With the continuing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and an unexpected hard freeze to boot, spring has looked a little different this year in the Baton Rouge area. Despite these challenges, Baton Roots has continued to flourish as we approach peak growing season in Louisiana.
In early February, Baton Roots and the East Baton Rouge Housing Authority began a joint effort to establish 84 raised beds at EBRHA sites across the city. As of today, beds have been built out at six of the eleven sites cited for installation. Produce grown at each site is available to residents of the affordable housing communities, providing access to nutritious food in areas designated as “food deserts”. Following the deep freeze across the city, Baton Roots also partnered with Top Box Foods Louisiana to offer locally grown greens at the Healthy Corner Store Collaborative.
In March, Baton Roots partnered with the Volunteer Youth Corps of Baton Rouge for “The Butterfly Effect” YVC Day, instilling the importance of community gardens in young volunteers who in turn helped fill garden beds with river silt and compost for the Turner Plaza housing complex.
Continuing through the month, Hustle & Grow students at our Capitol High and Glen Oaks satellite farms practiced fresh food preparation skills like washing, processing, and packing produce bags of carrots, beets, and bib lettuce to donate to partners...and naturally did a few taste tests of the veggies themselves!
With continued support from organizations including the Rotary Club, NEA Our Town, BRAF, Healthy Blue, Cox Communications, Sprouts Neighborhood, and Aetna/CVS, Baton Roots and Hustle & Grow remain a vital asset to combating food insecurity in our neighborhoods.
Want to get involved? Volunteers are essential to the growth of each Baton Roots site. You can volunteer with us today at batonrootsvolunteer.paperform.co/
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