Taproot Collective

Taproot Collective 🌱 neighborhood & youth development through regenerative urban agriculture in Rochester, NY

Taproot Collective is a nonprofit organization that designs shared urban greenspaces and the programming that unlocks its potential for food sovereignty, youth employment, environmental justice, community building, and racial equity. Mission: To design and build holistic systems for healthy local food, dignified housing, and educational opportunities with youth and families. Vision: A city filled

with thriving neighborhoods where all people have equitable access to critical resources. Values: To operate with a central focus on stewardship, integrity, justice, cultural humility, equity, and excellence.

🌦️💦Every Drop Counts. Join us Saturday, June 13th for an informative (& FREE) workshop on water and irrigation!Learn eff...
06/01/2026

🌦️💦Every Drop Counts. Join us Saturday, June 13th for an informative (& FREE) workshop on water and irrigation!

Learn efficient watering strategies that conserve resources while keeping crops healthy during Rochester’s hottest months. From simple drip systems to smart scheduling, this session will help you reduce waste and protect plant health. This workshop is for both water-source and dry gardens.

📲Register using the link in our bio
https://tinyurl.com/TaprootWorkshops

🗓️ Saturday, June 13| 10 AM - Noon
📍441 Ministries Beechwood Community Garden
corner of Parsells and Stout

Taproot Collective offers free monthly gardening workshops for people of all skill levels in Rochester, NY.

🛍️Representing a Community Garden? You’ll head home with some garden supplies!

Does your garden capture water? Share in the comments!

🌱 Learn and serve in action!The Bishop Kearney 4-H Club helped get First Market Farm ready for spring - planting peas, r...
05/30/2026

🌱 Learn and serve in action!

The Bishop Kearney 4-H Club helped get First Market Farm ready for spring - planting peas, radishes, lettuce, carrots, beets, and collards along the way. 🥕🥬
With fresh seeds in the ground and many helping hands, garden season has officially begun!

Want your school, club, or workplace to volunteer with Taproot? We’re always looking for groups ready to dig in and make a difference.

And don’t forget - many employers offer volunteer grants or company match donations that can help grow even more community gardens. Ask your workplace if they participate!

So much growing at First Market Farm right now! 🌸🍓🥔🧄Paw paw blossoms, honey berries, strawberries, gooseberries, asparag...
05/28/2026

So much growing at First Market Farm right now! 🌸🍓🥔🧄
Paw paw blossoms, honey berries, strawberries, gooseberries, asparagus, beets, potatoes, garlic, collards, winter squash, peas and radishes, lettuce, herbs - and that’s just the beginning.

Every season brings something new to harvest, share, and celebrate. Come see what’s growing with us on June 12th from 5:30-7:30 for our annual open house!

Tools & Tunes at Taproot is a summer-evening fundraiser in the garden, celebrating the people, places, and programs that grow food and opportunity across Rochester.

We will bring together community members, partners, and supporters for a relaxed and meaningful gathering at First Market Farm.

Guests will enjoy:
🎶 Live music in the garden by Einstein's Dreams (solo set w/)
🛠️Hands-on demos with the SEAC Tool Shed mobile tool truck
🌱 A behind-the-scenes look at Taproot’s youth and garden programs
🤝 Connection with community leaders, gardeners, and supporters

Come see what’s possible when a community has the tools it needs!
📍First Market Farm
📅 June 12 | 5:30–7:30 PM

Can't make it? Become a sustaining donor {link in bio}!

🧹⚾ 15 volunteers + Taproot youth + one city neighborhood = a seriously successful Clean Sweep.Rochester Clean Sweep had ...
05/26/2026

🧹⚾ 15 volunteers + Taproot youth + one city neighborhood = a seriously successful Clean Sweep.

Rochester Clean Sweep had us out at First Market Farm clearing litter, freshening up the block, and showing some love to our East Market Neighborhood.

