The week before Thanksgiving can become a time of tension, especially if the families preparing for the holiday are food insecure. Expertly timed with the growth of a new fall harvest, the expansion of Baton Roots on the grounds of Capital High on 23rd Street was primed for a food distribution event.
Teaming with Geaux Get Healthy and Capital Area American Heart Association, Baton Roots helped distribute 750 lbs of produce at Capitol High on November 21, the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Helping with the distribution, Top Box of Louisiana supplemented boxes with other kinds of produce not grown at the farm. Those wanting to gather their own greens were allowed to pick directly from the farmland, allowing for bushels to be harvested and self-distributed within families.
Baton Roots has been working exponentially since the announcement of COVID-19 to help bring food support to families and communities in need. This past year, Baton Roots has more than doubled its footprint, expanding to its full 4 acres at BREC Howell Park and satellite sites at schools including Capitol High, Glen Oaks High, and Scotlandville High School.
To make this expansion possible, Baton Roots received support from organizations and grants like Geaux Get Healthy via HealthyBR, Wilson Foundation, Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation, Cox Communications, Baton Rouge Area Foundation COVID-19 Fund via Jennifer and Sean Reilly, Healthy Blue, and Lynne Pisto.