4Roots Farm Campus Celebrates Grand Opening

First Phase Focuses on Education and Collaboration with Community Partners

ORLANDO, Fla. – [November 20, 2024] –Today, 4Roots Founder John Rivers was joined by community leaders and stakeholders to celebrate the grand opening of the long awaited 4Roots Farm Campus. The 18-acre urban farm is located on the southern border of The Grove, the new city park in The Packing District. Uniquely positioned to inspire diverse audiences to grow, source, and prepare food in new and healthy ways that benefit the community, leaders celebrated the opening of the first phase of the Farm Campus which includes an Education Center with classrooms, growing areas, and a teaching greenhouse that will host programs to cultivate the next generation of food citizens.

“The 4Roots Farm Campus was created with a simple yet profound belief: food has the power to transform communities. It’s not just about cultivating crops—it’s about cultivating opportunity. Opportunity for education, sustainability, healthier lives, and a future where everyone has access to the resources and knowledge to thrive,” said Rivers. With the completion of Phase 1, including the greenhouse and education center, we’re thrilled to see these spaces come to life as hubs of learning, innovation, and connection. The farm stands as a testament to what we can achieve when we work together to nourish both the land and one another.”

“The City of Orlando is proud to host this one-of-a-kind farm campus on city property, which not only educates and inspires residents of all ages, but also supports our Green Works Orlando initiative by engaging the community in urban agriculture to make healthy foods accessible to all who call our city home,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer.

The Farm Campus site is part of the original 104 acres gifted to the City of Orlando by Dr. Phillips Charities in 2018 to develop a regional park that would serve as a hub for wellness programs and provide a site for amenities, including the city’s tennis center, bike trails, running trails and more. The city leases the land to 4Roots for The Farm Campus, which will also bring complementary improvements that protect the wetlands and steward the land in natural and useful ways that benefit the surrounding community. Dr. Phillips also contributed $5 million to support construction of the first phase of the Farm Campus.

“When Dr. Phillips donated land for the park to the city, the original intent for the southern portion was to include a site for educational farming, agriculture and more,” explained Ken Robinson, President/CEO, Dr. Phillips Charities. “We have identified “gaps” existing in the health of the community and strived to support innovative programs to fill those needs. We could not imagine a better organization than 4Roots to partner with to address these needs. The Farm Campus takes a commitment to improving the health and wellness of our community and puts it into action.”

The 4Roots Greenhouse, run by a combination of full-time staff, interns, students, and volunteers, is an 18,000 square foot state-of-the-art space. It is a living microbiome, harvesting tens of thousands of pounds of natural, pesticide free produce per week to distribute to the community via the 4Roots Meet the Need program, Mobile Market, and Fresh by 4Roots distribution channels. The Greenhouse runs on a combination of systems created by 4Roots’ Head Farmer, Josh Taylor, and imported by GrowPonics, an automated agriculture company based out of Israel. All technology used in the 4Roots Greenhouse mimics natural ecosystems, making it 100% regenerative. The systems include:

• Bay 1: Rotating Field System (RFS)
• Bay 2: Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)
• Bay 3: Vining Nutrient Film Technique (VNFT)
• Bay 4: Nursery & Stacker Towers (21,000 seedlings can be planted at any one time)
• Bay 5: Vining Deep Water Culture (DWC) & Lettuce Push Throughs
• Bay 6: Cococoir or organic material growing medium
• Bay 7: Aeroponic Towers & Cococoir or organic material growing medium, & Raised Beds (ADA Compliant)

The 4Roots Education Center is the first building constructed in the state of Florida that meets the “Living Building Challenge” criteria, constructed to put more energy back into natural resources than it takes out. The building is energy and water net positive and will generate a minimum of 5% energy to be filtered through the Farm Campus or distributed through the OUC microgrid.  It is constructed of mass timber, all sourced from within 500km (about 310mi) of Orlando and supported by laminated glue oak technology without any fasteners, screws, or nails.

The lead sponsor for the Education Center is Pepsi and sponsors for the indoor classrooms include Orlando City and Orlando Pride and The Parable Foundation, while Harvey & Carol Massey Foundation sponsored the outdoor classroom. Each week, students from Valencia College are studying Plant Science and Agricultural Technology in the Education Center by collecting data on parameters relating to soil health, followed by growing various crops throughout the semester. 

“The partnership between Valencia and 4Roots is providing cutting-edge opportunities for students to learn through working in a hands-on professional environment at one of the most high-tech and modern sustainable community farming facilities in the country,” said Dr. Lisa Macon, Launch Director, School of Engineering, Technology & Advanced Manufacturing, Valencia College.

“This state-of-the-art facility, including the greenhouse, classroom and permaculture area will enhance Valencia students’ experience by providing an array of diverse agricultural models on a larger scale than previously available,” said Dr. Javier A. Garcés, Professor & Program Chair, Plant Science & Agricultural Technology Program at Valencia College.

KI, a global leader in contract furniture, partnered with 4Roots to create the ‘KI Learning Lab’ at the 4Roots Education Center. The 7,700 square foot center includes four classrooms that feature KI furniture solutions designed to support active learning and collaboration. The furniture provides students with a comfortable setting that will help them focus and stay engaged and supports the building’s carbon positive design.

“We are excited to partner with 4Roots to support their mission of promoting healthy food and sustainable farming practices,” said Tony Besasie, KI Chief Sales and Marketing Officer. “We believe that it is important for students to learn about the importance of food and where it comes from, and we are committed to supporting 4Roots in their efforts to make this happen.”

In addition to providing the furniture in the classrooms, KI will also use the space to research and test new furniture concepts designed for classrooms and learning environments.

“We believe that the future of learning is all about collaboration and active engagement,” said Besasie. “This partnership will provide us with a unique opportunity to test new furniture designs that support these learning styles.”

About 4Roots

The 4Roots Farm Campus, located in The Packing District, is in the heart of Orlando’s emerging neighborhood. It invites the community to gather and collaborate on the creation of a robust local food system. With a diverse range of growing systems, it offers a unique hands-on learning experience that highlights innovative and sustainable practices and technologies from around the world. Learn more at 4Roots Farm Campus or follow us at @4rootsfarmcampus on Instagram and Facebook.

About KI

Since manufacturing our first product in 1941, a metal folding chair, KI has helped customers worldwide create inspiring spaces. Its innovative contract furniture and architectural wall solutions can be found in education, corporate, healthcare, and government markets. Through Infinity from KI, a unique design and manufacturing process, the company can also customize products and service solutions to the specific needs of each customer. Headquartered in Green Bay, Wis. and 100% employee owned, KI is in a unique position to positively impact the people and organizations who share the community we call home. At KI, we’re Changing Lives One Chair at a Time. For more information, visit ki.com.