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New Roots Urban Farm seeks help rebuilding after fire inside former church turned skate park

The farm's crops, soil, and greenhouse were damaged when Sk8 Liborious caught fire on June 28. Now, St. Louis urban farm is in need of help.
Credit: GoFundMe
Emergency Fund: New Roots Urban Farm.

ST. LOUIS — A St. Louis urban farm is in need of help rebuilding after a fire destroyed much of its farm on June 28.

New Roots Urban Farm provides north St. Louis communities facing food insecurity with a reliable and safe food source. The urban farm also gives farming resources and education to low-income Black and Brown community members who seek to grow their own food, according to a GoFundMe created to help raise money for New Roots Urban Farm.

When New Roots' next-door neighbor, Sk8 Liborious, caught fire and was utterly destroyed at the end of June, the urban farm also suffered.

"Our crop and soil are contaminated and damaged from extreme levels of soot from the fire and toxins from the burnt old buildings next door. We are unable to grow safe produce to share with our low-income Black and Brown neighbors at this time. Our greenhouse has also been damaged by the rapid response efforts of the fire fighting crew and we have lost several chicks and young birds as a result," according to the GoFundMe fundraising description.

Funds raised from GoFundMe will go towards soil testing, rebuilding the farm's greenhouse, creating a second growing space to help support the community's needs, as well as relocating the farm's chickens, ducks, rabbits, and geese.

"We are committed to our mission now more than ever as our community is feeling the effects of economic disinvestment, food apartheid, and environmental racism," according to the description. 

Click here to donate to support New Roots Urban Farm and its rebuilding process.

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