At Innovation Barn, kids and adults alike can learn about Envision Charlotte’s work towards a more sustainable future. Shannon Blair/UP

There is a barn in Charlotte, tucked away on Seigle Avenue in the Belmont Neighborhood, where exciting ideas about environmentalism are being sown. This is not your typical barn; it houses aquaponics and mycology labs, as well as a kitchen where visitors learn how to reduce waste through zero-waste cooking and composting. The Innovation Barn, which opened in September 2021, is a collaborative project from Envision Charlotte in partnership with the City of Charlotte, and it’s built upon a big hope: to transition Charlotte to a more sustainable future.  

The debut group to experience Shreds and Shrooms at the Innovation Barn was a diverse group, including both young people and adults, drawn to the space in various ways. Some had googled terms like “date night ideas in Charlotte” or “Charlotte sustainability.” Others were involved with Envision Charlotte or worked for the city in engineering realms and had heard about it through the grapevine. 

Fortunately, the founder of 100 Gardens, Sam Fleming, has decided to offer the event on an ongoing basis due to high interest. “Shreds and Shrooms” ticket holders will learn firsthand how a circular economy can help reduce waste — and how to play an integral role in this global initiative, right here in Charlotte.

Tilapia help fertilize plants in the aquaponic gardens. Shannon Blair/UP

• The aquaponics lab features a symbiotic relationship in action; tilapia waste provides nitrogen useful in feeding vegetable plants, and the plants’ oxygen helps filter and return clean water to the fish. Restaurant Mariposa and catering company Something Classic both support this effort by sourcing part of their produce from the lab. Fleming built the 100 Gardens concept around aquaponics as a tool to teach environmental stewardship in schools, correctional facilities, and under-resourced communities. Charlotte architect Ron Morgan encouraged Fleming from the concept’s inception. “‘Don’t run away from difficult,” Morgan advised Fleming. View the 100 Gardens TedX Talk here.
• The mycology room is another aspect of the event and invites participants to get directly involved in growing mushrooms from mycelium ground level to touring fruiting chambers, established with support from Lowe’s. Mush! owner Josh Partridge educates the public and produces gourmet and medicinal mushrooms using repurposed wood shavings from Carolina Urban Lumber, a co-tenant at the Innovation Barn. 
• The Innovation Barn’s teaching kitchen is outfitted with environmentally-conscious cookware from Electrolux. In this space, Nellie Johnston of Growing Thyme Cooking instructs adults and children alike on how to prepare a complete meal from sustainably-produced foods that is not only delicious but also nutritious. 100 percent of the meal waste, from scraps to forks, is compostable for Crown Town Compost repurposing, on site with the assistance of Black Soldier flies. 
• The experience concludes with a tour of the remaining Innovation Barn areas and a Q&A with Fleming. The Innovation Barn’s event spaces contain an impressive set of specialized plant growing systems for catering purposes. The machines use specialized software to grow just the right amount of herbs and greens needed to feed upcoming event headcounts. In the larger warehouse area, you will get a glimpse into how volunteers crush aluminum and shred plastic, which is put to good use in the 3D printing room. 

Attend the next offering of “Shreds and Shrooms” on Saturday, 6/4 from 10:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. The ticket site also includes an aquaponics tour only option if you can’t make the entire event. “Shreds and Shrooms” is also a way to get a sampling of Johnston’s Growing Thyme Cooking classes. During this part of the event, we learned how to make a delectable, hearty “Philly-Not Really-Cheesesteak” from oyster mushrooms grown right on site, paired with a fresh aquaponics lab salad. Johnston will be offering kids’ cooking classes at the Innovation Barn June through August as well. Details are below, in addition to a couple of other culinary instruction opportunities for young people this summer.

Kids’ Culinary Classes and Summer Camps

• Growing Thyme Cooking classes at the Innovation Barn with Nellie Johnston for ages 5-9 (1 hour $25) and 10+ (90 minutes $40): Tues. 6/21 “Rise and Shine,” Thurs. 7/7 “When Life Gives You Lemons,” Tues. 7/19 “Pizza Party,” and Tues. 8/9 “All about Apples.” Johnston also offers year round cooking classes for homeschoolers and adult cooking classes. 
• Idea Lab Kids culinary camps in Ballantyne kick off the week of 6/6 with “Fizz, Pop, Crackle: Culinary Chemistry and Edible Science” and run through 8/22 with other themes like “Global Cuisine” and “Storybook Cooking.” Curriculum is suitable for ages 5-7 and 8-12 with half and full day options. 
• Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen offers award-winning in person and virtual cooking classes year round, including summer camps, for children and teens. Some class formats are for parents and kids. All are hands-on with local and organic ingredients using actual cooking skills and lifelong cooking techniques. These fill up fast, so grab remaining spots now.