At UF/IFAS Extension in Brevard County, growth doesn’t just happen in the garden—it happens in people. The Roots to Work program brings education, hands-on experience, and community connection together to create meaningful opportunities for young adults with disabilities.
Developed through Florida AgrAbility – UF/IFAS, Roots to Work is more than an agricultural program. It provides a pathway to independence, confidence, and real-world skills through the simple but powerful act of working with plants.
Learning by Doing
During weekly classes from January through April, participants spend time both in the classroom and outdoors in the Brevard Discovery Garden, an industry-certified nursery and teaching garden, building skills through hands-on experience. Along the way, they also explore agricultural careers and connect with their community.
They learn to:
- Propagate and care for plants
- Identify plant parts and their functions
- Recognize the roles of insects
- Maintain growing spaces through watering, mulching, and weeding
In 2026, participants helped design and care for their own garden plots—applying what they learned and gaining confidence as they watched their garden transform from a patch of grass to a lush plot filled with flowers and vegetables.
More Than Gardening
Roots to Work focuses not only on horticulture, but also on building everyday life and workforce skills. With support from Extension staff, Master Gardeners, and volunteers, each participant grows at their own pace. With individual guidance from the dedicated team, participants develop essential skills such as communication, teamwork, responsibility, problem-solving, and independence.
Growing Confidence
Since launching in 2025, the program has made a strong impact. Many participants used their gardening skills at home, returned for a second year, volunteered in other Extension programs, and encouraged others to join.
April, a returning participant, reflects the program’s success. She now volunteers with additional Extension programs including 4-H, and food and nutrition classes. Bridging together her passions for nutrition and gardening, April introduced the 2026 Roots to Work class to sampling healthy recipes, based on freshly grown produce. Whether she’s mixing soil for plants, or oil for salad dressing, her enthusiasm is contagious and spills over to the rest of the participants and entire team.
After one class, her mom shared:
“April hasn’t stopped talking about how happy she is to be working as part of the team… A fun day today!”
Her experience highlights the impact of Roots to Work on the participants, building not just skills, but connection and purpose.
Strengthening Our Community
Participants contribute to Extension programs by helping with landscaping, plant sales, outreach events, and 4‑H activities. During the spring plant sale, attendees could view the participants’ garden plot, purchase their plants, and find out more about the program by conversing directly with participants. These shared experiences create strong connections between participants, families, staff, and volunteers.
Sandy, a Roots to Work team member and Master Gardener volunteer, sums it up best:
“I see it as a seed we planted that grew into something beautiful.”
Families also see lasting benefits. One noted the program helped their participant gain confidence, independence, and friendships—while discovering a love for gardening.
Looking Ahead
Roots to Work continues to grow annually and is building capacity to expand to additional sites. By helping participants develop agricultural skills, gain self-confidence, and create a sense of belonging, Florida AgrAbility supports pathways to introduce adults with disabilities to opportunities in agriculture.
For more information:
- Roots to Work, contact Dr. Vanessa Spero at vspero@ufl.edu.
- Florida AgrAbility, contact fl-agrability@ufl.edu or (352) 294-3068.
- Brevard County Extension, contact brevard@ifas.ufl.edu or (321) 633-1702.
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