Richmond High SchoolRichmond High School

Urban Agriculture and Food Systems ClassUrban Agriculture and Food Systems Class

Supported Through Urban TilthSupported Through Urban Tilth

Who Are We?Who Are We?

The Urban Ag class is an elective course of The Urban Ag class is an elective course of 20 students that meet twice a week 20 students that meet twice a week Monday’s and Thursdays from 3:15 to 5:15 as Monday’s and Thursdays from 3:15 to 5:15 as a pilot programa pilot program

We plant, grow, and harvest our own We plant, grow, and harvest our own vegetables in our community garden at RHS vegetables in our community garden at RHS and at Adams middle schooland at Adams middle school

We Distribute CSA boxes of produce to We Distribute CSA boxes of produce to families in our community.families in our community.

How did we How did we get started?get started?• The Youth Mentors and The Youth Mentors and Educators (YME) Club on Educators (YME) Club on Campus and many Campus and many students revitalized an students revitalized an abandoned garden space abandoned garden space on campus as part of on campus as part of their service learning.their service learning.

•The first year was a lot of The first year was a lot of infrastructure building, infrastructure building, some planting and some planting and amazement about what amazement about what grew out of the ground!grew out of the ground!

Before and AfterBefore and After

BeforeBefore AfterAfter

Creation of Creation of the Class!the Class!

•The brain-child of Mr. The brain-child of Mr. Kurtz-Nicholl and Park Kurtz-Nicholl and Park Guthrie of Urban Tilth.Guthrie of Urban Tilth.

•The class is based on a The class is based on a model of a class that model of a class that Urban Tilth developed Urban Tilth developed back in 2004back in 2004

•A Stewardship Council A Stewardship Council grant co-written by 2 grant co-written by 2 Richmond High Richmond High Students actually helps Students actually helps pay for the pilot of this pay for the pilot of this classclass

What Is Our Mission?What Is Our Mission?

To provide fresh To provide fresh vegetables to the vegetables to the families in our families in our community.community.

To provide knowledge to To provide knowledge to students and families students and families about the benefits of about the benefits of consuming produce.consuming produce.

To incorporate more To incorporate more community gardens community gardens around Richmond/ San around Richmond/ San Pablo schools dedicated Pablo schools dedicated to the distribution of to the distribution of produce.produce.

For students to discuss For students to discuss and learn about the and learn about the American food system American food system and it’s effects on our and it’s effects on our Richmond community.Richmond community.

What is the model for the Urban What is the model for the Urban Agriculture and Food Systems Agriculture and Food Systems

Class?Class?

Our class is composed Our class is composed of four groups of four groups individually chosen by individually chosen by the students.the students.

Group 1: Nursery and Group 1: Nursery and propagation.propagation.

Group 2: Group 2: Documentation group.Documentation group.

Group 3: Community Group 3: Community Food System GroupFood System Group

Group 4: CSA Group 4: CSA Marketing group.Marketing group.

Nursery and Nursery and propagationpropagation

Plants and makes Plants and makes sure all of our sure all of our vegetables are in vegetables are in good condition.good condition.

Helps put Helps put together the together the weekly CSAweekly CSA

Works in other Works in other local community local community gardens.gardens.

Helps make Helps make garden look garden look beautiful, starts beautiful, starts vegetables from vegetables from seeds.seeds.

Documentation Documentation groupgroup

•Posts bi-weekly Posts bi-weekly video blog to You video blog to You tube on the status tube on the status of the of the accomplishments accomplishments of the Urban of the Urban Agriculture class.Agriculture class.•Is in charge of Is in charge of planning and planning and compiling this compiling this presentation for presentation for the city council.the city council.

Marketing groupMarketing group

Creates bi-weekly Creates bi-weekly newsletter that newsletter that accompanies the accompanies the families CSA box.families CSA box.

Acts as a liaison Acts as a liaison between parents between parents and the Urban and the Urban Agriculture class, Agriculture class, greeting the parents greeting the parents and collecting the and collecting the subscription fee.subscription fee.

In charge of In charge of measuring the measuring the success of the CSA success of the CSA through family through family surveys.surveys.

Community food Community food systemsystem

Surveys Surveys Richmond High Richmond High students on their students on their opinions about opinions about food and their food and their eating habits.eating habits.

Students are Students are using the RFEI using the RFEI index to measure index to measure the status of the status of Richmond’s food Richmond’s food system.system.

