Yes we have Avocados and Mangoes!

[slideshow] We get an awful lot of work done on garden work days for sure.  But what really makes us happy is seeing who shows up on a Saturday to toil in the garden.  Staff and students from Jefferson High always rally to join.  They sometimes surprise themselves to find how much they dig (pardon the pun) being among the chilies, squash and tomato vines on a weekend morning.

This month we were particularly pleased to see families show up together.  Lisbeth, who comes to our Thursday after school cooking classes accompanied by her mother and sisters, also brought her father to the work day.  He teamed up with our newest horticultural staff member, Jasan Givens, to relocate a VERY stubborn rosemary mountain - you couldn't really call it a bush -  that thing was huge!.

Our new friend, Ozabe Banks, owner of Money Saver's Meats, stopped by with his son, Obi after a morning baseball game.  They got to work clearing weeds and planting lettuce and they must have had a little fun because Ozabe called us out of the blue the following Saturday - "Hey, are you guys out in the garden again today?"

So just what do we do during a RootDown LA garden work day?  Our horticultural programs manager, Ali Bhai, reported on the following (he forgot to mention the yummy eggs, toast, fruit salad and homemade salsa RootDown youth leaders made to feed the hungry gardeners!)

- Planted 2 avocado trees (Haas and Zutano) - Planted 1 mango tree  (WE REPEAT - WE NOW HAVE AVOS and MANGOES!!!!) - Harvested remains of spring and summer crops - tomatoes, serrano peppers, and cucumbers - went home with volunteers - Cut back overgrown rosemary bush (mountain) giving bunches away to volunteers - Cleared, reamended soil with worm castings (poop), and planted lettuce, spinach, collards, cabbage, green onions, broccoli, radishes, sugar snap peas and winter squash - Last but not least we weeded and mulched walkways

Thanks to everyone who came out to help us increase the supply of fruits and veggies in our neighborhood!

RootDown's First Produce "Sale" at the Ralph Bunche House

[slideshow] Here's a huge high five to the crew of young people who joined RootDown LA this summer as we continued to refine our horticultural and entrepreneurial training program.  Over an eight week period, these folks learned the skills it takes to install a market garden and return the garden bounty to our neighbors.

Our own Ali Bhai reports:

The students canvassed the neighborhood (door-to-door produce deliveries, putting up posters on Central Ave.), prepped produce bags, harvested, cooked, ate and bonded on the last day.  It was great.  We even attracted some eager youngsters from the neighborhood who were self-motivated to take our produce bags to the homes on 40th place and tell the residents to support RootDown.  We made $26.50 in donations - not bad for Serrano peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, squash, and a couple melons!

We look forward to more produce "sales" where we produce locally grown crops and ask our neighbors to donate what they can to RootDown in exchange for some of the most flavorful, nutrient rich produce around!

RootDown at Eat Real

[slideshow] Sweet!  Our friend and super amazing volunteer, Sanjay Gupta, agreed to write a little something on RootDown LA's experience participating in LA's first annual Eat Real festival - where folks gather to taste and make favorite street foods, all with tasty, local, and fresh ingredients .

Sanjay writes:

The first Eat Real LA festival was a great success for RootDown LA!  Our 4 youth leaders/chefs, Andreas, Ana, Mariela and Celia, cooked up delightful $3 quesadilla plates that were a huge hit with the food seeking crowds!  As the only non-foodtruck vendor in the immediate area, RootDown was inundated by patrons who came flocking to the table excited to see their food being cooked right in front of them.  Healthy food, chock full of veggies at an affordable price!

As usual, the typical parent pleading, "You better eat your veggies" scenario was reversed - at RootDown we've got kids getting the adults to eat their veggies!

Those customers who stuck around to learn more about RootDown LA's work in South LA were rewarded a delightful taste of farmer Phil McGrath's organic strawberries, tomatoes and summer squash.  Mmmmm.   Thanks  McGrath Family Farm, for the produce.  And, thanks to Whole Foods, who ponied up and donated tortillas to our veggie eating cause!

RootDown LA - getting kids to get other kids to eat (and now grow) their veggies!