Happy Roots

And time in the 🌱

Join us this coming Monday, June 8th, for our monthly TABLE10 Community Dinner!

We use a pay-what-you-can model, which allows everyone to enjoy a hot fresh meal without the worry of cost. You can give a little, a lot, or nothing at all -having you there is most important! 🥰

The menu for this month will feature: Grilled BBQ Chicken, Suasage Dogs w/ Peppers & Onions, Mac & Cheese, Summer Veggies, & more.

As a reminder, this event is also about building community. Make plans to dine-in and enjoy your meal with a neighbor. No take-out is available.

We look forward to serving this amazing community!

Eat Well. Do Good.
Chef Q 💜

We met through the ‘New Tomorrows’ group, and I shared the music of plants using our machine… electrical currents from a plant translated into sound waves. 🌱🎶

Ever since then, Jody has been coming out to help in the garden. He uses a wheelchair and a walker, but he enjoys getting around the garden and being as independent as possible.

We’re especially thankful for his help keeping things watered during these hot, dry summer days! Jody says he talks and sings back to the plants, and that’s what really helps them grow. 🌱 Agreed! I know the plants love that.

Many educators go above and beyond… like Ms. Oglesby helping in the over summer! Thank you, Ms. Oglesby! 🙏🏽🌱🥰🌱

What we’ve been sayin’!… And doin’. 🌱

Modern education can teach advanced algebra, but somehow many students graduate without knowing how to grow food, preserve it, or respond to a basic emergency.

Practical life skills matter.

🌱 Growing food teaches biology, problem-solving, patience, responsibility, and a real understanding of where food comes from. Even a small vegetable garden can teach lessons that stick for life.

♻️ Composting helps students understand decomposition, nutrient cycling, waste reduction, and healthier soil. It turns “trash” into something useful.

🌾 Seed saving introduces ideas about plant genetics, biodiversity, adaptation, and long-term food resilience. Plus, it teaches delayed gratification, which might be a superpower these days.

🥫 Food preservation is a disappearing skill that can reduce waste and build confidence. Freezing, dehydrating, fermenting, and canning are incredibly practical skills.

🩹 First aid should be basic knowledge for everyone. Knowing how to handle cuts, burns, choking, or emergencies is just common sense preparedness.

💧 Water conservation is becoming more important every year. Understanding efficient water use, stormwater management, and resource stewardship is real-world education.

🗑️ Waste management helps students understand what actually happens after something gets thrown away, recycled, or composted. “Away” is not a real place.

🍄 Mushroom identification would need serious expert-led safety instruction, but teaching fungal ecology and recognition skills could help build ecological literacy.

🌿 Medicinal herbs are part of human history across cultures. Teaching their historical uses, alongside evidence-based discussions of modern medicine, would be genuinely educational.

🫐 Foraging, when taught responsibly and with strict safety standards, could help students better understand local ecosystems, edible plants, and ecological stewardship.

This is not about replacing academics.

It is about creating capable, resourceful humans who know how to function beyond a classroom.

What practical skill do you think schools should actually be teaching?

Sources:

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Cornell Cooperative Extension
Royal Horticultural Society (RHS)
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Summertime is back in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina! The mountains appear blue because specific oak and poplar trees here emit a chemical called isoprene to protect them against excessive heat.

Photo Credit: Asheville Pictures

This morning! If anyone wants to join. 🌱

The City’s compost facility, located at 1955 Grubb Ferry Road, is still currently closed to the public until further notice as we work to produce and replenish our compost supply.
Composting is an ongoing process that takes time, and this temporary closure allows our team to focus on creating quality material for future distribution.
We appreciate your patience and understanding. We’ll share updates as soon as the facility is ready to reopen!

We had so much fun creating our little miniature garden worlds. 🌱🥰🌱
Everyone’s terrarium had their own special touch to it.