Silver City, July 17— On Monday, July 23, from 5-7 pm, The Commons: Center for Food Security and Sustainability (501 E. 13th Street in Silver City) will be hosting a Garden Soiree and ROOTED Showcase. "ROOTED: Youth Growing Change" is a summer internship program that teaches the ins and outs of food-related economy, from growing to cooking to selling, creating business plans, and more. As the internship comes to a close, this year’s interns will be sharing what they’ve learned, as well as serving home-baked pizza and homegrown salads. The creative Garden Hat contest and a raffle featuring prizes left over from the recent Uncommonly Good Auction will add to the fun and excitement of this summer celebration.

"We've learned a lot about gardening, food handling, customer service, and more, all while having lots of fun," says Zeke Dominguez, an enthusiastic ROOTED intern. Kristin Lundgren, coordinator of the program, urges the community to come out and show their support. "The ROOTED program teaches our youth about local food economy by giving them experience in the garden, kitchen, and at market, in hopes that they'll be inspired to grow as entrepreneurs themselves," says Lundgren. ROOTED is a successful example of the types of community education programs offered at The Commons, and the Garden Soiree is a fun and easy way to support a great cause.

The Commons: Center for Food Security and Sustainability is a 501(c)(3) organization. For more information, call Kristin at 575-388-2988, or email kristin@tvcgrantcounty.org.