What is the Sol Food Mobile Farm?

Sol Food | December 9, 2011 | 1 Comment

Welcome to Sol Food Mobile Farm, a growing experience on wheels! As a program partner with Zomppa, we are excited to work with such a creative and progressive team. The mission of Sol Food Mobile Farm starts with advocating for local foods and renewable energy sources. To address such large topics we offer both expos and workshops from our retro-fitted school bus classroom. Our program directives can be divided into five major categories- gardening, composting, alternative energies, nutrition and environmental interaction.

Our International Blue Bird bus runs on waste vegetable oil (WVO) and will be complete with a variety of sustainable systems; including but not limited to- solar panels, a living green roof, vermacompost, waste water collection tanks, an extensive greenhouse and a livable interior that has been constructed with recycled materials. Not only will the bus offer a non-conventional classroom but it will also be equipped with an array of recreational gear. To promote outdoor activity the bus will be outfitted with canoes, bikes, camping equipment, skateboards, and kayaks. All of this gear will be available for use and instruction by our bus staff. The route for this tour will begin in our hometown of Durham, North Carolina. We plan to depart June 2012 and travel in a counter-clockwise route around the United States for six months.

Our philosophy behind a mobile classroom is simple: we aim to serve communities in their own backyards! By recognizing that every community has a unique set of resources and skills, we hope to work with groups to further foster environmental stewardship in their local area. Along our route we will be offering our free workshops and expositions (“expos”). Our overall curriculum is geared towards youth and young adults who express an interest in growing their own food, reusing “waste” materials and exploring renewable fuels. Workshops will be two to four days in length and include hands-on experience with building garden beds and compost stations. Workshops will be hosted in ten cities around the country at- schools, camps and community centers. Expos will include demonstrations on various sustainable practices. These programs will be hosted at farmers’ markets, festivals and community gatherings where ever the bus makes a major stop. During our Expos, visitors will have the opportunity to tour our bus classroom, work in the green house and learn about the different systems within our vehicle.

We are looking forward to this upcoming year, to grow and learn with communities around the country! We are forever grateful to the family, friends, teachers and mentors that have helped nurture this project from the ground up; for without this network we would be without a strong community. Encouraged by farmsteads here at home and motivated by the potential we see in other backyards, we are thrilled to begin work on our national tour this coming year!

Thank you for your support.