ABOUT FROM THE ROOTS
One garden. One conviction.
A growing community.
THE STORY
From The Roots did not begin with a plan. It began with a garden.
Poornima Magadevan — technologist, author, artist, and steward — started growing her own food as a personal practice. What began as curiosity became conviction: that the most powerful act of environmental care available to any of us is to grow something, tend something, and share what we know.
The garden became Punarvana — a living practice of care, observation and sustenance. And from Punarvana, From the Roots grew. Because what was true in one garden needed to be true in many.
The initiative began with a simple offer: free seeds and guidance for anyone who wanted to start growing. That offer found people who needed it — families seeking food security, schools wanting living classrooms, communities looking for a reason to gather. Hundreds of gardens later, the conviction has only deepened.
WHAT WE BELIEVE
Food freedom is a right, not a privilege. Every family deserves access to fresh, self-grown food. We work to make that possible — one seed, one garden, one season at a time.
Knowledge grows from the roots. We believe the deepest understanding of food comes from growing it yourself. Our programs are rooted in experience, not instruction.
Gardens build communities. A garden is never just a garden. It is a gathering place, a classroom, a conversation starter, and a quiet act of shared commitment.
Sustainability begins at home. The smallest garden contributes to a larger ecological balance. We encourage practices that work with nature — not against it.
THE GARDEN WHERE IT LIVES
Punarvana is Poornima's personal garden — the place where the mission of From the Roots is practised every day. It is a garden of observation, experimentation, and seasonal rhythm. What grows there informs what From The Roots shares with the community — from seed saving techniques to seasonal growing guidance.
The insights from Punarvana are shared through The Dialogue on poornimamagadevan.com — a quiet record of garden mornings and the living threads that connect food, culture and creativity.
THE FOUNDER
Poornima Magadevan is a technologist with over twenty-five years of industry experience, an author, an artist, and a steward based in the Pacific Northwest. She founded From The Roots out of a personal belief that communities become more resilient when they grow their own food.
From The Roots is one of four pillars of her broader practice — alongside her literary work, her creative studio Poorni's Artistry, and her personal platform at poornimamagadevan.com.
THOSE WHO MAKE IT POSSIBLE
From The Roots is a 100% volunteer-led initiative. We are grateful to the seed donors, partner organizations and community supporters who make the work possible.
From The Roots is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organisation. All donations are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. EIN: 87-3664838
Seed Donors Burpee Gardening · Osborne Quality Seeds · Hudson Seeds · Victory Seed Company · Ferry Morse · Hope Seeds Inc. · Sow True Seeds · and many other Seed Donors
Partner Organizations From the Roots is a registered seed hub with the Cooperative Gardens Commission. Learn More About CGC → http://www.coopgardens.com/