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Collard fest is Tuesday July 21st at Olbrich Gardens, with Yusuf Bin-Rella and more of Rooted’s friends and collaborators. Celebrate collards and black culture with an evening of live music, a farm stand, and food from local chefs. Learn more: olbrich.org/calendar/collard-fest

Our Troy Farm Assistant Manager Galilea shares what they've been reading and reflecting on recently:

"I don’t have as much time to read as much as I would like to. It’s taken me years to read certain books; the book I am currently working through is Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall-Kimmerer. I know I am desperately behind, as I’ve been told that this is the book for people in conservation, organic agriculture, ecology, etc… Her chapter “Epiphany in the Beans” has come back to me frequently this season; she writes about the love she has for her garden, how she raised her daughters to love their garden, and how her garden loves her back. As I work, I like to think about all the people before me who have loved the land at Troy. I imagine the land laughing along with the crew members as we share silly gossip. I wonder how many names the land has heard, how many people that the land has loved."

Read the rest of Galilea's thoughts in our July Rooted Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/rootedwi.org/2026newsletter-e3x7ghd3x9-13911641

We're always learning at Badger Rock! Badger Rock Middle School's summer school program began this week, with a focus on pollination. Rooted's Badger Rock farm and education team will be leading middle school students in building a new beehive, learning about the importance of honeybees and native bees for growing food, and spending time in the kitchen and gardens during peak growing season. First lesson: studying the anatomy of flowers!

We had a great time with the Sun Prairie FFA chapter at Troy Farm! They helped us unload a big pallet of chicken fertilizer, trellis tomatoes, and w**d a bunch to keep the farm looking spiffy. The students also had a great time finding and identifying all the bugs and plants. They're a very curious and passionate group, who appreciate tackling a task together as a team!