Root Skills is a community-led food sovereignty project based in Riverport, Nova Scotia. Funded through Feed Nova Scotia's Community Food Sovereignty Program, it brings together neighbours, mentors, and experts to dramatically increase the amount of locally grown food using innovative, climate-smart growing methods — and to share that knowledge so it keeps spreading.

We know the challenges well: rocky, acidic soils; a short growing season; unpredictable rainfall and temperatures; deer, insects, and plant disease. Root Skills tackles these head-on with proven technology, hands-on workshops, and a mentorship network that makes growing food less daunting and more rewarding.

The program focuses on vegetables, fruits, berries, and nuts — the essentials for building a more resilient, self-reliant local food system. Our goal is to create shovel-ready projects participants can build and replicate, reducing our community's dependency on imported food.