^Source: Wilkinson, Jeff. "Part of green movement, farm spouts in city". The State Newspaper. 10/13/2009

^ Three genrations of farmers.
(L-R) Eric, Bob and Robbie McClam
share conceptual ideas about the in-town
City Roots Farm.

Robbie McClam supports the City of Columbia Board of Zoning Appeals sign for City Roots >

When the McClams started the project the land, located near the runway at Owen's Field, was zoned industrial. The zoning on the land had to be changed to allow the farm within the Columbia City Limits. The office building is modeled after the barns located in the Lake City area of South Carolina, where the senior McClam spent many years farming.

Fortunately, the two younger McClams both brought their architectural skills to the plans for designing and building the entire farm. Robbie is a licensed Architect with a Masters from Clemson University. His son, Eric, earned his Masters in Architecture from Tulane University. Robert McClam, Sr., brought years of farming expertise to add to the collective family concepts.

The result is a real beauty, an in-town sustainable farm, which is a first for the Rosewood area of Columbia.