Sunday, August 14, 2011

Urban Roots Farm


8/9/11 - Springfield, MO: I photographed my first urban farm last week. It's something I really find fascinating and inspiring. Urban farms are a complete reversal of conventional perceptions of what a city should be … and I like that. They help redefine a cityscape, and often reclaim land that has long been overlooked as a dump site or unsafe open space.

Melissa & Adam Millsap are owners of Urban Roots Farm. They're civic pioneers with a bold vision to help their city, feed and educate its citizens, and maintain a healthy lifestyle for themselves and their family. They lobbied city legislators to establish urban agriculture, and funded their business with social lending which has helped energize their West Central neighborhood. They use spent grain as compost from a local micro-brewery, and have developed a non-profit called The Springfield Urban Agriculture Collation which is helping to feed school students in their USDA declared food desert. They are making exponentially positive changes in the Ozarks.

Thanks for viewing some of my favorites from a day on the farm …