Despite setbacks - we garden on!

[slideshow] By Megan - RD's Executive Director and Renegade Nutrition Educator

I know how to get kids to eat their veggies, but I don't know squat about gardening.  Save for some herbs I grew on a fire escape in NYC years ago, and some tomatoes I try to nurture in my faux compost every summer, I couldn't nurse a plant through an LA drought or bug infestation to save my life. (Ledette was warning us about the Bagrada bug infestation by the way - watch your kale!)

SO, thank goodness for Ali Bhai and Ledette Gambini, who have worked with our RootDown LA Youth Leaders to build not one, but multiple growing spaces at WECAN's Urban Food Forest.  Despite some setbacks with wandering chickens, neighborhood dogs, and soil that's still trying to find its balance, they have started to produce arugula, carrots, onions, beets, radishes, beans and some other plants I can't identify.

Hooray!  for Urban Market Gardens.  Soon, we'll be able to bring these crops back to our after-school cooking class at Jefferson High and distribute extras to the neighbors.  We're formalizing our training program - we can come teach YOUR youth to build market gardens also!

RootDown LA

Root Down LA empowers youth to become leaders through healthy food ventures in their communities. 

 

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