppe. Be sure to get your tickets now as they are expected to sell out just like last year!
VERGE would like to thank Urban Roots London for its continuous commitment in building a sustainable city for us all, and we are excited to see what else is to come in the future!
