Happy Roots seeks volunteer help for largest greenhouse yet

Published 12:05 am Sunday, November 14, 2021

SALISBURY — Nonprofit Happy Roots is seeking volunteer help and donations for its biggest greenhouse project yet.

Happy Roots is a Rowan County-based nonprofit that provides nature-based education, particularly in local schools. It began in 2017 with one school greenhouse and a community park. Now, it’s working with 20 Rowan-Salisbury schools as well as neighborhood, community and retirement home gardens. Ashley Honbarrier, who leads the nonprofit, says she was able to purchase a 30-foot-by-96-foot greenhouse at a steep discount from a local seller.

Honbarrier is hoping to set it up a several-minute drive from its current location and use it partially to grow vegetable transplants for school gardens. Because it’s so large, she’ll also be able to fill it with other Happy Roots projects.

So far, she’s purchased new plastic, ground cover and other items to install the greenhouse off of Potneck Road. She’s working with West Rowan High School to get some student volunteers and hopes people who have experience in skilled trades are willing to donate their time, too. All told, she estimates the relocation and setup will take several half-days of work.

She’s also raising money to pay for various greenhouse-associated expenses. The equipment purchased last week came at a cost of $2,565.

To contact Honbarrier and Happy Roots about volunteering, email happyrootsinfo@gmail.com. To view the online fundraiser for Happy Roots, visit gofund.me/f4839df0.