A corner market garden - talk about local food!

[slideshow] Since we launched RootDown LA over four years ago, we've viewed our work through something of a "supply and demand" paradigm.  We'd heard about corner store conversion projects in South LA and always wondered, is the demand being built to meet the increase in fresh produce folks want to bring into these corner stores?

RootDown launched initial programming to focus on the demand side of food systems change.  First and foremost, if we want to sell more veggies, we have to get people to eat more veggies.  We do this through after-school and community cooking classes, Healthy Food Tastings, and our new Service Learning project, teaching high school students the tricks to make veggies taste better, then helping them bust the myths that healthy food is too nasty, expensive or inconvenient to eat every day.

In 2011, RootDown LA also started addressing the supply side of food systems change - we are now engaging youth in the growing of fresh produce, through our in-school and residential gardens and neighborhood compost program.

We were honored last year, to be invited to connect with the Community Market Conversion (CMC) program, and other local food orgs. in South Los Angeles, that recognize the importance of engaging the community to support increases of fresh produce in our neighborhoods.

While participating in planning talks with the CMC program, we got excited about the idea of creating a supply of produce right where it would meet consumer demand - directly at the market.  Money Saver's Meats owner, Ozabe Banks, jumped on the idea and invited us to break ground at his store. Since winter, we have brought on three local youth to amend the soil, build raise beds, and help grow and promote the same kind of fresh foods Mr. Banks wants to sell through the market.

Thanks to the Clif Bar Family Foundation who just gave us a small grant to keep this project growing.  We intend to build a model to figure out more ways we can engage local high school youth in a market-centered neighborhood local food program.

The youth are the future of RootDown LA

In the past year, we've more than doubled our staff to include five youth interns who have come through our various culinary, nutrition and horticulture programs. They will be the ones to transform their communities, helping their peers, parents and neighbors to get back in the habit of eating tasty, affordable fresh food every day.Gerrardo Ruiz

Gerry isn't actually drinking that Coke. He's washing the rust off his skate board bearings. Really. Gerry and his sister, Lilly got roped in to the Ralph Bunche House one day as they were walking by.  Now, they both know how to make apple sauce and Gerry uses that skateboard to get himself to his new job, tending the Jefferson garden and collecting compost from our neighbors on 40th Place.  Gerry also teaches drumming to local school kids and is learning an awful lot about nutrition and dirt from Chopin.

Ana Torres has been with us since day one at Jefferson High. She's  currently designing a cooking class for teen parents and training with Jorge Nuno, of the NTS Creative Group, to help create a social media campaign promoting a new program we've been funded to launch in the Central Avenue Corridor - Instant Recess.  Ana brilliantly juggles her work with us with her busy life as a successful high school senior.

Jasan Givens came to us from the CRCD workforce program last summer to partake in our second Horticultural and Entrepreneurial Training program.  He's using his already considerable landscaping knowledge to assist with all garden design and maintenance. Jasan has also reluctantly agreed to get roped into the culinary side of things where, (he's finally conceded) he WILL learn to like his veggies.  (Check him out on his first foray into our demand-side programming.)  When he's not excelling with us, Jasan produces mad musical beats we get to listen to while we cook.

Karen Ramirez admits she didn't quite know what to think of us when we launched early programming at Jefferson High her senior year. Where were we headed with all those veggies?  Stick with us! We promised good things were in store.  Today, Karen is a key part of our programming team.  This summer, she impressed us all when she spent three weeks in the dry hills above Ojai, earning a Permaculture certification, which she'll use to plant native landscapes back in her neighborhood.  Karen is pursuing a degree in psychology at East LA College.

You've likely seen him before. "Chopin!" we call him. Our first Youth Culinary Intern, Andres Chopin, has stepped up in a big way.  He's now running our after school cooking class and  overseeing (often single-handedly) our Healthy Food Tastings, where we take healthy food (AKA better tasting veggies) to schools, offices and community events across Los Angeles.  When Chopin is not cooking with us, he's attending culinary school at LA Trade Tech or skate boarding around the neighborhood, his favorite tunes playing loud in his ears.

Service Learning - the RootDown LA way!

[slideshow] Service learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities. (So says the National Service Learning Clearinghouse!)

Kids in LAUSD schools MUST earn service learning credits before they graduate high school.  What better way to earn those credits than to help bring more healthy food into their neighborhoods?

RootDown LA's 6-week Service Learning program focuses first, on getting kids over their own aversion to veggies. Then... we teach kids simple food system, nutrition, and food-focused gardening lessons to help them become advocates for healthy food among their friends, families and neighbors.

We launched our first Service Learning project this month, and are impressed already with how much the kids have learned in just two weeks.  They can speak about the differences between whole and processed foods, they understand the cost and health benefits of buying local food, and they know techniques to make beets, broccoli and zucchini taste better!

After two more weeks training in the Preciado garden at Jefferson High, these kids will get to come out into the community and help with one of our Healthy Food Tastings or give time to our various garden projects at Jefferson, on 40th Place, and at Money Saver's Meats.

Want to bring RootDown LA Service Learning to YOUR school or neighborhood?  Shoot us an email or call [Four One Five - Seven 22 - 22 Four Eight] (Please don't call us, spammers!)