Organic greenhouse grows vegetables, microgreens, holds tilapia tank
Urban farming — it’s a foreign concept to many and a bit paradoxical, but City Roots, Columbia’s token sustainable urban farm, has brought the idea back to the grassroots.
Harvested in the Rosewood Neighborhood next to Columbia Owens Airport, City Roots has added a little lushness to the area, growing vegetables, microgreens and other produce with a mission to introduce the community to locally-grown food and environmentally-sound farming.
“There are economic reasons for going local, namely keeping money in the local food system,” said Eric McClam, the farm manager. “We reinvest in the community and people coming here do the same.”
The 2.75 acres welcomes visitors with bright red, orange and pink zinnias, and a quiet front porch, with bench swings and colorfully-woven hammocks hanging by the door. The barn-style storefront houses all of the farm’s seasonal veggies and wire drying boards topped with hundreds of fresh microgreens.Microgreens, one of City Farm’s main draws, are a nutrient, most comparable to sprouts, that provide 25 percent of daily protein. All grown in the farm’s greenhouse, the different microgreens are seeded, harvested, dried, bagged and available for purchase in a 10-day period.
Plucked from the first seed growth, for the most nutrient value, City Roots bags sunflower, snow pea, radish, mustard and arugula microgreens, as well as a zesty salad mix all for under $5.
They have around 50 different seasonal vegetables available, include cayenne peppers, green tomatoes and eggplants. Along with seasonal vegetables, City Roots sells eggs from their on-farm chickens, which not only provide the produce, but also act as fertilizer for the soil. The farm also houses honeybees and bottles of “worm tea,” an organic fertilizer made from the worm bins in the greenhouse.
Yes, worm bins; City Roots prides itself on its large-scale compost efforts, which are all laid out in the farm’s greenhouse. Home to the microgreens, the house also sheds light on some lesser-know farming practices.
Their aquaponic system filters water to their tilapia tank through a very ecosystem-friendly process: the waste from the fish filters through and fertilizes edible plants like watercress and lettuce. The plants clean out the nutrient-filled water, which is then cycled back into the tank.
The tilapia tank, which was wiped out in July due to tank malfunctions, was refilled with 1,500 new fish that will grow up to two pounds each. The fish are then sold to local Columbia restaurants.
These environmentally savvy practices are complex and out of reach for most in the urban area, but City Roots is here to teach. The farm offers self-guided and farmer-led tours for elementary through college-aged students, and also educates through volunteer opportunities. It’s not easy work, but volunteers are able to jump right in — emptying worm bins and re-filling the greenhouse set-ups. City Roots gives a look into organic farming and ties the cause back into the community.
“What people don’t realize about a farm is that it’s a seven-days-a-week job — at the end of the day, at the end of the season, it’s satisfying, but it’s constantly changing,” Beth Lund, the greenhouse manager, said.
There are two volunteer shifts, Monday through Friday, one from 9 a.m. until noon, and the second from 1:30 until 4:30 p.m. For more information about volunteering, contact cityroots@cityroots.org.
City Roots also plays host to different organizations’ events, as well as in-house happenings, like Food Truck Rodeo Sept. 23 and the monthly — October through April — all-local Harvest dinners with 116 Espresso and Wine Bar.
Columbia’s urban organic farm also sells their fresh products at the All-Local and Healthy Carolina farmers’ markets. To find out more about City Root’s mission and upcoming events, or to look into an internship for the upcoming season, visit their website at cityroots.org.
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