Why We Do It - Our Mission
The mission of Growing Roots is to increase food access and community wellness on Tennessee’s South Cumberland Plateau.
We do this while ALSO lowering barriers of access and approachability to food and health.
Growing Roots is motivated by a justice-oriented approach to land use, food sovereignty on the grassroots level, and collaborative community efforts to improve the quality of life on the South Cumberland Plateau.
Food is a basic and universal human right. If we’re lucky, we encounter it every day in a real and honest way. Our bodies are the lovely vessels that carry us through the day-to-day, and the importance of feeding ourselves healthy and nutritious fuel cannot be overstated. Growing Roots believes that good quality food should be accessible and affordable for everyone regardless of background or circumstance, and we believe that the people who are being served by our food systems should be involved in the creation of those systems.
Growing Roots aims to integrate our experiences with food into a larger picture of wellness. We believe in the joy of holistic, interconnected wellness - the acknowledgment and pursuit of authentic, self-identified needs in all spheres of life: emotional, social, physical, environmental, occupational, financial, personal, and (if it’s your thing) spiritual.
Built around holistic philosophies, Growing Roots asserts that people are complex, beautiful, and multifaceted beings. Our balance of wellness is dynamic and fluid, and changes with the seasons that we encounter.
Growing Roots actively works towards addressing human needs by offering inclusive and meaningful programming and education, and direct food access through the distribution of free produce.
We as a community are committed to showing up for each other in positive, supportive, and healthy ways.
Growing Roots tenets of operating:
by community agreement, Growing Roots strives to incorporate these Tenets of Operating into our day-to-day activities
— Food Sovereignty —
— Whole Health —
— Welcoming & Inclusive Spaces —
— Meaningful Experiences —
— Justice-Oriented Perspective —
— Community Collaboration —
— Respect for the Land —
