Our Mission
Roots to Fruits is a whole systems ecological design and edible landscaping firm that specializes in creating abundant, beautiful, and durable human habitats. We work with homeowners, businesses,and farmers to develop ecologically regenerative and economically viable landscapes that produce a bounty of yields—food, fuel, medicine—and ecosystem services—soil building, water filtration, carbon sequestration. Aside from design, consulting, and implementation we offer an array of educational services aimed to further the practice of ecological agriculture, homesteading, and edible landscaping. Visit our services and education pages to learn more.
“Though the problems of the world are increasingly complex, the solutions remain embarrassingly simple.” -Bill Mollison
Why Relocalize?
We live in an incredibly challenging and opportune time— with population density, industrialization, and technological advancements greater than ever before, the human demand for resources has reached an all-time high. All of this is happening in a changing world influenced by peak oil, economic instability, and a shifting climate. We feel that all of these pressures create an unprecedented need to build resilient and adaptive communities. This calls for radical relocalization— the relocalization of not only our food systems but all aspects of our lives. This is the change needed to support vibrant communities and budding local economies that can endure the challenges of our time. Individuals and families can actively engage in the ecosystem around them and contribute to greater community resiliency by starting a garden, setting up rain cisterns and compost bins, and sharing ideas, skills, and goods with their neighbors and friends. Small and simple solutions like these pave the way for a sustainable future. So whether you’re starting a small orchard, expanding your homestead to include chickens and pigs, or simply shopping locally and growing herbs on a balcony, your efforts and contributions are greatly needed!
“No one can do everything, but everyone can do something.” -Seth Bernard
Where We Are
We are located in southeast Michigan just 40 miles north of Detroit with our principal place of business being Michigan and the Greats Lakes bioregion. Much of our work takes place throughout lower Michigan in the greater metro Detroit area; we live on and manage two research/demonstration sites in Clarkston, MI. We prioritize local projects but will travel or perform remote consulting to work with dedicated clients.
We are invested in improving the health of the local ecosystems in which we live as well as the health of the greater bioregion. With the largest amount of fresh water on the planet and thousands of acres of pristine natural resources we feel Michigan has many special gifts to offer. For that reason our work is aimed at maintaining and enriching the ecological and cultural vitality of our great mitten state long into the future.
“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” -Native American Proverb
Regeneration: Beyond Sustainability
Sustainability has been a common buzzword over the last decade, but seldomly do we ask the question, ‘what are we trying to sustain?‘— is it mass deforestation, species extinction, or soil erosion that we’re trying sustain? We feel that humans can be just as much a positive force on this planet as we currently are negative. As a keystone species its high time we take on our role as earth stewards and agents for cultural and ecological regeneration. Sustainability quickly becomes obsolete in the face of regeneration…the questions then become how much C02 can we sequester and just how rapidly can we build topsoil?
With all of it’s chemical inputs and fossil fuel reliance every step of the way, industrial agriculture is currently on the forefront of ecological degeneration. Our goal is to create landscapes and farming systems where ecosystem health only increases over time; just imagine— farms that build topsoil, purify water, and provide wildlife habitat. From this paradigm gardening and farming are perhaps the greatest acts of conservation and restoration. These are the types of food production systems truly fit for the 21st century.
