Joining the Baton Roots team this summer is Kiarah Craft, an avid urban agriculture enthusiast. Kiarah enjoys connecting people to the food they are eating through education and hands-on training.
Kiarah has spent an extensive amount of time learning about growing food, as she is getting her Masters's degree in Horticulture. She first gained academic interest in this when she joined the plant club during her undergrad at Texas A&M University-San Antonio, but she's always loved nature and plants. Kiarah spent a lot of time in the garden with her grandmother when she was younger, and contributes that connection to where her core interest in it developed.
Kiarah became interested in the training Baton Roots is doing when she was TAing for the Sustainable Agriculture class at LSU. Kiarah kept returning as she began to see Baton Roots Program Coordinators Mitchell Provensal and SK Groll in the same horticulture circles and saw the alignment in the work with her thesis research.
Kiarah wants to help develop a more sustainable food system in Baton Rouge, specifically, encouraging more horticulture in North Baton Rouge and areas that are food deserts. For those just getting into Urban Agriculture, Kiarah would encourage them to volunteer with Baton Roots, and other local organizations that are growing within the city. Learning with others creates a community that respects and elevates each other in the learning process.
To meet Kiarah and other like-minded Urban Ag enthusiasts, visit Baton Roots on Sow Good Saturdays, every first Saturday of the month.