Partners

Building relationships is integral to the mission of Growing Roots.

Partnerships with other community organizations on the South Cumberland Plateau enable us to extend our outreach and impact. We work with these organizations in a spirit of collaboration and mutual aid; together, we build a healthier and more equitable future for our beloved mountain.

Some of our community partners:

americorps - south Cumberland Plateau VISTa program

Since 2019, Growing Roots has worked with the South Cumberland Plateau AmeriCorps VISTA program. Inaugurated in 2014 by Sewanee: The University of the South and the South Cumberland Community Fund, the VISTA program supports a number of community partners with the goal of alleviating poverty through work focused on education, economic development, and healthy futures.

web: about the SCP AmeriCoprs VISTA Project - southcumberlandcommunityfund.com
facebook: South Cumberland Plateau AmeriCorps VISTA Project

Full Circle Candles

Full Circle Candles, located in the Hallelujah Pottery building in Monteagle TN, was born out of the love for living in this beautiful area, combined with the inspiration and respect of local farmers and crafters. Full Circle Candles has been proudly making candles for 8 years, and the team attends a multitude of Chattanooga Markets, local craft fairs. Candles are sold in many local stores and also in some TN Whole Food stores. FCC also offers soul-searching crafting classes for children and adults and makes environmentally responsible candles and other items (such as bug sprays, soaps, and sugar scrubs) in-house.

web: fullcirclecandles.com
facebook: Full Circle Candles and Gift Shop

Grundy County Food Bank

The Grundy County Food Bank is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping those in need in the Grundy County, TN area. Due to limited resources and an isolated landscape at the top of a plateau, food insecurity is a pressing issue in our area. Our dedicated board members and volunteers work to ensure that no person goes hungry. Our food distributions are every Tuesday morning from 8AM to 10AM at 114 South Industrial Park Road, Coalmont, TN. Eligible community members in Grundy County may come once per month to receive food for their families.

web: grundycotnfoodbank.org
facebook: Grundy County TN Food Bank

Mountain Goat Trail Alliance

The Mountain Goat Trail Alliance is committed to building a multiuse, multimodal walking and cycling trail connecting the communities along the path of the historic Mountain Goat Railroad. With a nearly five-mile paved stretch between Sewanee, TN and Monteagle, TN, a three-mile stretch in Tracy City, and a proposed connection between these two existing infrastructures, the Mountain Goat Trail Alliance serves a vital role on the South Cumberland Plateau, increasing access to exercise and wellness practices for all of the Mountain’s residents.

web: mountaingoattrail.org
facebook: Mountain Goat Trail Alliance

Mountain T.O.P.

Mountain T.O.P. helps to meet the physical, social, emotional, and spiritual needs of all people we encounter. To achieve this goal, the organization offers a variety of mission-based programs for youth and adults. Participants can choose to serve the Cumberland Plateau through home repair projects or day camp programs.

web: mountain-top.org
facebook: Mountain TOP

South Cumberland Community Fund

The mission of South Cumberland Community Fund is to improve the quality of life across the Plateau by increasing philanthropic giving and providing community leadership to: 1) Build on the strength of the area’s people, communities, and natural setting; 2) Enhance community capacity and collaboration; and 3) Support innovative ways to solve community problems.

web: southcumberlandcommunityfund.org
facebook: South Cumberland Community Fund

Southeast TN Young Farmers’ Coalition (SeTNYF)

The Southeast TN Young Farmers Coalition works to represent, mobilize, and engage young farmers in southeast Tennessee in order to ensure their success. We are a farmer lead organization that supports our members through collaborative problem solving and public policy advocacy. We are a chapter of the National Young Farmers Coalition.

web: youngfarmers.org
facebook: Southeast Tennessee Young Farmers
instagram: @southeasttnyoungfarmers

UT / TSU Extension

The University of Tennessee (UT) Extension serves the citizens of Grundy County with educational programs in the areas of Agriculture, Family and Consumer Sciences, Community Resource Development, and 4-H Youth Development. We are an outreach branch of the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, providing research-based solutions and information. The UT Extension Office in Grundy County partners with Tennessee State University (TSU) Cooperative Extension and Grundy County Government to provide even more resources, advanced research, and outreach. The UT/TSU Extension Office in Grundy County strives to increase economic prosperity, improve environmental sustainability, and enhance well-being for all people we serve.

web: grundy.tennessee.edu
facebook: UT / TSU Extension - Grundy County

Some of our REGIONAL partners:

Together for Hope

The goal of Together for Hope Appalachia is to transform persistent rural poverty in Appalachia through asset-based community development that prioritizes education, health & nutrition, housing & environment, and social enterprise.
Together for Hope is a Rural Development Coalition, committed to the 338 counties of persistent rural poverty in the United States. TFH works to forge partnerships with organizations already working in these areas to make a lasting impact in our nation.

web: tfhope.org/appalachia / tfhope.org
facebook: Together for Hope Appalachia / Together for Hope
instagram: @tfhappalachia

Rēgenerative SchooL

Rē works through education, research and civic engagement activities to foster regenerative processes which add to the abundance and resilience of ecological, social and economic communities.

web: regenerativeschool.org
facebook: Rē: The Regenerative School
instagram: @theregenerativeschool