Today the Reno Whole Foods Market is helping a local nonprofit that's changing the way kids think about food. Five percent of Thursday's sales will be donated to Urban Roots to improve their farm on Second Street.
"We're creating food explorers," said Fayth Ross, Executive Director of Urban Roots. "When kids are with us, they're experiencing the magic of watching something grow. They're seeing their peers eat these vegetables and it tastes amazing so they're eager to try new food and getting those nutrients they need."
Urban Roots hosts workshops and camps for kids ages 2-15 so kids can get their hands dirty and experience food from seed to harvest.
"We will see kiddos walking down the rows here, and they will reach over and grab a carrot," Ross said. "Maybe they'll wipe it on their leg, and then they're eating it right from the ground. One of my favorite kiddos says now she only eats carrots from the ground, not from the store!"
Now the nonprofit is looking to take the next step, by creating a seed to table environment. This is day one of a fundraising campaign to build a teaching kitchen right on the farm.
"So the kids are not only learning how to grow food, but how to prepare it into something exciting that they will eat at home," Ross said. "We want them to experience food all the way from the seed to the table all the way into their tummies. We want them eating things that they are growing. Food is medicine and this is going to shape the way children eat and learn."
Urban Roots also helps local schools grow their own gardens.
More information: https://www.urgc.org/
