Sow Good Saturday is a one-of-a-kind experience.
Where else can you go in Baton Rouge and take a yoga class, learn gardening tips, grow plants on a farm, watch a cooking demo with a chef, and taste delicious plant-based dishes for free?
This is exactly what happens at Sow Good Saturday on every first Saturday of the month at Baton Roots Community Farm at BREC’s Howell Park.
Local volunteers of all ages arrive at the farm dressed in active wear, ready to breathe in the fresh outdoors and get their hands dirty (with gloves of course). Gardening demos vary based on the season and what’s needed at the farm. Volunteers do everything from harvesting ripe carrots to planting wildflower seeds for the pollinators.
“People develop a better understanding of the natural world when they are actually active and engaged in those activities,” farm manager Danesha Shepherd says about Sow Good Saturday. “If we don’t take the initiative and actually show them how their food is grown, handled, and processed then how are we going to eat within the next couple of years?”
Speaking of food, Chef Traci Vincent with Geaux Get Healthy and the American Heart Association shows volunteers how to make fresh recipes right on the farm. She demonstrates how to make hot plant-based dishes like sautéed squash and quick and easy meals like salads.
Sow Good Saturday attendees get to soak in a morning of holistic wellness. At every event, there is a physical wellness component like guided yoga. Volunteers don’t have to have any yoga experience and can show up as is. Yoga mats are provided for anyone who needs them.
Baton Roots is all about providing the community with access to fresh food. At the end of every Sow Good Saturday, people can receive free or offer pay-want-you-can options for produce from the farm. Usually, volunteers leave with a handful of freebies too like seedlings, wildflower bouquets, or extra veggies.
After leaving Sow Good Saturday, you can feel a sense of hope and inspiration in the air. It’s a feeling of satisfaction and knowing that you did something good for yourself and the community.
In the words of famous anthropologist Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
Sow Good Saturday is made possible by the collaboration of partners like Geaux Get Healthy, BREC, American Heart Association, Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation & Humana Foundation, and many more! If you want to add your partnership, please email SK Groll.
Don't miss the next opportunity to feel SOW GOOD! Sign up for the next Sow Good Saturday on November 5 here.