Reno Gardening Nonprofit, Urban Roots, Invites Community to Fourth Annual Soil Palooza Event Saturday, June 7, Now Free!

RENO, Nev. (May 15, 2025) – Urban Roots, a nonprofit in northern Nevada working to change the way communities eat and learn through garden-based education, is inviting the community to the fourth annual Soil Palooza event on Saturday, June 7 starting at 3:30 p.m. at the Urban Roots Teaching Farm on 1700 E. Second Street. This family-friendly educational festival focused around soil health and regenerative ag tactics will include demonstrations, expert talks and hands-on activities for adults and children. This year, the event will be free for attendees, but organizers ask that attendees to RSVP for planning purposes.

Every year, the event highlights regenerative growing practices through different themes, diving into the importance of soil’s role in any growing endeavor. This year’s theme is “The Roots of Wellness,” designed to encourage initial gardening successes in order to excite community members about how their efforts can improve the community at large. Attendees will learn how they can restore soil health, improve food access, and create thriving ecosystems.

One of the event’s highlights will be an orchard demo and talk with Chuck Schembre, a regenerative specialty crop consultant for Understanding Ag, which works to educate communities to apply time-tested ecological principles to regenerate living ecosystems. Schembre has specific experience in orchards, vineyards and diversified vegetable cropping systems, and will speak in at Soil Palooza about maximizing harvest yields from trees growing in northern Nevada. The event will also offer a composting discussion spearheaded by Craig and Cody Witt of Full Circle Compost to empower attendees to begin composting and understand how it can positively influence the results of their growing efforts. Additionally, Soil Palooza will offer a soil blocking (seed starting) activity, led by Catalina Lavelle from Believe In Recess, a boutique florist that specializes in custom bouquets and arrangements, event flowers and workshops.

A panel discussion, “Get Growing, Gain Confidence, and Share the Bounty,” will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will discuss quick wins for gardeners and growers, tips and tricks for spreading bountiful harvests and examples for how to collaborate for improved access to garden yields.

The event will feature refreshments available for purchase from local food truck, #Tacos. Attendees will be encouraged to provide feedback as to what their favorite “gateway plant” was that got them excited about growing, along with any tips they may have for coaxing results in the garden in this high desert climate. Additionally, attendees will be encouraged to make a Soil Palooza Pledge, specific to them, that specifies their commitment to either a regenerative ag tactic they will begin implementing, an attempt to share harvest materials with neighbors for improved access to healthy foods, or a commitment to begin cultivating food forest elements in their own garden.

“Every day we see the joy and confidence that grows when individuals realize they don’t actually have a black thumb, that with patience and experimentation and simple dedication they, too, can grow in the high desert,” said Kelsey Hoffman, community programs director at Urban Roots. “We realize that now is a time when more individuals should have the opportunity to be empowered with the roots of success, and we are proud to make Soil Palooza free for all who want to begin enjoying the fruits of their outdoor labors.”

Soil Palooza is sponsored in part by the Nevada Division of Forestry and KUNR. Funding is provided, in part, by the Inflation Reduction Act and the USDA Forest Service, Urban and Community Forestry program in partnership with the Nevada Division of Forestry. Community organizations, companies or others that may have an interest in sponsorship opportunities, are encouraged to email [email protected].

About Urban Roots

Urban Roots is a Reno-based nonprofit that strives to improve the way communities eat and learn through garden-based education. The organization ensures all students, regardless of age or economic background, foster a connection to local food, creating lifelong learners and healthy eaters. Serving primarily Washoe County, Urban Roots has a history of bringing seed-to-table education to the community through standards-based programming at the Urban Teaching Farm and in Washoe County. The organization uses the garden as a lens to teach concepts ranging from mathematics to English and from science to philanthropy that help implement the nonprofit’s core values of academic achievement, healthy eating, and environmental stewardship.

To learn more about Urban Roots, visit www.urgc.org. For media inquiries, contact Rachel Gattuso, APR at [email protected] or at (775) 336-9453.