Something meaningful happens when people step onto Rooted Ginger Farm. They experience something very different from the overstimulation of our fast-paced digital world. They discover a kinship with nature and nourishment for their souls.
Farm founder Linda Birr ’01, a graduate of JBU’s family and human services program, said she hears it time and again.
“I think we’ve lost ourselves. In the sense that we’re natural beings and something happens in working with nature,” she said. “There’s this beautiful connection.”
She’s seen everyday miracles unfold on the farm — from teenage volunteers who start begrudgingly but soon have smiles on their faces, to elderly volunteers who experience a renewed sense of purpose and more.
“The most consistent thing people say is ‘Wow, there’s just so much peace here. Peace and purpose,’” Birr said. “It makes me so happy to hear that.”
Rooted Ginger Farm, situated on a half-acre of land off Highway 16 in Siloam Springs, features a garden, chicken coop, worm farm, growing room and a high tunnel — a metal frame covered by plastic sheeting that utilizes passive solar heating to extend the growing season. Birr said that as a nonprofit, the farm has many facets, but its primary emphasis is on food and people.
Seasonally, the garden produces a variety of crops, including sweet potatoes, squash, zucchini, turnips, radishes, cabbage, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, zinnias and dahlias, among others.
“I grow according to the season,” Birr said. “I’m the type of grower that wants to pump as much produce out of the ground as possible. So, I try everything. We’ve grown up to 60 varieties of vegetables and flowers so far.”
The farm offers a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, sharing produce with volunteers, older adults, neighbors and a homeless community of 12 people located nearby.
“The farm is driven by the community, and I facilitate it,” Birr said. “Anyone who wants to come and help can. Rooted Ginger Farm is about offering a space for people to connect with nature and growing.”
By October, Rooted Ginger Farm’s annual output reached 250 food bundles and more than 100 floral bouquets. Community volunteers had clocked over 1,000 hours.
Included in that volunteer force are JBU students from the Seed & Soul CAUSE ministry.
In August 2023, Emily Blackwell ’24 served at Birr’s farm with her orientation group during Serve Siloam — an event where student groups disperse to serve at various locations across Siloam Springs.
A member of JBU’s Student Ministry Leadership Team (SMLT) was also there and suggested creating a CAUSE ministry to serve regularly at the farm. Seed & Soul was born.
“Seed & Soul is a community of students who love to serve God’s people by working at Rooted Ginger Farm to cultivate produce especially for homeless people and those who can’t leave their homes,” said Ana Amaya, sophomore biology major and coleader of Seed & Soul.
Seed & Soul members volunteer each Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. The ministry typically has six to 10 consistent members who assist Birr with whatever she needs that week — weeding, mulching, planting or harvesting.
“The farm is an awesome place to connect with others and serve God,” said Sarah Schaefer, also a sophomore biology student and coleader. “I love being able to hear people’s stories while working outside in God’s creation. Linda is always so full of energy and willing to share her wealth of knowledge with anyone.”
Birr said Seed & Soul members are the most unique of all her volunteers, because they are the most committed, volunteering for 13 weeks each semester.
“I love volunteers like Seed & Soul who come consistently because they see the growth,” Birr said. “They see, ‘Oh my gosh, I helped you plant this and now three months later I’m harvesting it.’”
For Seed & Soul students, serving at Rooted GingerFarm also comes with a few perks, like leek and potato soup and zucchini chocolate bread.
“I have a special place for JBU students in this ministry,” Birr said. “I always tell them that if it weren’t for them,
Rooted Ginger Farm would not be here. There’s no way it could be.”
Birr said God gave her a vision to grow, and in 2020, she started a garden in Siloam Springs. After five years of learning, growth and transition, the garden came under her sole leadership in February 2025 and became Rooted Ginger Farm, which operates as a nonprofit.
The name is inspired partially by Birr’s red hair and her love of ginger. “Rooted” came from the fact that Birr said she had to remain grounded and rooted in Jesus and who she believed she was created to be while facing the challenges of establishing the farm.
For the future of the community farm, Birr plans to include more educational opportunities and opportunities for the community to serve.
“I’ve really been praying about this coming year,” Birr said. “Not only do I want the farm to give people peace and purpose, but I also want to pass a baton, if you will — ‘Now it’s your turn. Now you get to go home with this knowledge and grow your own garden.’”
Birr plans to provide winter workshops to help people prepare for spring planting. In these workshops, she’ll teach about the various needs of different plants and help people plan a successful garden based on what they want to grow and eat.
Instagram: @rootedgingerfarm
Follow Seed & Soul on IG: @seed.and.soul.jbu