The founders of a non-profit urban garden in London say they aren’t discouraged after an integral piece of equipment was stolen from their now-planted field near Highbury Avenue and Hamilton Road.
It was Saturday morning when Richie Bloomfield, one of four people behind Urban Roots, realized the solar battery charger had been stolen from the property off Norlan Avenue. The roughly $300 piece of equipment powers a fence that keeps out deer and other animals.
“They had to cut a chain because we had it chained to a second post, and they pulled the post right out of the ground,” Bloomfield said. “It was in the ground three feet, so they managed to pull that out with the battery pack on top.”
The garden — a first of its kind in London — was planted with the help of donations and community volunteers just two weeks before. Bloomfield said they rigged up a car battery on Saturday — before dusk when deer like to graze — to keep the animals from damaging the work they’ve done so far.
“It’s probably going to be a semi-permanent fix,” he explained.
“I don’t know why anyone would want to take a solar-powered charging battery pack from us, but overall, I’m not discouraged. All of us are ready to tackle these challenges and move forward.”
Urban Roots uses vacant city spaces to produce food, and strengthen community connections. They’ll be selling produce to local vendors and restaurants, and supporting partnerships with other organizations in London, including Goodwill Industries and Y.O.U.
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