This Roots Watering Hole Podcast is done in support of the Chicago Partnership for Health Promotion at UIC, the Center for Urban Transformation, and you the listener interested in improving the health and well-being of our families and communities.
This episode represents the first foray into a new format where we provide much more information than through our garden education version. Instead, now the podcast is the monthly Food Literacy Podcast. What is food literacy? Check out the definition here and also understand that our working definition includes food production through farming and of course, gardening. Also, see the (Food Literacy Center). So in addition to garden education, the podcast will cover food literacy topics such as nutrition, cooking, recipes, etc.
Grow bag gardening is great and we love home gardens but we need to grow more local food. Check out this example of large-scale operations that we think make it possible to bring urban farms online for less money and with design considerations tuned for our region.
Grow bags come in sizes ranging from one gallon to 200 gallons and they are reasonably priced. But how about making your own grow bags?
Our coalition of organizations Chicago Grows Food has a new executive director, Elizabeth Berkeley and we are excited about the program ideas being discussed. Check out the updated Chicago Grows Food website and learn about our programs including our successful home garden installation pilot program.
Here is a website full of information for your food literacy journey, Center for Food as Medicine. Sign up for their weekly email outlining numerous food as medicine topics including information about the latest research.
On the farming side of the food literacy equation, we are excited about regenerative farming, see Regeneration International and the definition of regenerative agriculture from the Regenerative Farmers of America website.
Hear Dr. Zach Bush on the importance of regenerative agriculture on one of my favorite websites, Urban Gardens Revolution.
Watch out for our December episode that will be released in conjunction with the Chicago Grows Food newsletter on the second Tuesday of every month. More excitement to come!
Keywords: food literacy, food as medicine, regenerative agriculture, regenerative farming, regenerative farming techniques,
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of Illinois at Chicago, the Office of Community Engagement and Health Partnerships, or the Chicago Partnership for Health Promotion. The material and information presented here are for general information purposes only. While the podcast is designed to promote the development of healthy communities through food, we offer no health advice and encourage our listeners to seek guidance from their healthcare professionals.