Who we are.
Growing Roots is a community of people who actively support community wellness and food access on the South Cumberland Plateau. We maintain that our strength is found in the input, collaboration, and diversity of the voices that make up this group of people.
Director
lavender (lavandula angustifolia)
Stephanie Colchado Kelley finds joy in community building, horizontal collaboration, and strategy design. In her projects, she interprets these intricacies to establish strong foundations and direction for more equitable and accessible processes. She has always been drawn to the nonprofit world, and submits to an understanding that the work we do on this earth has the ability to contribute to humanity's greater good.
On her journey to find meaning and peace in the every day, you might stumble upon Stephanie as she writes, hikes, gazes at the stars, experiments with unusual culinary ingredients, or studies the science of the brain.
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us.” - Henry S. Haskins
Our Supporters, With Gratitude
Growing Roots extends a special thanks to these contributing partners who helped us to establish the Tracy City Garden and DuBose Gardens:
South Cumberland Community Fund
PG - Sustainable Landscaping (Black Mountain, NC)
University of the South Office of Civic Engagement
South Cumberland Plateau AmeriCorps VISTA Project
Silverbait, LLC (Coalmont, TN)
Sewanee Community Chest
The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation & KidsGardening
United Seed Savers Exchange - Herman's Garden Seed Donation Program
History
The seed for Growing Roots was planted in 2018, with contributions and input from our neighbors in the South Cumberland community. We operated in our former home, DuBose Conference Center, under the Healthy Roots program banner, leading community workshops on whole health wellness and garden education for participants of all ages. This concentration of effort created a powerful local hub for conversations surrounding food justice and ministry within the Episcopal Church’s Beloved Community movement.
We are deeply grateful for these years working with and at DuBose.
