Cultivating Resilience: Active Grow Supports the 2025 Organic Growers School Spring Conference
Cultivating Resilience: Active Grow Supports the 2025 Organic Growers School Spring Conference
Cultivating Resilience: Active Grow Supports the 2025 Organic Growers School Spring Conference
Seattle, WA – 06/12/25 – At Active Grow, we believe that empowering people with the tools to grow food—no matter the season or setting—is one of the most powerful ways to build stronger communities. That’s why we were proud to sponsor the 2025 Organic Growers School (OGS) Spring Conference in Asheville, NC, held under the inspiring theme of Resilience, Recovery, and Renewal.
Impact of Hurricane Helene
This year’s event went beyond education. It served as a rallying point for farmers, gardeners, and food justice advocates throughout the Southern Appalachian region as they worked together to recover from the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene and imagine a more sustainable, prepared, and inclusive food future.
Supporting Recovery Through Scholarships & Equipment
🌱 Scholarship Fund – Active Grow provided funding for students affected by the hurricane to attend the conference and participate in the Farm Beginnings® program, helping them rebuild their farming careers with essential skills and mentorship.
Donation to Warren Wilson College Agricultural Program
🌱 Grow Tent Donation – Active Grow donated a 3-Tier Walden White LED Grow Tent Kit, designed for year-round leafy greens and vegetable production, to Warren Wilson university that is a partner of the Organic Growers School. This tent will serve as an educational tool and resource for students working to restore local food systems.
These contributions helped OGS deliver on its mission—to provide not just knowledge, but real tools to help communities recover and thrive.
Why Indoor Growing Matters: Insight from Ben Hartman
Renowned farmer and author Ben Hartman, one of this year’s featured speakers, emphasized the role of grow tents in supporting resilience during unpredictable seasons:
“In the middle of winter, it’s expensive to heat a greenhouse or propagation house. With a grow tent in a conditioned room, it’s cheaper to run LED lights than pay for outside heat. Plus, you can create perfect conditions and cycle crops quickly. The result is high-quality, luscious green plants.”
– Ben Hartman, @claybottomfarm
Active Grow's 3-Tier Walden Grow Tent Kit was designed precisely for that purpose—offering growers a cost-effective, energy-efficient way to extend their seasons, grow indoors, and stay productive even during difficult times.
A Community of Support
This year’s OGS Spring Conference was more than a gathering of growers—it was a celebration of mutual aid, shared knowledge, and community healing. From soil remediation workshops to cultural foodways discussions and seed sovereignty sessions, the event provided space for both skill-building and solidarity.
Real Impact: Maddie's Journey
Through Active Grow's support, graduates like Maddie McCann are transforming their knowledge into action. A recent Farm Beginnings® alum, Maddie is now Agriculture Manager at Veterans Healing Farm, where she helps heal veterans through organic agriculture.
“Farm Beginnings® gave me an invaluable second tier of knowledge beyond just ag production — I wouldn’t be here without it.” – Maddie McCann
Her journey is a powerful example of how investing in people creates ripple effects across entire communities.
Learn More & Get Involved
Active Grow is honored to continue supporting Organic Growers School as they help growers rise from adversity, restore their farms, and cultivate a brighter, more resilient future for all.
Visit Organic Growers School to learn more or support their work.
Explore the 3-Tier Walden Tent Kits: Grow Tents, Ventilation & Bundles
Together, we’re not just growing plants—we’re growing hope.
By supporting young farmers, new gardeners, and future food leaders, OGS continues to plant the seeds of a more just and resilient food future—and we’re proud to be a part of that growth.