Taking a break after a garden session

Roots & Wings is a network of community-based organizations committed to community and youth development through urban agriculture in Rockford, IL.  

In Northwest Rockford, Roots & Wings youth gardens are growing organic vegetables and motivating, educating, and inspiring youth and adults to be leaders and role models in thier communities. Since our first garden broke ground in 2002, we have sprouted five gardens with neighborhood community organizations.

Youth work together to plan, plant, tend, harvest, cook, and sell from their gardens. Vegetable from the gardens help create cooking projects from ranch dressing to chocolate beet cake. Youth learn how their food choices can help care for the earth and themselves. In the garden, we practice teamwork and learn to solve problems peacefully. Through art projects and community celebrations, we welcome others to the garden and share what we are learning.

Several times a year, the youth visit Angelic Organics Learning Center. We work hard and learn about healthy food, but also play and grow together. We help in the fields, milk goats, collect eggs from the chicken, and learn about organic farming through hands-on experience.

Roots & Wings encourages at-risk youth to become leaders, with teens helping teach younger kids about gardening and food. Youth leaders market their produce through the summer, earning money, job skills, and public speaking experience.

Youth work together on community-wide projects, like the new Rockford 100 Pools of Hope Project, and give tours and presentations to the broader community. Experienced youth leaders have attended national and regional youth leadership and urban agriculture events.

We have partnered with communities groups to help create gardens at Blackhawk Courts, Concord Commons, Camaraderie Arts/Fairgrounds Valley, Friends’ House, Northwest Community Center, Salvation Army Kilburn Community Center.

The existing Roots & Wings network includes Angelic Organics Learning Center and five partner organizations/groups with urban gardens and youth leadership programming.  Each partner group  has created a vision for their urban food project, and works collaboratively in implementing their plans.  AOLC provides technical assistance to these groups, as well as assistance with planning and evaluation.  Current Roots & Wings Partners include:

• Blackhawk Buddy House
• Concord "College"
  
• Commprehensive Community Solutions
• Roots & Wings Youth Leaders
  
• Salvation Army Kilburn Community Center

To invite the Roots & Wings youth leaders to speak to your organization or find out how your group can start a Roots & Wings garden, contact Danica Hoehn, Program Director, at 815.389.8455 or danica@learngrowconnect.org.

Learn how you can volunteer your time or make a gift to support Roots & Wings.

A United Way Community Solutions Provider