Upinde ROOTS, a project of Urban VOICE, is a $20 interactive workshop on using self-watering containers called EarthBoxes.  I took the Urban FIRE entrepreneurship training class, which is another project of Urban VOICE.  That's how I first heard about this 3 hour workshop.

 Upinde is the Sahili word for rainbow, and ROOTS stands for Retain Our Organic Traditions.  They have two goals: to teach people how to grow vegetables and to build an urban micro-farm movement.

The Upinde ROOTS workshop was held in a beautiful and inspiring Oakland backyard.

 When I arrived, Heidi Asztalos was demonstrating how to put an EarthBox together while people  were asking questions.  There were many who were new to gardening, like me, as well as those who were new to this way of gardening.  We all learned together.

An EarthBox is a rectangular planter made of recyclable plastic, (30 inches long, 14 inches deep, 11 inches high) that's perfect for people who live in apartments and don't have a lot of space.  There's a reservoir beneath the soil, so the roots are watered as needed.  The box is covered with a plastic sheet, which prevents weeds from growing and decreases water evaporation.  

The EarthBox uses only 20-40% of the water necessary for a traditional garden, but it can produce a much larger crop.  Water is added to the reservoir through a tube on the side of the planter.  We also talked about California's food economy, planting seasons, organic fertilizer, harvesting vegetables, common pests and local nurseries. 

I bought an EarthBox because I couldn't pass up the discount: $30 (regular price: $45) for a stationary box and $45 (regular price: $70) for wheels and an extra cover.  But there's a way you can get one free.  If you host a workshop with at least 12 people, Upinde ROOTS will give you an EarthBox.  They'll even plant it for you!  For more information, e-mail info@urbanvoice.org or call 510-655-1304.

As for my EarthBox, I think I'm going to plant tomatoes.