Rooted in Culture

Grounded in Community
Growing Future Food Leaders

Roots to Growth began in 2023 with a simple belief: young people thrive when they understand the power of food, the wisdom of the land, and the richness of their cultural stories.

What started as a youth program in culinary arts, gardening, and nutrition quickly grew into something deeper.

As we worked with students, families, farmers, and community partners across North Carolina, we kept hearing stories, many of these stories about food traditions, land loss, cultural identity, and the need for spaces where youth could feel connected, confident, and proud of where they come from.

We realized that food education was not just about skills.

It was about belonging, identity, culture, and community.

Our work began expanding naturally:

• from teaching recipes to exploring foodways.
• from planting gardens to understanding land stewardship.
• from youth workshops to documenting the stories that shape our communities.

This evolution led to a broader vision:
to prepare young people to become leaders in food, land, culture, and community storytelling.

Today, Roots to Growth is a youth-centered food systems education organization that blends culinary learning, agriculture, nutrition, and media storytelling. Through hands-on experiences and culturally grounded curriculum, we help youth discover who they are, where they come from, and how they can shape the future through food and land.

Our programs continue to grow, but the heart of our work remains the same: connecting youth to nourishment, of mind, body, land, culture, and community.

Meet Our Founder

Chef Brittany Turner-Pittman

Educator, Storyteller, Food Systems Innovator

Brittany Turner is a chef, journalist, and food systems educator whose work sits at the intersection of food, land, culture, and community.

With two decades of experience in the culinary arts and a lifelong commitment to cultural foodways, she founded Roots to Growth to reimagine how young people learn through food and storytelling.

A graduate of Johnson & Wales University, Brittany has spent her career teaching families and communities how nourishment, tradition, and creativity shape well-being. Her passion for documenting food culture led her to become a Humanity in Action Democracy Fellow, where she studied global food systems across Germany and Europe. This experience deepened her belief that food is not just something we eat, it is a bridge to history, identity, and belonging.

In 2018, Brittany launched Sprouts & Spice Academy, a youth program blending culinary arts, nutrition education, gardening, and cultural food traditions. The program has reached thousands of young people across North Carolina, helping them build skills, confidence, and pride in their cultural roots.

In 2023, she expanded her storytelling work by creating the Soulful Seeds Podcast, a documentary-style platform sharing the stories of Black farmers, youth, chefs, culture keepers, and community leaders shaping the future of food. Her work highlights the powerful connection between land, culture, and community nourishment.

As Roots to Growth evolved, Brittany saw a growing need: young people wanted deeper connection to their heritage, the land, and each other. In response, she expanded the organization into a youth-centered food systems education initiative grounded in culture, creativity, and community leadership.

Today, Brittany leads Roots to Growth with a vision to prepare the next generation of food leaders, young people who understand food not only as a skill, but as a pathway to identity, storytelling, land stewardship, and social impact.



Her mission is to help youth discover who they are and who they can become through the power of food, land, and culture.

Why We Exist

Young people today are surrounded by food, yet disconnected from food systems, cultural food traditions, and the land. Communities are rich with knowledge, but students often lack opportunities to explore food, agriculture, and culture in meaningful, hands-on ways.

Roots to Growth exists to close that gap — creating spaces where youth learn through food, discover their cultural stories, and build the skills to lead in their communities and beyond.

What We Believe

We believe food is a teacher.

We believe culture carries wisdom.

We believe land connects us to our stories and our future.

We believe learning should be joyful, hands-on, and rooted in community

We believe storytelling helps young people honor where they come from.

We believe every child deserves spaces that nurture creativity, identity, and belonging

We believe youth are not just participants, they are leaders shaping the future of food and land.

Our Approach

Roots to Growth blends culinary arts, agriculture, nutrition, and storytelling into a culturally grounded learning model that helps youth learn through experience, connection, and community.

We teach students to explore food and land not only as skills, but as pathways to identity, creativity, and leadership. Our approach honors cultural traditions, uplifts community knowledge, and creates hands-on learning environments where youth feel seen, supported, and inspired to grow.

Through cooking, gardening, cultural storytelling, and place-based education, students build practical skills while deepening their understanding of who they are and where they come from.

Our programs connect youth to local farms, community partners, and culture keepers, helping them see themselves as part of a larger story, one rooted in land, heritage, and community care.

Our Core Values

Community First

We believe young people thrive when learning is rooted in strong, connected communities.

Nourishment as Education

Food, nutrition, and land-based learning are powerful tools for growth, wellness, and lifelong skills.

Cultural Heritage

We honor the foods, traditions, stories, and cultural knowledge that sustain our communities and shape identity.

Youth Leadership

Young people are leaders, creators, and storytellers with the power to shape the future of food and land.

Join Us in Growing Healthier Futures

Join Roots to Growth in empowering youth through culturally grounded food, garden, nutrition, and storytelling education.