rootdownLA

It’s about real food.

It’s about healthy kids and communities.

It’s about creating nutrition, cooking, and food systems lessons that are relevant and actionable for today’s youth.

Bottom line?

It’s about getting kids to Eat Their Veggies – for real!

And it’s about time.

Our Mission

Root Down confronts obesity and related health issues in South Los Angeles by engaging youth in the educational experiences and skills training necessary to help build healthier food communities.

We build demand for healthy food in urban areas so that those farmers and food producers who can supply it will have new and stronger markets.

And next?  We expand programming to other urban California communities.

Root Down believes the following:

• Building demand for healthy food encourages a critically needed increased supply of healthy food in urban areas.
• The majority of Americans have become disconnected from this simple truth – our health is directly affected by the foods we eat.  Healthy soil = healthy food = healthy bodies and minds to build healthy communities.
• When kids feel connected to a community where healthy, great tasting food is valued and readily available, they adopt preferences for this food and decrease their likelihood of developing obesity and related illnesses.

Root Down employs the following methods to achieve its goals:

• Experiential education and skills training for youth to teach nutrition, cooking, horticulture, and food systems lessons that enable youth to identify, source, prepare, and build preferences for healthier foods.
• Building a healthy food community from within, and creating supportive partnerships with other community agencies that share a similar vision.
• Mentorship connecting youth participants with learning and work opportunities that increase their engagement and employability within a healthy food community.

In this, our second school year:

• We’ve hired a Youth Coordinator, Warren Calvo Leon, to help build our youth leadership program this year!  RootDown’s Youth Leaders LOVE working with Warren and appreciate all the passion for cooking and diverse cuisines he brings to the table!

• We’ve engaged a group of Youth Leaders to take a leadership role in understanding how our food system and choices contribute to obesity and health related issues.  They are taking action to increase their own and their peers’ preferences for healthy foods by preparing and promoting healthy food at student, parent and community events.

• Community organizations such as USC’s MYLA obesity prevention group and Healthy Eating Active Communities at The Accelerated School are hiring us to deliver our  Youth Leader training program.  We prepare kids to build preferences and demand for healthy food in their communities!

• We’re taking our cooking, nutrition and food systems lessons into MORE schools this year – Jefferson High and Morngingside High Schools- where we get kids who claim to hate veggies, soon liking broccoli and beets.

• We’re taking kids and parents on monthly trips to McGrath Family Farm, where they make the connection between healthy food and land and share a meal of farm fresh produce.  They always leave asking,

“Can I take this food home!?”

The food culture is shifting.

Join us!   or WE CAN COME COOK WITH YOU TOO!