In the Summer of 2009, Bay Localize was honored to partner with People Organized to Win Employment Rights (POWER) and Movement Generation on a rooftop veggie garden build-out and workshop in San Francisco!

Located atop POWER's offices in the Mission District, the rooftop garden is designed to showcase the potential of urban agriculture, while equipping POWER's members with the skills they'll need to grow their own food. The organization works to build power from the bottom-up, particularly in low-income communities of color, as a way to ensure that public policy and public institutions serve the interests of everyone. The rooftop garden will serve not only as a source of fresh, locally grown food, but also as a learning space for youth and adults.

On August 17th, Bay Localize's former rooftop project leader Ingrid Severson teamed up with Get Dirty Gardening's Christopher Maeda-Pease to instruct participants on how to assess the feasibility of their buildings for rooftop gardens, ensure balanced soil nutrition, and employ proper techniques in planting, irrigating, and maintaining a healthy garden. A diverse crowd of youth and adults took part, and succeeded in building out three raised beds graced with a mix of vegetables, herbs, and flowers.

Special kudos to Christopher and Ingrid for their herculian efforts in making this project a reality, and to the staff of POWER and Movement Generation for their generous contributions (physical, monetary, and more). Thanks also to Veritable Vegetable for providing fresh strawberries and carrots for everyone to enjoy, and to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation and the Wallace Global Fund for their generous support!

For more information about POWER, please visit their website at www.peopleorganized.org.