Roots for resilience

Roots for Resilience aims to create networks of gardeners and farmers in Western North Carolina who are committed to stewarding and sharing clonally propagated planting material, primarily non-seeding root crops.

THE ROOTS

Saving seeds is relatively easy because the seeds store for multiple years and can be rapidly increased. Working with the tropical crops that are mainly propagated through clonal propagation is much slower. We need a robust network of local growers to grow, celebrate, and share these crops. We can be each others back-ups and expand distribution as a community.

Utopian Seed Project Commitment

  1. Utopian Seed Project shares a small amount of propagation material with a grower.

  2. Utopian Seed Project invites the grower into a crop specific cohort, connected via a WhatsApp group.

  3. Utopian Seed Project is available to provide technical grower support.

  4. Utopian Seed Project will host two Roots for Resilience gatherings each year

    1. Summer Growing - a chance to gather and see all the crops growing at USP’s experimental farm site, gather in person, and share successes and challenges.

    2. Fall Harvest  - a chance to gather and share the harvest with a focus on eating and enjoying the crops!

Grower Commitment

  1. Grower grows the crop to the best of their ability (we understand the ups and downs of gardening and farming).

  2. Grower engages in the WhatsApp groups to share updates (photos and text). 

  3. Grower commits to sharing a small percentage (5-10%) of their harvest back to Utopian Seed Project so they can redistribute the material the following year.

  4. Grower is encouraged to share with friends and neighbors and invite them to the grower cohorts!

We’re grateful for support of the Ida and Robert Gordon Family Foundation.

YACON OPPORTUNITY

We need 15 folks to grow some yacon!

  • Growers will receive two plants of two varieties of yacon (requirement - full sun, 18" between plants).

  • Growers must be able to collect plants in person from a Leicester, NC, location.

  • We are asking for $25 to be paid on collection to cover our costs and support the program.

  • Yacon plants need to be transplanted in the ground before the end of June, sooner the better.

If able and interested please send us an email via the form below.

If you are growing any of the above crops and want to join the cohort, or want to get on a waiting list to receive materials next year, please fill in this form.

Get rooted in community!