Urban Farm Camp for City Kids

Fayth Ross, executive director, and Elsa DeJong, volunteer manager, at Urban Roots talk about garden education.

Fayth Ross, executive director, and Elsa DeJong, volunteer manager, at Urban Roots talk about garden education.

Today on the podcast we head to Reno, Nevada to hear about Urban Roots, an organization that uses garden education to help change the way people eat. It takes gardens to classrooms…and uses the garden as a classroom at its urban teaching farm.

Fayth Ross and Elsa DeJong talk about the summer farm camp, programming for home-schooling families, and collaborations with local schools.

Farm Camp

During the summer and school breaks, Urban Roots runs programming for children at its urban teaching farm.

DeJong explains that there is a different theme each week. Themes include:

  • A bug’s life

  • Once upon a farm

  • All about bees

Woven into this farm camp curriculum are literature, art, engineering, music — and cooking.

Farm School

This program for home-schooling families takes place twice a week during the academic year, and includes lessons, games, and farm chores.

Steven Biggs

Recognized by Garden Making Magazine as one of the "green gang" of Canadians making a difference in horticulture, Steven Biggs is a horticulturist, former college instructor, and award-winning broadcaster and author. His passion is helping home gardeners grow food in creative and attractive ways.


He’s the author of eight gardening books, including the Canadian bestseller No Guff Vegetable Gardening. His articles have appeared in Canada’s Local Gardener, Mother Earth News, Fine Gardening, Garden Making, Country Guide, Edible Toronto, and other magazines.


Along with over 30 years working in the horticultural sector and a horticultural-science major at the University of Guelph, Steven’s experience includes hands-on projects in his own garden including wicking beds, driveway strawbale gardens, and a rooftop tomato plantation—to the ongoing amusement of neighbours.


When not in the garden, you might catch him recording his award-winning Food Garden Life podcast or canoeing in Algonquin Park.

Previous
Previous

Meet the Indiana Jones of Pawpaw

Next
Next

Choose-Your-Own-Adventure No Till