Rooted in Community National Network also referred to as R.I.C or Rooted in Community, a project of Earth Island Institute, is a non-profit organization that was founded in Boston. It is a national network that brings young people together to create food security, community gardens and fight for food justice in low income communities. Diverse group of adults and youths helps "empowers young people to take leadership in their own communities." Annual conference and regional gathering for youths to have the opportunity to travel different communities.
Two High School students from The Food Project attended 1998 American Community Gardening Association (ACGA) conference. They feel there was a lack of youths involved in the food system and fighting for food justice. First conference was held in Boston with over 70 youths attending.
Inviting youths from across the country to experience different ways to improve their communities. Attending to different workshops with team building and leadership activities, also discuss issues with the food industry in America. Also fighting for Food Justice for communities to have the right to grow, sell, and eat inexpensive healthy food. Changing the food system by helping passing the Youth Food Bill of Rights in Washington. Youths learn about food preparation creating healthy eating habits and appreciation for agriculture. RIC created the TOOL SHED, an online information resource website to help other farmers and youths. The TOOL SHED has lessons on giving a workshop, lecture, and activities.
List of organizations, programs and supporters who attended to conferences in the past:
Afri-Can Food Basket
Agatson University Nutrition Initiative
Alameda Point Collaborative
Appetite for Change
Berkeley Youth Alternatives
CANFit
Center for Food and Justice
Chicago Park District
Community Harvest/DC CEED
Community to Community
Council on the Environment of NYC
Cultiva!
Cultivating Community
Damayan: The Garden Project
Delta Community Nutrition Consortium
Detroit Agriculture Network/Hunger Action Coalition
Dunbar Garden
Eco Village Farm Learning Center
EcoVida
F.R.E.S.H. New London
Farm Fresh Choice
Food for Lane County
The Food Project
Food, What?!
FoodShare
Friends of Troy Gardens
From the Ground Up
The Front Porch
Garden Project
Garden Raised Bounty
Garden Resources of Washington
Gilley Nursery Farm
God’s Gang Worm Group
Golden Run Farms, Inc.
Grand Aspirations, Summer of Solutions
Green Corps
Green Guerillas
Growing Power
Growing Power
GRuB
Guadelupe Gardens
Hattie Carthan Urban Agriculture Corps
Heifer Project International
Holcomb Farm
HPI Southeast (AL)
HPI, Midwest
HPI, New York
HPI, PNW
LA Conservation Corps
Land Stewardship Project
Lots to Gardens
Massachusetts Audubon Society
Massachusetts Avenue Project & Growing Green
Mississippi Association of Cooperatives
Mo Better Food
Muslim Youth Leaders Forum
National Farm to School Program
New Mexico Acequia Association
NJ Urban Ecology Program, Dept of Nutritional Science
Norris Square Neighborhood Project
Nuestras Raices
Oakland Butterfly & Urban Gardens
Oakland Leaf Foundation
Open Road
Pembroke Farming Family
People’s Grocery
Perry Co. Small Farmers Youth Group
Philadelphia Horticultural Society
Pie Ranch
Add Planting Justice
Project E. A.T. – Fresh Crew
Youth Wellness Advocates Philadelphia Urban Food & Fitness Alliance
Reichert House After School Program
RootDown LA
Roots & Wings – Angelic Organics Learning Center
San Francisco Conservation Corps
Seattle Tilth
Seattle Youth Garden Works
SEEDS
SOL (Seeds of Leadership) Garden Project
Some Day Farm
South Plains Food Bank/Farm & Garden Division
Southside Community Land Trust
Spanish Speaking Unity Council
Student Alliance Garden Entrepreneurs (SAGE)
Summer of Solutions Hartford
Sustainable Communities Network
Sustainable Food Center
SWARM – Students Working for an Agricultural Revolutionary Movement
Synergia Learning Ventures
Teens4Good
Thomasville Community Resource Center (TCRC)
TRUCE/Youth Community Garden
Tucson Community Food Bank Youth Farm Project
Urban Roots
Urban Youth Food Systems
Utah G.A.R.D.E.N.S. Inc.
Veggielution – Dig Crew
Wai’anae Community Re-Development Corp.
Washington Youth Garden at the US National Arboretum
West Holmes Community Development
White Earth Land Recovery Project
WhyHunger
Winston County Self Help Co-op Youth Group and Future Generation 4H
Youth Garden
