co-founded by tobias peggs and kimbal musk, square roots trains its “food entrepreneurs” to grow local produce in its indoor, climate controlled, hydroponic vertical farms.

the company’s website describes the project as, “an urban farming accelerator—powered by human ingenuity, technology, and a deep love for local, real food.”

each “modular farm” takes two acres worth of farmland and fits it into a storage container. the project’s vertical farming method is highly efficient in terms of space, which allows this acreage to be compartmentalized into such a small area.

square roots aims to close the disconnect between consumer and grower as well as increase access to local, healthy food sources.

these vertical farms can be placed just about anywhere and can be accessed year-round as well.

square roots offers a network of mentors as well as experts that work with its food entrepreneurs. anyone can apply to be a square roots food entrepreneur as the company plans to expand to other cities and prepares for future growing seasons.

according to an article written by founder kimbal musk, the company is focusing on recruiting millennials to join its team. this provides a highly unique opportunity to recent college graduates. square roots encourages those with experience in everything from agriculture to nonprofit work to apply. 

the company’s inaugural group of food entrepreneurs for its first season consists of ten people with varying backgrounds and goals for the project. this group is part of square root’s first campus in brooklyn.

apply here to be considered as a square roots food entrepreneur in the future.

in the district of columbia, over 35% of children are considered obese or overweight and 13% of families experience food insecurity. a number of nonprofit community gardens in the area that offer young people access to green spaces could be the answer to this growing problem. these organizations, such as kid power, offer youth opportunities where they can learn how to lead healthy lives. urban gardening also provides this community access to fresh produce. educating young gardeners in the district could be a major step towards lowering local rates of childhood obesity and food insecurity.

kid power is one of several nonprofit organizations in the district that offers local youth the opportunity to try their hand at gardening. kid power offers free afterschool programs to its participants. one of its greatest successes is the veggietime program — which provided students with its unique pickle opportunity this summer. students learn about nutrition, portion control, and, of course, gardening. programs like kid power’s give young people and their families access to fresh produce.

veggietime coordinator katie lu clougherty had the following to say about urban farming for youth, “there are a lot of opportunities right now in the city for new gardens and for even more kids to learn the skill. i think showing youth that gardening is easy to do will make them be more willing to do it on their own.”

the washington youth garden and city blossoms are also among local organizations that use green spaces to teach local children lessons in environmental stewardship and healthy eating while effecting change concerning childhood obesity and food scarcity. programs like these are grooming the next generation of urban farmers. as a result, d.c. could see major improvements in its food delivery system, childhood obesity rates, as well as access to fresh produce.

buying local produce has seen major gains in popularity in recent years. according to a usda report to congress on trends in american food systems, the number of farmers markets in the united states increased 180% between 2006 and 2014. local harvest lists 80 farmers markets in the district alone. these markets can provide tangible opportunities to budding urban farmers, like those who participate in programs similar to kidpower’s veggietime.

as more local kids join their peers in urban gardening, the district of columbia could quite possibly see major improvements in areas experiencing food scarcity and high childhood obesity rates. access to green space provided by nonprofits gives youth invaluable opportunities that do not end at just gardening. these spaces allow kids to gain strong understandings concerning everything from portion control to the need for a change in washington’s food scarce areas.

over the years new breeds of the popular fowl have been created to suit consumer tastes, which has resulted in the average turkey americans eat today.

this thanksgiving, you most likely will be feasting on broad breasted white turkey, like the one president obama was pictured with below in 2015 at the white house’s annual turkey pardon. this is the most commonly used breed of domestic turkey today.

the breed’s white feathers can be owed to selective breeding. according to julie long, a researcher at the u.s. department of agriculture, dark spots can sometimes be found on turkey meat due to pigmentation of colored feathers. most consumers would likely consider turkey meat covered in dark spots to appear unsightly. so, it has become common practice to breed turkeys in order to achieve colorless plumage, which results in meat void of these spots.

the broad breasted white dominates today’s turkey market. however, this genetic selection comes at a cost. traditional turkey breeds are slowly disappearing as the broad breasted white continues to be the most popular choice for thanksgiving dinner.

frank reece raises turkeys on his farm in lindsborg, kansas. he is a member of a declining population of farmers that raise heritage turkeys. these are the breeds that date back to the 1800’s. according to reece, the standard bronze is what was eaten at the first thanksgiving and was the bird that fed america from 1850 until 1950, when genetically engineered breeds began to grow in popularity.

