May 18, 2022
Roots Ministries stands on the shoulders of a vast community of innovators—from theologians to hospitality ministers, market gardeners to urban-farm revolutionaries, aquaponics pioneers to permaculture masters. These voices have steeped our work in proven techniques and profound vision: we channel the practical aquaponics wisdom of Murray Hallam, Diana Walstad, and Louis “Father Fish” Foxwell; Ruth Stout’s effortless mulching; Jean‑Martin Fortier’s high-yield market garden strategies; permaculture design from Geoff Lawton, Paul Wheaton, Sepp Holzer, Bill Mollison, and Andrew Millison; holistic animal integration as shown by Joel Salatin, Greg Judy, Allan Savory, and Peter Byck; Paul Wheaton’s passive heating and rocket-mass heater approaches; Jean Pain’s compost‑to‑fuel innovations; and Will Allen’s urban-farm model at Growing Power. Underpinning it all is a theology of creation care and community drawn from Lee Camp, John Mark Hicks, Wendell Berry, Shane Claiborne, Tim Mackie, Marty Solomon, and N. T. Wright. This article invites you to explore their work, so you too can cultivate soil—and souls—with confidence and creativity.
Creation Care Theology
Our spiritual vision is rooted in Lee Camp’s explorations of faith and flourishing, John Mark Hicks’ theocentric theology that places God’s intent for all creatures at the heart of creation care, and Wendell Berry’s agrarian writings, which call us to steward land and community with humility and respect. We've been deeply influenced by the concepts of Sabbath rest, Sabbath years, debt forgiveness, and the economic model of Jubilee that we find Deuteronomy 15, Leviticus 25, and Luke 4, especially verses 18 & 19.
Hospitality & Intentional Community
Finally, we model radical hospitality on Shane Claiborne’s Simple Way ethos of neighborly love and sustainability; embrace Tim Mackie’s narrative‑driven teaching at BibleProject to root action in shared story; cultivate curiosity through Marty Solomon’s BEMA Podcast, where asking better questions builds community; and hold fast to N. T. Wright’s vision of new creation, which inspires our hope‑driven urban ministry.
Mulching & Soil‑Building
Our gardens thrive under the Ruth Stout method of heavy, year‑round mulch—six to eight inches of organic cover that suppresses weeds, retains moisture, and nourishes soil life without ever turning the spade.
Market Gardening Philosophy
For human‑scale, high-yield production, we turn to Jean‑Martin Fortier, whose Market Gardener Institute shows how biointensive spacing, streamlined crop rotations, and the right hand tools can transform small plots into bounty generators.
Permaculture Foundations
Our systems thinking is shaped by Geoff Lawton’s global permaculture demos and PDC curriculum, Paul Wheaton’s research on rocket‑mass heaters and passive climate control, and Sepp Holzer’s Krameterhof experiments in mountain‑climate food forests. We also honor Bill Mollison, whose Designers’ Manual codified permaculture ethics and methods for a new agricultural paradigm, and Andrew Millison, whose teaching and online courses have spread practical permaculture design to thousands worldwide.
Animal Integration & Rotational Grazing
Joel Salatin’s Polyface Farms choreography of multi-species rotations teaches us to mimic natural herd movements, while Greg Judy’s multi-species grazing demonstrates how diverse livestock boosts pasture health. Allan Savory’s Holistic Management framework reminds us that decisions, not just practices, drive ecological regeneration ; and Peter Byck’s “Carbon Cowboys” films inspire with stories of ranchers capturing carbon and fostering soil biodiversity.
Passive Heating & Renewable Energy
Beyond permaculture, Paul Wheaton’s work with rocket‑mass heaters shows how compost heat and thermal mass can warm structures off-grid, a technique we adapt for year‑round crop protection.
Compost & Biogas Innovation
Drawing from Jean Pain’s groundbreaking compost‑heater and methane‑digester designs, we build large brush‑wood piles that not only heat our high tunnel but also produce biogas for low‑emission energy.
Urban Farming & Community Impact
The legacy of Will Allen and his Growing Power nonprofit taught us that even small urban plots can feed thousands, reclaiming food deserts with greenhouses, aquaponics, vermiculture, and youth training programs.
Aquaponic Inspirations
We’ve built our aquaponics on the foundation of Murray Hallam, whose Practical Aquaponics platform offers end‑to‑end guidance and supplies for both large-scale and home systems . Diana Walstad’s “Walstad Method” demonstrates how a soil‑based aquarium garden can sustain itself without mechanical filters, teaching us to balance nutrient cycles naturally . And Louis “Father Fish” Foxwell shares over seventy years of fish‑care wisdom—simple feeding, natural maintenance, and community education that grounds our approach in time‑tested practice.
By sharing these resources—books, videos, courses, and farms—we hope to equip the next generation of ministers, urban farmers, and community leaders. Dive into their work, learn from their successes and failures, and let their creativity spur you forward in cultivating both soil and souls.
Peace to you always,
Nate Hale
Roots Ministries