07/16/2026
Summer is one of the busiest seasons here at Rooted to Rise Homestead.
While our Little Roots Learning Community takes a break between school years, the work of the homestead never slows down. These weeks are spent caring for our animals, tending the gardens, building new spaces, and preparing the land for another year of exploration, learning, and meaningful work together.
This summer has been full of growth.
Our chickens have a brand new coop to call home, and the rabbits have a larger enclosure to explore. The garden has been incredibly generous, with beans climbing higher every day, watermelon beginning to spread, tomatoes ripening on the vine, potatoes tucked beneath the soil, corn reaching toward the sky, squash filling the beds, and flowers blooming in every direction.
The crepe myrtles are putting on their annual summer show, filling the property with color. Across the street, several trees are being removed to make way for a future sidewalk project. While it's always bittersweet to lose mature trees, we were grateful to rescue many of the logs before they were hauled away. They'll have a second life here as seating, climbing features, nature play elements, and building materials for years to come.
One of my favorite surprises has been our fairy garden. Last fall, during our decomposition unit, the children tucked pumpkins into the garden as we explored how nature returns everything back to the soil. This summer, one of those forgotten seeds sprang to life. A pumpkin vine is now weaving its way through the fairy garden, quietly reminding us that learning doesn't always end when the lesson does.
Every season leaves its mark here, and so much of what our children experience throughout the year begins with the quiet work of summer.
Next week, we're excited to welcome our first group of summer camp families. We can't wait to spend the week exploring the land, caring for the animals, harvesting from the garden, and making new memories together.
