Urban Land Institute honors Encinitas’ Coastal Roots Farm with Healthy Places Award

Urban Land Institute (ULI) San Diego-Tijuana announced this month that Coastal Roots Farm and Leichtag Commons are the recipients for the Healthy Place Award for Urban Agriculture for Better Health.

“It’s an honor to receive this award in our first year of Coastal Roots Farm’s production,” said Daron ‘Farmer D’ Joffe, founding director of Coastal Roots Farm which is located at Leichtag Commons. “Our deep respect for our environment guides everything we do. When we farm, we seek to improve our natural world as well as explore new approaches to sustainability.” Farmer D also serves as Director of Agricultural Innovation and Development for the Leichtag Foundation.

ULI began the Awards for Excellence program in 1979 with the objective of recognizing truly superior development efforts.

The criteria for the awards include factors that go beyond good design, including leadership, contribution to the community, innovations, public/private partnership, environmental protection and enhancement, response to societal needs, and financial success. Winning projects represent the highest standards of achievement in the development industry.

Since its launch in 2014, Coastal Roots Farm has donated over 50,000 pounds of fresh produce to local food pantries in North County San Diego.

For more information, visit leichtag.org.