Guest speakers, real expertise, an evening to actually talk about it.
Rooted Conversations follows the natural arc of the growing season — from soil, to relationships, to food and community, and finally to rest and renewal. Each gathering builds on the last, blending a short talk, conversation, and a seasonal experience on the farm to explore how land, food, and care are deeply connected.
Soil, to relationships, to food, to renewal.
Four evenings, each building on the last — a short talk, then real conversation, plus a seasonal experience on the farm.
Living Soil: The Hidden World That Feeds Us
Wednesday, May 13, 2026 · 6:30–7:45 PM
Beneath our feet is a living, breathing world that makes everything on the farm possible. This conversation explores what healthy soil really is, why it matters for the food we eat and the water we drink, and how caring for soil helps build resilient ecosystems and communities — beginning where all food systems begin.
Maggie Rivera · Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, OSU Extension – Summit County Team
Life in Motion: Pollinators, Wildlife & Food Webs
Wednesday, June 10, 2026 · 6:30–7:45 PM
Farms are full of relationships — between plants, insects, animals, and people — and in early summer, those relationships are alive with motion. Building on our exploration of soil, we'll look at the food webs that connect fields, farms, and wild spaces, and what it means to farm — and live — in partnership with the natural world.
Denise Ellsworth · Program Director for Pollinator Education, Ohio State University Extension
Resilient Harvests: Farming with Climate, Not Against It
Wednesday, September 9, 2026 · 6:30–7:45 PM
As harvest season arrives, we're invited to think not only about abundance, but about the systems that make it possible — and how those systems are changing. Led by the Summit Soil and Water Conservation District, this session examines how conservation practices support productive land, protect water resources, and help local farms adapt. We'll also explore how food moves through a community, and the role farms play in building food security and local connection. Designed for growers, gardeners, landowners, and community members alike.
Sarah Barrow · Watershed and Outreach Supervisor, Summit Soil and Water Conservation District
Conservation Education & Outreach at Western Reserve Land Conservancy
Wednesday, November 4, 2026 · 6:00–7:15 PM
Learn about the many ways Western Reserve Land Conservancy protects our region's natural resources — more than 80,000 acres of natural areas, family farms, and urban green spaces protected to date. From land protection to hands-on stewardship, this closing conversation shares how the Conservancy connects people, especially children and families, to the benefits of nature, and how you can get involved in your own community.
Renee Boronka · Director of Conservation Education & Outreach, Western Reserve Land Conservancy