Sometimes we’re not ready to fully experience something the first time we encounter it. That was true for me with Taproot Garden and with Home by Another Way: Harvesting Taproot Wisdom.
Every June in recent years, Iowa Faith & Climate Network has been invited to speak with the Simpson Youth Academy scholars at Taproot Garden, lovingly stewarded by Tim Diebel and his wife, Lori. In 2022, I arrived early for my first visit, met Tim, and was immediately struck by the care and intention behind every inch of their land. As I left, Tim handed me a copy of his book. It sat patiently on my shelf until this year—when I returned to Taproot—and everything felt different.
Somewhere between last spring and now, I became a gardener of mostly flowers. To my own surprise, I now Google pollinator-friendly perennials, debate birdbath options (I got one), and embrace the cottage garden aesthetic. No more grumbling about watering or weeding as I have gloves, tools, and even a gardening hat like my dad’s. When I came home from Taproot this year, the book Tim had given me called out, ready for a season when I could truly hear it.
In Home by Another Way, Tim, an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), shares how he and Lori moved from city life in a townhome to a 10-acre farmstead, creating a space of beauty, intention, and room for chickens. Reading it now, as someone who has begun to find joy in my own small patch of earth, I connected deeply with their leap into a second act of life. Faith, curiosity, and quiet persistence run through every chapter.
Reflecting on their decision, Tim writes:
“In some small way… we had gone to the land because we, too, wished to live deliberately and deeply. I don’t think we anticipated a lot of marrow sucking, but we were indeed intent on drawing from the wisdom of life’s core. If a taproot reaches down into the depths of the soil to more solidly anchor whatever stems and leafs and fruits above, and to gather richer, more remote nutrition, then a taproot was precisely what we were after. Our move felt and continues to feel like one that brings the deeper nourishment closer to hand.”
His words resonated as I thought about my own first blooms this summer—the thrill of spotting that first blossom, then seeing it explode. Tim captures growing perfectly:
“We experienced a delicious euphoria at the first tomato plucked and the companion pepper snipped. But it doesn’t pay to overly indulge in self-congratulation. A garden, I have learned, is like a river—always moving, always in motion, or maybe a glacier, given the almost imperceptible pace, but moving nonetheless.”
Though Tim’s roots are in Christianity and he often quotes scripture, his reflections are offered through a broad and inclusive Christian lens. He draws from a wide range of authors and voices that have inspired and shaped his journey that make the book accessible to readers of many backgrounds. This isn’t simply a story of moving to a farm; it’s a spiritual journey from pulpit to prairie.
Reading Home by Another Way felt like walking around Taproot Garden and seeing intentional choices in each perennial, sensing the patient work behind every thriving plant, and knowing those choices grew from values deeply rooted in care for our shared planet. It’s the same feeling I’ve begun to experience in my own garden, even if mine is far smaller in scale.
This book would be fantastic for a church book club or adult Sunday school class. Stay tuned for an Iowa Faith & Climate Network announcement—we’ll be sharing an easy way for groups to connect with the author directly.
Possible book club discussion questions:
- What part of Tim and Lori’s journey resonated most with you?
- What small steps could you take to grow your own nourishment at home?
- In what ways have you experienced wonder and awe in your own garden—or in someone else’s?
- And, to Tim’s own question: What can you grow yourself?
In the end, Tim’s request is simple: grow something. It could be a small vegetable garden, a pot of herbs on your deck, or a single tomato plant by your back door. Open yourself to the lessons that come from nurturing life—you never know how it might change you.
Interested in reading the book? You can find copies through Taproot Garden’s website.
Curious about the Simpson Youth Academy? It’s a year-long faith and leadership formation program for high school students, hosted by Simpson College. It gathers young people from across Iowa to explore how their faith connects to their passions and callings through summer residency, ongoing mentorship, and community-based projects. Check out their website to learn more.