Coach Ruth’s Blog

Two summers ago, San Diego City College partnered with the San Diego Roots Sustainable Project and San Diego and Garfield High Schools to create the Seeds at City Urban Farm. They composted an underutilized campus lawn and turned it into a productive, sustainable farm.

I shot, edited and produced this story on the Urban Farm in late-March.  Since then, I’ve started composting the lawn (grass and weeds) in my backyard with the idea of eating better and connecting more with the earth.  Last night, we ate beet greens (steamed and boiled), roasted beet root, and various lettuce greens, all from the Urban Farm.  (I attend City College so buying produce there from the the school’s farmers’ market every Tuesday is convenient.)  Honestly, I never thought beet greens and stalks could be so tasty, much less edible (they don’t look appetizing at the supermarket).  My family enjoyed the freshness and taste of the Urban Farm produce.

The whole organic farming concept has inspired me to learn more about becoming more self-sustaining.  Right now, I’m reading Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon’s book, Plenty:  Eating Locally on the 100-Mile Diet.”  The idea of understanding where our food comes from, how many miles it must travel from farm to plate, and what impact those choices make on the environment appeals to me.