Our team is delighted to continue the initiatives of David Cavagnaro at WinnMed; initiatives which began in 2009 when David Cavagnaro and his team of interns from The Pepperfield Project established an Edible Landscape in the courtyard of the hospital. The purpose of this landscape was to provide a space for both aesthetics and sustainability, helping the nutrition services department to provide people at the hospital with fresh and hyper-locally sourced food.

ReRooted Connections took over the hospital garden project in Spring 2022, including plant production, design, maintenance, and harvesting. With the generous help from volunteers, ReRooted provided over 500 vegetable and flower starts using the seeds from David Cavagnaro’s collection. In past years, the garden has produced over 1,000 lbs. of produce to be processed, cooked, and served by the hospital kitchen staff. Extra produce that is not able to be used in the kitchen is either donated to local food pantries or hospital staff. Our work at the hospital garden aligns with our mission to provide people access to locally grown food, minimize food waste, and give back to the community. We are so excited to continue this partnership.

Garden at Winnmed - Summer 2023

At ReRooted Connections, we are guided by principles of environmental justice and equitable access to healthy, organic, and locally grown food. We believe in working with and for the land, engaging in practices that support soil health and regeneration, establishing systems that promote beneficial insects and pollinators, and utilizing technology responsibly to promote social and environmental health.

The gardens we maintain on-site at ReRooted Connections serves as the learning grounds to master these practices. It is our aim to adopt and follow the principles of permaculture and soil regeneration, understanding that these changes come best as small, incremental adjustments that are sensitive to the nuances of the organic system.

It is our aim to facilitate the distribution of this knowledge through our internship program, immersive lodging experiences, classes, and public use of facilities while providing food, seeds, and a sense of community for those involved.

ReRooted Lower Garden - Summer 2023

Starting in 2022, the team at ReRooted continued propogating, cataloging, and curating a comprehensive collection of heirloom seeds. Originally donated generously by David Cavagnaro, many of these seeds have been selected for their success in the Driftless region. Tending to this seed collection is a crucial part of our mission to cultivate heirloom varieties that are adapted to local climate, naturally hearty, and a part of a worldwide heritage of seed saving over generations. In coming years, our goal is to offer access to the seed library to jump start beginning gardeners and provide seeds for those in need. 

During the 2023 growing season ReRooted was proud to participate in the Local Food Purchasing Assistance Program. Thanks to the work of RRC volunteers and Americorps volunteers,  ReRooted was able to provide over $1000 of organically grown produce to the Allamakee County Food Shelf in a collaborative effort to promote food security and access to locally grown food.  

Learn more about the LFPA Program