OneRouge Community Check-In: Week 249
- OneRouge
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
The Road to the 250th Call!
As part of The Root of It All series, OneRouge hosted a special community call titled “From Soil to Supper”, featuring a virtual farm tour led by Mitchell from Baton Roots. Broadcasting from BREC’s Howell Park, Mitchell walked attendees through the seasonal crops and composting efforts happening on-site, giving everyone a closer look at how Baton Roots is creating sustainable, community-powered food systems.
The call also highlighted two exciting Baton Roots programs shared by SK: Hustle and Grow, which engages youth in urban agriculture and environmental leadership, and the newly launched Agroforestry Apprenticeship Program, which offers up to 18 months of paid training in horticulture, arboriculture, and sustainability careers. Both programs aim to build community resilience while connecting people to green job pathways.
To close out the call, host Jordan asked attendees to dream up new ideas that could boost food access or sustainability in their own neighborhoods. From city-wide composting and school gardens to produce swaps and community fridges, the ideas were abundant and inspiring. The event wrapped with an invitation to join Earth Day at Baton Roots on April 19 and the OneRouge Environmental Summit immediately after—two great chances to keep the momentum going.
Notes
Meeting Notes
Zoom Meeting Notes Series Title: The Root of It All – From Soil to Supper
Host: Jordan, OneRouge Community Call Facilitator
Date: 4/11/25
Location: Virtual (Zoom); featured on-site segment from Baton Roots Community Farm at BREC Howell Park
🌿 Opening Segment: Farm Tour with Baton Roots
Presenter: Mitchell Provensal, Associate Director of Agroforestry, Baton Roots Overview:
Led a virtual tour of the Baton Roots Community Farm at BREC Howell Park.
Highlighted current seasonal vegetables growing on-site.
Discussed the farm's composting program, explaining how it reduces waste and improves soil health.
Emphasized the importance of agroecological systems in urban community settings.
🌱 Program Spotlight: Baton Roots Initiatives
Presenter: SK Groll, Associate Director of Planning & Evaluation, Baton Roots Program Highlights:
Hustle and Grow
A youth engagement initiative focusing on environmental stewardship, sustainability, and urban agriculture.
Designed to offer hands-on learning and leadership development.
Agroforestry Apprenticeship Program
In partnership with Baton Rouge Green and other organizations.
Offers 18 months of education, field training, and job readiness in horticulture, arboriculture, and urban agriculture.
Includes a stipend for apprentices.
Launched in January 2025.
Focused on equipping individuals for community-based green careers and initiatives.
💬 Community Engagement Question
Prompt by Jordan: “If you could launch one community idea or project that would improve healthy eating, access to food, or sustainability in your neighborhood — what would it be called, and what would it do?”
Community Responses Included:
City-Wide Composting: A scalable waste-to-resource program.
Planting for Our Children’s Future: School-based gardening education.
Make It Stretch: Weekly social media series pairing fresh farm produce with affordable meal planning.
Access to Adjudicated Lots: Convert vacant land into community gardens or farming ventures.
Grow a Veggie-Table: A call for all who can to contribute to food growing efforts.
The Dinner Party: A multi-generational gathering for recipe exchange, myth-busting, and relationship building around food.
Community Fridges: Increasing access to shared fresh food storage and distribution.
Produce/Plant/Seed Swap: Localized resource exchange to foster home gardening.
Grow Old South BR / President Street Produce: A vision for a neighborhood community garden inspired by familial and historic roots.
Recycle, Repurpose, Reuse Program: An initiative promoting creative sustainability in everyday life.
Baton Roots Community Potluck: A shared community meal event celebrating local food and culture.
Solitary Gardens Location in Baton Rouge: Inspired by https://solitarygardens.org – connecting gardening with social justice and solitary confinement awareness.
Gardening & Home Economics in Schools: Advocating for curriculum changes to return to food and life skill basics.
📣 Community Announcements & Closing
Upcoming Events Shared by Jordan:
Walls Project Earth Day 2025 📍 Location: Baton Roots Community Farm, BREC Howell Park 📅 Date & Time: April 19th | 9 AM – 2 PM
OneRouge Environmental Summit 📍 Location: Same location as Earth Day 📅 Time: 2 PM – 4 PM
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