CSA AccomplishmentsCSA Accomplishments

Week 1 – 70 PoundsWeek 1 – 70 PoundsWeek 2 – 82 PoundsWeek 2 – 82 PoundsWeek 3 – 102 PoundsWeek 3 – 102 PoundsWeek 4 – 122 PoundsWeek 4 – 122 PoundsWeek 5 - 104 PoundsWeek 5 - 104 PoundsWeek 6 - 127 PoundsWeek 6 - 127 Pounds

Total Yield - 607 Pounds Total Yield - 607 Pounds of Fresh Produce for of Fresh Produce for Richmond High FamiliesRichmond High Families

70 Families Participating70 Families Participating

Yield Per Yield Per AreaArea

•Between February and April, we Between February and April, we harvested approximately 220 harvested approximately 220 pounds of produce from 1,200 pounds of produce from 1,200 square feet of garden beds at Adams square feet of garden beds at Adams and 1,000 square feet of raised-beds and 1,000 square feet of raised-beds at RHS.at RHS.•0.1 pounds per square foot of 0.1 pounds per square foot of garden bed space for 3 months.garden bed space for 3 months.If we keep producing at this rate, If we keep producing at this rate, we’ll produce 0.4 pounds of produce we’ll produce 0.4 pounds of produce per square foot of garden bed space per square foot of garden bed space per year.per year.BUT...we should beat this next year BUT...we should beat this next year because...(1) zucchini season is because...(1) zucchini season is about to begin (get more production about to begin (get more production during the summer) and (2) we will during the summer) and (2) we will fine-tune our growing systems and fine-tune our growing systems and improve our soil each yearimprove our soil each year1/2 acre has about 10,000 square 1/2 acre has about 10,000 square feet of garden beds space and could feet of garden beds space and could yield up to 10,000 pounds of fresh yield up to 10,000 pounds of fresh produce per yearproduce per year. .

GleaningGleaning•More than 8 More than 8 volunteers have given volunteers have given us more than 200 us more than 200 pounds of gleaned pounds of gleaned fruit to include in the fruit to include in the CSA boxes.CSA boxes.•There are probably There are probably hundreds or hundreds or thousands of thousands of backyard fruit trees in backyard fruit trees in Richmond that go Richmond that go under-utilized.under-utilized.•The Richmond High The Richmond High CSA provides a way CSA provides a way to “capture” these to “capture” these resources, while resources, while improving food improving food securitysecurity

So what is the problem in So what is the problem in Richmond?Richmond?

Community food system group data.Community food system group data.

RFEI Data / Student RFEI Data / Student SurveysSurveys

RFEI DataRFEI Data Working within a one-Working within a one-

mile radius of mile radius of Richmond High, this Richmond High, this area had an RFEI score area had an RFEI score of about three.of about three.

Meaning: For every one Meaning: For every one healthy food vendor, healthy food vendor, there were 3 unhealthy there were 3 unhealthy food vendors.food vendors.

Student Survey DataStudent Survey Data

Richmond High Students eat Richmond High Students eat Fast Food an average of 7 Fast Food an average of 7 times a month. Which is 84 times a month. Which is 84 Times a yearTimes a year

RHS Students drink an average RHS Students drink an average of 1.5 sodas a dayof 1.5 sodas a day

On a scale of 1-10 (1 being On a scale of 1-10 (1 being disagree and 10 being agree) disagree and 10 being agree) Students gave a score of 6.9 Students gave a score of 6.9 when asked whether they know when asked whether they know friends or family with a diet-friends or family with a diet-related diseaserelated disease

Why is Urban Agriculture Why is Urban Agriculture part of the solution?part of the solution?

Urban Agriculture is providing foods to families Urban Agriculture is providing foods to families that doesn’t need to be brought in from far that doesn’t need to be brought in from far places.places.

Urban agriculture is providing families with fresh Urban agriculture is providing families with fresh produce to create a better healthy living.produce to create a better healthy living.

Urban agriculture can keep more income and jobs Urban agriculture can keep more income and jobs in our community which cycles around and builds in our community which cycles around and builds the wealth of our community.the wealth of our community.

Urban Agriculture can involve high school Urban Agriculture can involve high school students learning a deep connection to the land students learning a deep connection to the land and how local markets work.and how local markets work.

What can the City Council What can the City Council do to help this movement?do to help this movement?

Encourage to establish more community Encourage to establish more community gardens around Richmond/San Pablo schools gardens around Richmond/San Pablo schools through funding of Urban Agriculture classes through funding of Urban Agriculture classes and garden projects like HEAL, The Lincoln and garden projects like HEAL, The Lincoln School Garden, the RHS Community Garden School Garden, the RHS Community Garden and many others.and many others.

More specifically, we need the city council to More specifically, we need the city council to help fund this program! RHS is covering the help fund this program! RHS is covering the cost of an instructor for the Urban Ag and cost of an instructor for the Urban Ag and Food Systems Class, but as we seek to Food Systems Class, but as we seek to expand, we need funding for additional costs expand, we need funding for additional costs of expansion, and maintaining the program of expansion, and maintaining the program over the summer.over the summer.

Thank You!Thank You!

We hope to be invited back to relay our We hope to be invited back to relay our progress in the future.progress in the future.

Don’t forget, teens are an important part of Don’t forget, teens are an important part of building our community and we are looking building our community and we are looking towards our future, and it starts with healthy towards our future, and it starts with healthy food.food.