4Roots, a nonprofit organization dedicated to growing healthy communities through food, is expanding to address the gaps in today’s food system. On Tuesday, March 10, the organization shared some of its plans to help meet these goals by giving a tour of the property and explaining how the farm’s land will be used. That is also when leaders from the community and the organization’s leadership planted a new tree.
On March 10, 4Roots explained how they plan to meet some of their goals and planted new trees with community leadership. (MINAAL ARAIN)
“It represents resilience, and it represents growth, and it also represents giving to the next generation,” said John Rivers, founder and CEO of the organization. “That is one of my favorite things about trees, is you plant it today, and you work on it today, and it provides shelter, and it provides shade for people and generations that you may never see.”
In the past few months, 4Roots partnered with the VoLo Foundation and the Arbor Day Foundation to plant 125 trees in Orlando. During the March 10 ceremony, the organization planted the last 10 trees.
Leadership from both the organization and the community came together to plant one of the last 10 trees, helping the organization reach its goal of planting 125 total in the past few months. (MINAAL ARAIN)
According to their website, 4Roots was established in 2015 with the belief that food can transform communities. With a focus on regenerative farming, the organization states that they are “redefining how Central Florida grows, sources, and shares food.”
However, Rivers also emphasized the importance of respecting the very earth that grows the community’s food.
“Everything here is purposeful, and it’s purposeful to tell the story about living in harmony with the land and with Mother Nature,” Rivers said.