All heroes don’t wear capes. Some of them wear farming boots and green Baton Roots T-shirts.
The Baton Roots team goes above and beyond to make fresh foods accessible to communities all over the Capital Region.
Through Sow Good Saturdays, educating locals on how to grow their own food, popping up at local farmers' markets, creating and maintaining farms in low-income neighborhoods, and partnering with local organizations and businesses combating food insecurity, Baton Roots is putting more nutritious foods into people’s hands, one seedling at a time.
Take a look at some of the impactful ways Baton Roots is directly improving food security in Baton Rouge.
Free fresh foods are available at all Baton Roots sites
Most Baton Roots farm sites are not fenced in and are accessible to the community during the parks and sites' regular hours. Locals are always welcome to harvest their own food, eat it raw or take it home and make a home-cooked meal.
Baton Roots gives food away regularly
The team puts food from the farm into Baton Rouge community fridges at Yes We Cannibal and The Red Shoes and the free fridges in EBRPHA community centers. They also offer fresh foods to the American Heart Association and Our Lady of the Lake for cooking demos and classes.
Baton Roots educates locals on how to grow their own food
At Sow Good Saturday, the Baton Roots team shows volunteers how to grow their own food with any budget. They prioritize low to no-cost gardening. The team teaches people of all economic backgrounds, ages, and stages of their growing journey. From people growing seeds in a bucket in their backyard to building a full-fledged garden, everyone can benefit from gardening knowledge.
Hustle & Grow teaches youth how to make farming a business
Students in the Hustle and Grow program get to sell plants and produce at Red Stick Farmers Market at the library on Tuesdays. Students can come to the market after school to sell seedlings and other produce from the farm sites. This gives teens a tangible way to see how farming can be a sustainable profession.
They also get to take home the profits made at the market. The food is accessible to people who use SNAP/food stamps and is even matched by a statewide program, so EBT shoppers have double the amount of money when used at Red Stick Farmers Market.
Baton Roots works with community partners for a holistic solution
The team doesn’t do it all alone. Baton Roots works closely with Top Box, Healthy BR, Geaux Get Healthy, BREC, and American Heart Association. With the help of Geaux Get Healthy, Baton Roots was able to connect with Top Box.
Now, the team is working with Top Box on an upcoming collaboration where Baton Roots will have food for sale through Top Box such as a la carte greens and curated Baton Roots boxes. Top Box also does SNAP match, so customers can get double the amount of produce. This collaboration is in the works and will be launched soon on Top Box’s website.
Want to get involved with Baton Roots? Learn more on our website.