Patsy’s Story

Patsy Noble, Former Executive Director

What has made Urban Roots unique and successful for 55 years?

The ability to grow with the community’s needs. Youth have been at the core of the mission since the organization moved to St. Paul’s Eastside in 1991. The internship program was born from the need to engage youth in long-term learning and service, starting with four elementary-school interns who repeatedly took after-school classes. To keep them engaged, we created leadership positions in the classes that developed into garden internships. The gardens grew from one to eight as we explored how to use vacant land, and the internships grew with the expansion, adding restaurant sales, Farmers Market, a Salad Share CSA and a focus on job-skills development.

Cook Fresh was the outgrowth of after-school cooking classes and a deeper exploration of nutrition and food access.

The Conservation program sprang from a void created by a temporary shut-down of the City’s Conservation Corps. Bruce Vento Sanctuary was in motion, and Urban Roots interns jumped in to help clear and plant the new urban park.

The internship that started with the four elementary students grew each year, exceptional for its focus on bringing together youth from many different backgrounds to learn from each other. As the numbers grew, and many interns returned for multiple years, we developed a tiered program that offered advanced training in leadership skills and career exploration. The alumni program that followed worked to employ alumni in key roles in the organization.

What are the invaluable experiences youth interns have access to?

• Learning to be stewards of the land and informed members of their community
• Participating in a diverse workplace that encourages sharing cultural identities
• Making connections to their community and to workplace options
• Experiencing what a healthy lifestyle is
• Gaining work and life skills–only experienced in on-the-job-training

What I’ve learned

Moving from my start as a part-time instructor, to Program Manager and Director, Special Projects and finally Executive Director, I learned three key points:

1. A successful organization needs to put its staff first, optimizing existing skill sets and committing to staff development, fair compensation and benefits. Retaining staff adds depth to an organization.
2. Ask supporters, funders for what you need. If you believe that your approach is the best way forward, don’t be afraid to rock the boat. It took a lot of convincing to gain support for a tiered program, when program participant numbers were the dominant measurement of success.
3. Stay true to your mission, don’t be enticed by shiny opportunities that stray from your goals.

What’s the most valuable seed that you and Urban Roots have planted, grown, and harvested, in yourself or our community?

Urban Roots brings together diverse cultures to learn from each other, creating an environment of mutual respect and curiosity. In an increasingly divisive world, fostering tolerance and a deeper understanding of our commonality is an invaluable strength of Urban Roots’ work.

-Patsy Noble, Former Executive Director

Patsy working as the garden program manager in the early 2000s.