Please spread the word that Upinde ROOTS and the EarthBox Company are sponsoring a free two-hour training workshop for teachers who want to bring simplified urban farming into their schools. This will be California's one and only EarthBox workshop to celebrate World Food Day, October 16.

The workshop will take place on Saturday morning, October 15 from 10am to noon at the Oakland Housing Authority building at 935 Union St. on the corner of 10th Street in West Oakland. The workshop, normally $25 per person, is open to all teachers - both public and private - who are either working towards or presently working with school gardens.

The workshop will provide curriculum and information for teachers on the EarthBox method of growing organic vegetables and fruits. The EarthBox is a "self-watering container" invented by Florida farmers in the mid '90s in response to soil contamination and drought conditions. The United Nations has been distributing tens of thousands of EarthBoxes to poor 3rd World countries short on water and usable soil.

A typical EarthBox is capable of producing as much as traditional organic farming while using only 20 to 40 percent of the water and less than 20 percent of any fertilizers. EarthBoxes can also be placed onto any hard surface, making it an ideal growing medium for school yards, decks, and even contaminated grounds where soil remediation can be cost prohibitive. 

Given the diminishing financial support for schools, the EarthBox presents an economical alternative to teaching students about the global food movement and the ability for ordinary citizens to take substantial control of their food production.

To sign up for this workshop - limited to 20 teachers - please have them respond to this email with their name and contact information. For more information, please check out: