4RootsFarm

Bringing new hope and solutions to Orange County Community and Beyond

06.18.2024

Visit @ https://4rootsfarm.org/

(Please note referenced numbers are not clickable, but are listed at the end of this article manually)

The team at 4Roots Farm along with their partners are changing the scene in Orange County, Florida and beyond. With several already-established programs like O-Town Compost ¹ and Meet the Need ², they have a proven model of success for meeting multiple sustainable agricultural practices at once. They are enthusiastic to help local farmers and artisans, help alleviate poverty, increase national security through local food security, increase health and nutrition, and bring much needed agricultural education to surrounding neighborhoods.

Through expanding development they will continue to pursue their vision of creatively designed health and wellness spaces. Places that give the community a chance to regain a better balance of lifestyle sustainability. Even during expansion, they are finding opportunities to reach beyond their own community into other states who are showing interest.

Founder and CEO, John Rivers shared his vision during a breakfast meeting for attendees who were interested in learning more about past and future projections. John believes it’s his divinely inspired mission to help in “restoring the delicate balance between community and nature: a relationship forged in harmony to sustain life for all of God’s creation.”¹

He started the meeting with a prayer and this scripture:

“He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.” – 2 Corinthians 9:10-11, ESV Bible

The rest of the article is some of my takeaways and quotes from what John shared in the meeting:

Broken food systems affect many areas of life. Many people have lost touch with living in harmony with God’s creation and there’s a huge disconnect in younger generations comprehension of how important food systems are to livelihoods and quality of life. Our modern lifestyles have created environments inhospitable to life. As the planet’s health declines, so does the health of humanity and wildlife. More people are suffering from chronic illness than ever before, and there’s a direct connection between diet and health, but a gap in education and access to practical resources.

4Roots farm is addressing these social challenges by not merely focusing on one aspect of health, food or farm, but by creating a space that carries individuals through the whole process. From knowing where food comes from, to how it’s grown, and even how to use it for food and medicine. In cooperation with Valencia College³ and Advent Health, it will host educational instruction to the community -from children to elderly, with hands-on gardening demonstrations and formal schooling. At the farm, people will learn about regenerative practices that restore soil health as well as alternative forms of gardening such as hydroponics and aquaponics.

Our bodies need essential bacteria (and minerals)⁴ that come from healthy soil, but growing concern among agricultural groups revolves around common farming practices that harm the land and turn healthy soil into dirt that is depleted of these essential bacteria. Farming practices that overwork the land are geared more toward production and profit, and less toward sustainable harmony with the surrounding environments. Through regenerative agricultural practices, dirt can be amended to improve soil quality and restore a living soil. 4Roots Farm currently has 9 different growing systems that will be used in educational demonstrations, expanding awareness to greater audiences that will lead the next generations into better food security systems.

One way that broken food systems impact lives is by never even reaching the table. Poverty in America is exasperating a rapidly increasing number of households. Twenty percent of students eat one meal a day and that’s the meal they get at school.⁵ After John and his wife returned from an African mission, they realized there was just as great a need in their own backyard. Upon visiting a nearby school cafeteria, it became evident that they had found their new mission field. They learned of children (1 in 6, statistically⁶) who were in food insecurity whose only meal for the day came from school served lunch, which didn’t seem to provide adequate nourishment.

Further research on National hunger statistics:⁷

1 in 8 households (12.8%) experienced food insecurity (2022)⁸

From 2021 to 2022 food insecurity rose from 33.8million households to 44.2 million

The rise in American’s food insecurity [“the picture”] (Nov 2020)

Personal Insight: As someone who first went to a food bank about 10 yrs ago, I’ve seen the drastic changes happen of more and more food banks appearing as more people are in need. I’ve heard from people in the school system reporting on the children who don’t get to eat at home. I’ve also considered ways to improve food security and is one of the many reasons I started this journal! It’s been such a blessing to find places like 4Roots Farm who understand the great need our own country has in regaining a confident local food system and creating a sustainable future for us and future generations. – Forever Blessed

“You can’t food bank your way out of hunger,” a friend told John Rivers. He began to think of other solutions to child hunger besides just pouring money into giving out more and more food. He listened to students who didn’t know tomatoes came from the ground…who thought green beans just came in a can…whose parents were throwing out fresh produce because it came from the dirt or because they didn’t know how to cook or eat it. His eyes were opened to the multi-generational crisis of unfamiliarity with food relationships -how they’re grown, harvested and prepared for consumption.

One way 4Roots Farm is helping alleviate poverty and tackling the challenges of food relations is through partnerships with local farmers that save produce that would otherwise be wasted. To date, 4Roots has salvaged over one million pounds of rescued produce and redistributed it through their programs, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. They’ve served 2 million meals to hungry souls thanks to local farmers, staff and volunteers.

Repairing broken food systems can’t be done without farmers. 4Roots is dedicated to partnerships with local farmers and artisans. “Farmers are great at growing, not so good at selling,” John says.

From personal experience with artisanal crafts and goods, as well as speaking with other vendors, it’s generally the same story. There are so many times I’ve thought, “I just want someone else to sell, so I can focus on the craft.” I think that recognizing these important needs and opportunities for partnerships in the community between growers and sellers, makers and buyers is a great step in sustainable business models and truly understanding how to help others be successful. – Forever Blessed

Lastly, in hopes of restoring more healing vitality to food for medicine, the team has a dedicated scientist studying to develop high-nutrition-dense produce. An on-site prevention clinic through the Culinary Health Institute⁹ will enable patients to visit a doctor, then get a prescription, pick their produce, and cook it with a chef all on the same grounds! Changing the world is great, but changing the lives of those closest to you may be the best place to be!

“We don’t have to change the world, we can change our community.” – John Rivers, 4Roots Farm, USA

To learn more about 4Roots Farm and all the programs they have going on, please visit their website 4RootsFarm.org or plan a visit in person!

Credits: Shoutout to the person who referred me to 4RootsFarm and to all those involved in supporting this article and making our sunny state a little less hungry; thank you for hosting us and allowing us to tour the grounds. We enjoyed our visit. (Next article coming soon!) – FB

Thank you, dear readers for making it to the end! Please give a like, comment, and share with someone you know! Let me know what you think about 4RootsFarm and their efforts! – FB

Proudly reporting on good news in Florida, from Florida (hot…oh so hot…Florida…),
iam:ForeverBlessed …and I hope you are too! 🙂