Revive the Roots is a non-profit organization based out of Smithfield, RI. Our mission is to create ecologically regenerative and dynamic social spaces through the education and practice of permaculture. By working with students and faculty at local schools, we have planted edible forest gardens and annual vegetable gardens throughout northern Rhode Island. At our public grounds, Mowry Gardens, we provide space for people to grow their own food, explore trails along the Woonasquatucket river, and connect with their family and friends. We also host a series of events and workshops to bring together and educate the public about permaculture and sustainable practices. Overall, Revive the Roots is meant to serve as an educational and recreational hub in Smithfield, and also as an example for the rest of Rhode Island to nurture both community and local ecology. We see a direct connection between community resilience and ecological stability and aim to strengthen that connection by promoting and exemplifying our core goals and values:
Ecological Healing: Humans are not separate from nature, and ecosystems deserve an enhanced degree of stewardship. The health of our species and the overall health of Earth’s biosphere are interdependent and must be treated as such. Enriching Community: A strong sense of community is the most essential element in creating a self-reliant and thriving locale. Our progression and overall health as a community depends greatly on our willingness to cooperate with, share with, and support one another. Securing Sustenance: Our duty to our future is to fortify the ability of our local communities to generate all of their own necessities sustainably. This will eliminate our dependence on the goods and services of other inhumane and unsustainable systems. These goals are an ode to the ethics of permaculture and the many activists, community members, and indigenous cultures who have been working tirelessly to steward and protect our planet’s fragile ecosystems. Since the fall of 2010, Revive the Roots has been working alongside other organizations and members of the community to fulfill our mission. Currently, we are leasing 27 acres of land and curating an eight-bedroom farmhouse, previously owned by the late Mary Mowry from the Smithfield Land Trust. We entered our gardens lease agreement in 2011 and immediately began cultivating the land with the help and support of Smithfield locals, family, and friends. In 2013 we entered a curatorship program to restore the Mowry residence, built circa 1730, with the guidance of Preserve Rhode Island (a non-profit organization based out of Providence, RI). In 2014, we erected a 30’x72’ high-tunnel greenhouse with the financial assistance of the NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service). We are always seeking new ways to reach out to the general public through onsite workshops, family based activities, and outreach programs. We are immensely grateful for the opportunity to work so closely with you, our community. Without your support we would never have been able to achieve so much in so little time.