this year, the standard bronze will make up less than 1% of the turkeys served on thanksgiving.

it makes sense for the broad breasted white to be america’s no. 1 choice. this breed grows much faster than a heritage turkey, offers more meat, and comes at a lower price than heritage breeds.

however, this efficiency comes at a price. the broad breasted white has been bred to be quite large and, as a result, it is unable to fly on its own. this weight is also responsible for a number of health issues. many of these turkeys suffer from heart disease, respiratory failure, and have shorter life expectancies than other breeds.

according to us news, the turkeys pardoned by president obama in 2010 died the same year due to health issues that came as a result of selective breeding.

this thanksgiving, consider a variety of options when choosing a turkey. the higher price tag of a heritage breed not only helps a struggling industry, but is by far the most authentic route to take.

eating out-of season fruits and veggies takes a toll on your health, your wallet, and the environment.

(photo: rhett maxwell/wikimedia commons)

but how bad can eating out-of-season produce really be?

the cost of growing and harvesting out-of-season produce is much higher than regular season growth. that watermelon you are about to buy in the middle of november was probably grown in a heated greenhouse thousands of miles away. the increased cost of harvesting and bringing that produce to the united states means that your grocer has to raise prices in order to curb production costs.

according to the natural resources defense council, “the smog-forming emissions from importing fruits and vegetables are equivalent to the annual emissions from 1.5 million cars.” purchasing imported, out-of-season produce only contributes to this environmental cost.

eating fresh means enjoying the nutritional value of that produce. but once a fruit is harvested, it begins to lose the benefits that fresh produce has to offer. after a fruit or vegetable has been picked, shipped, and put in a grocery store thousands of miles from its origin, its vitamins have deteriorated quite a bit.

are there alternatives to out-of season fruit?

instead, look for your fruits and vegetables in the freezer section the next time you’re at the grocery store. frozen produce is a great choice during the non-growing seasons.

frozen fruits and veggies were packaged while fresh. studies suggest frozen produce may have higher nutrient content than regular produce. this is because freezing prevents nutrients from leaching out of the produce.

not only do frozen fruits and veggies offer health benefits that regular, out-of-season produce does not, but it is also a financially conscious option. going frozen means avoiding the increased cost of out-of-season produce typically seen during fall and winter.

(photo: maryland pride/wikimedia commons)    

some companies that sell frozen produce even make a point to be environmentally conscious as well. some companies take their unused trimmings and use them as compost, while others throw them out.

less travel to get food to the grocery store means a lower environmental cost, so also make a point to research where your frozen munchies are coming from. companies like green giant grow most of their frozen goods in the united states, for example.

during fall and winter this year, opt out of out-of-season fruits. instead, spend some time in the frozen section to see what options are available to you.

make a pumpkin planter

a hollowed out pumpkin is a great gardening opportunity. just fill your jack-o’-lantern with soil, add your plant of choice, and place the pumpkin in a hole in the ground.

the pumpkin will serve as a great fertilizing alternative for your plant and you will be composting at the same time. for more detailed advice on making a pumpkin planter of your own, look here.

diy face mask

pumpkins are rich in vitamins, so why let them go to waste? pumpkin face masks are simple to make and are great for your skin’s health.

to make your face mask all you need is just two tablespoons of pumpkin puree, half a tablespoon of milk, and half a tablespoon of honey. this mask is best suited for whole, uncarved pumpkins.

there are two options when making your puree. you can make a restaurant-ready puree and use the leftovers to make yourself a treat by following these directions. if you don’t have that kind of time, just scrape out the insides of your pumpkin (sans seeds) and beat it into a pulp.

mix your three ingredients and then you are ready to enjoy all of the vitamins and antioxidants your mask has to offer.

make a snack

if gardening or diy cosmetics are not your thing, there are hundreds of pumpkin recipes available for every skill level. these recipes should be used with pumpkins that have been left whole.

consider making some pumpkin pancakes. all it takes is your average pancake recipe, just add some pumpkin puree — you can even use leftovers from your face mask. a recipe can be found here.

if you are looking for a more savory snack, roasted pumpkin seeds are a simple option as well. just add some salt, butter, and cinnamon to your pumpkin seeds and put them in the oven for about an hour. real simple’s recipe goes into more detail here.