Projects

As an all-volunteer organization, a lot of what we do here starts from a simple idea or project. Learn about all the various types of projects that our volunteers have going on in our backyard!

Community Gardens

As part of our partnership with the Get Healthy Knox Coalition, we offer FREE gardening plots with one wheelchair-accessible plot available.

The individual plots available are raised 4x8' beds prefilled with purchased topsoil ready for the upcoming season. We also offer other gardening options and plot sizes to help support a diverse range of gardening needs.

Edible Knox

In a partnership with the Knox County Local Food Council, we are supporting the creation of a Local Edible Knox project to help promote diets with fresh foods by using storefronts for edible plantings with recipes and nutritional information. Community Roots provides planting supplies, greenhouse space, and volunteers to help create and maintain the planting.

At each site, located in the map above, is a sign with easy-to-use QRC codes that takes you to various websites that supply information about getting involved and recipes made from ingredients grown in the planters!

Contact us if you have a location in town that would like to join this project or if you would like to volunteer to help us maintain these plots throughout the growing seasons.

Mount Vernon Farmer's Market

Mount Vernon Farmers Market

Farmer's Markets are held on Saturdays at the square from 9-Noon

Volunteers help us set up, tear down, and run our vending table. We are required to have a minimum of two workers at our tables to reduce contact. Sign-up today to help us with our vendor's booth at the Saturday Markets!

Voluneer Here

During May through October, Community Roots participates as a vendor in the Mount Vernon Farmer's Market and sells fresh-baked artisan bread and any surplus Farm to School produce to directly help support our Farm to School programming expenses that are not supplied through our grant funding. Costs including utilities, support of our AmeriCorps VISTA ShareCorps members, and our local memberships.

MVHS Farm to School Garden

Mount Vernon High School Farm to School Garden

Community Roots has partnered with Mount Vernon High School to utilize their greenhouse space to grow fresh produce to be utilized in their kitchens. We are currently propagating microgreens, herbs, and vegetables for the school's kitchen and we are also able to offer a horticultural classroom setting for faculty and students.

If you are a teacher or student interested in working with us, we would love to see how we can connect you to the project!

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Growing a Future

Growing a Future Mount Vernon Ohio

Partnered with the Municipal, Juvenile, and MERIT courts, we serve the needs of our community by working with probationers as a site for community service hours. Participants learn about land and greenhouse management skills, as well as plant propagation techniques for fresh produce.

Using a small grant from the Knox County Foundation, we have developed a hoop house design that fits on top of the growing benches from our establishment. These unique structures allow us to extend our growing season, while avoiding larger costs of replacing our roof. These hoop houses also allow us to be more creative in heating options in place of outdated boiler systems.

All produce grown is sold to local buyers:

Mount Vernon Farmers Market

Alcove Restaraunt and Lounge

Door 142

Mount Vernon High School

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General Volunteering

Our volunteers are the ones who are able to bring Community Roots to life and help us continue our mission. We have opportunities for volunteers of all ages and interests. To learn more about our volunteers Click Here.