Honestly, 15 people was the perfect roster - enough teamwork to make a big impact and still save energy for the Red Wings game afterwards. 😉

VOLUNTEER EVENT: Join us for the Edgar Santa Cruz Memorial Day of Service 🌱On May 30th, we’ll honor Edgar’s legacy by vo...
05/26/2026

VOLUNTEER EVENT: Join us for the Edgar Santa Cruz Memorial Day of Service 🌱

On May 30th, we’ll honor Edgar’s legacy by volunteering in gardens and community spaces across Rochester. Meet at Foodlink Farm at 10 AM and help us give back together.

🗓 May 30 | 10 AM–1 PM
📍 Foodlink Farm, 585 Lexington Ave
🔗 Register: https://tinyurl.com/EdgarDay (link in bio)

Who was Edgar?
During his time in Rochester, Edgar was involved in many different projects and gardens. He worked for several years as the Adult Social Worker at Cameron Community Ministries, where he led the development of their community garden, now named the Edgar Santa Cruz Peace Garden.

That garden was built through a partnership between Cameron and Foodlink, and was designed by our Executive Director, Nathaniel, when he was working at Foodlink.

At the time of his death, Edgar had just started as the Community Farm Manager at Foodlink. Edgar also served as both an employee and Board Member for Cornell Cooperative Extension of Monroe County, and was an active member of 490 Farmers. Edgar was also an active participant in the Urban Ag Working Group, Common Ground Health’s Latino Health Coalition, and Taproot’s Collective.

Edgar and his dog, Rosie, were killed in a hit-and-run accident when they were out for a walk on December 22, 2022, at the intersection of Park Ave and Goodman St.

🧄 First harvest at First Market Farm! Three pounds of garlic popped up “feral” from last year’s missed harvest 🌱Now it’s...
05/23/2026

🧄 First harvest at First Market Farm! Three pounds of garlic popped up “feral” from last year’s missed harvest 🌱

Now it’s harvested, dehydrated, and ground into fresh garlic powder - proof that good things keep growing when you least expect it ✨

Food preservation happens all year long, not just in the fall. Delicious.

What do you call your garden's unexpected volunteer plants?

🚨 RAFFLE REMINDER, COMMUNITY GARDENERS! 🌿(Registered) Community gardeners: don’t forget to pick up your giveaway items t...
05/14/2026

🚨 RAFFLE REMINDER, COMMUNITY GARDENERS! 🌿

(Registered) Community gardeners: don’t forget to pick up your giveaway items this Friday at the Rochester Public Market!

Every garden that picks up their supplies (between 4:30-6:30 pm) will be entered to win a delivered cattle panel!

Perfect for growing vertically:
🥒 Cucumbers
🎃 Squash
peas, and more!

See you at the Rochester Public Market 🌻

📍 NEW LOCATION: Rochester Public Market
🗓️ Friday, May 15
🕓 4:30–6:30 PM: 👩‍🌾Community Garden Giveaway (registration closed)
🕡 6:30–7:30 PM: 🪴Public Plant Swap (open to all gardeners - no registration needed, just show up!)

☎️ Calling all volunteers! 🌱 We need plant-moving power! 🌱Our Community Garden Giveaway registration is CLOSED. We’re bl...
05/12/2026

☎️ Calling all volunteers! 🌱 We need plant-moving power! 🌱

Our Community Garden Giveaway registration is CLOSED. We’re blown away to have 100+ gardens signed up. It’s way bigger than we imagined, so we need extra hands to help make it all happen!

Volunteer Friday, May 15, from 1-4 PM, helping move plants from First Market Farm to the Public Market, organizing supplies, and setting up for the giveaway + public plant swap.

Come get your hands dirty, lift some plants, meet good people, and help make the giveaway possible.💚

📲Register using the link in our bio and be our hero!
https://unitedwayrocflx.galaxydigital.com/need/detail/?need_id=1251822

Address

20 First St.
Rochester, NY
14605

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