Urban Roots Farm
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The Why? The How.

In the words of our friend Katherine Kelly,
"When a farmer turns the soil on an empty lot, neighbors stop by to "find out what's happening." They buy vegetables, chat, volunteer, or even ask for just a "few extra plants" for their own new garden. The farmer is out all day, so neighborhood young people have a safe adult around. They beautify the neighborhood, inspiring others to clean their own lots or pick up trash. Farmers encourage tasting, "Here, just try this SunGold cherry tomato." People taste and learn to like new foods. Then they eat more fresh produce. The farm becomes a source of stability, where neighbors meet neighbors and build relationships. Urban farms grow communities."

Organic urban farming reclaims unused property in heavily populated areas to create a working farm that grows environmental and health conscious produce which is distributed or sold within the local community.
Environmental ImpactBy growing on unused or blighted property within a city, an urban farm will not only beautify the neighborhood but will avoid the harmful impacts of cultivating undisturbed land. Also growing within a population's center allows the distribution of food to have a minimal carbon footprint, insures freshness, and lowers costs.

Education People are becoming increasingly aware of the impact food choices make on the health of themselves, their families, and their finances. An urban farm creates opportunities for children and adults to learn to grow and preserve their own food. They also may encounter new healthy produce choices. By teaming with local schools and youth organizations the urban farm teaches children where food comes from, how plants grow, and the importance of eating responsibly for themselves and their environment.

Building Community An urban farm is a form of intentional neighboring. It can transform empty or blighted lots, raise property values, reduce crime, provide a local source of income, and be a point of community pride. When placed in lower income areas the farm may connect with people who greatly benefit from learning to grow their own food. It may also offer programs allowing individuals to work the farm in exchange for grown produce.
Urban Roots Farm is a four season farm, meaning we grow, and market fresh produce every month of the year. We are able to do this despite the temperate climate of Southwest Missouri thanks to our three mobile high tunnels.

The Structures 
High tunnels are clear plastic covered structures with frames made from various materials. They are constructed in almost any size configuration you can imagine. Some are stationary, and some are movable. Ours are steel framed and measure 30 feet by 48 feet. They rest on cantilever gate rollers, like you would see on big chainlink gates, which ride on galvanized tube rails. The high tunnel field is divided into nine growing spaces which are each 30 feet wide and 48 feet long.  At all times each tunnel covers one of the three growing spaces which are in line with it.
The daily cycleDuring the day, the sun strikes the surfaces within the tunnel, such as foliage, and soil. The heat which radiates from those surfaces is accumulated within the tunnels, and the temperature inside rises well above the outdoor temperature. On a sunny winter day it is common for the temperature in the tunnel to be 40 to 50 degrees higher than that outside the tunnel. When the sun goes down the air temperature in the tunnels rapidly drops to the outdoor ambient temperature, but the plants are still protected from the wind and moisture they would be subject to in the open. Over night the crop foliage often freezes but the root zone stays warm. When the sun rises again so does the temperature in the tunnel. The foliage thaws, and the plants grow on.

The seasonal cycle
The tunnels are moved around the field at strategic times throughout the year in order to allow us to extend our growing season. In late winter we trust hardy vegetable crops to the protection of the tunnels one to two months before we could safely plant them outdoors. When the outdoor temperatures have risen sufficiently, we move the tunnels off the hardy crops, and plant the newly covered growing space with regular season crops a month or so before typical outdoor planting times. When those crops no longer require protection the tunnels are moved again to cover warmth loving crops such as melons, cucumbers, and tomatoes. The tunnels remain in this third position late into the fall, pushing summer crops as late as possible. When the third position crops are no longer productive, we move the tunnels one last time to cover super hardy crops such as various greens, and root crops through the winter. In late winter it all starts again.
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Come by the farm any time for a real world demo.

Come See Us!

mel@urbanrootsfarm.com
417.827.7046



U
rban Roots Farm
831 W State Street
Springfield, MO
65806

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  • Why we do what we do
    • The Why? The How.
    • Jobs
  • The Farm
    • Get Veggies >
      • Summer CSA >
        • CSA sign up
      • Farmstand
    • Job openings
    • What is a CSA?
  • Consulting
  • Events
    • Special Events
    • Cocktail Workshops
    • News Letter Archive
    • Farm to Table Dinner
  • Resources
    • Favorite Vendors
  • Get in touch
    • Contact Us