Find out how a Baton Rouge community farm is training the next generation of urban farmers
Article written by Joy Holden
February 4, 2025
Fresh food is a premium in neighborhoods where transportation is lacking and walkability to fresh produce is not feasible. In the capital city, Baton Roots not only grows food in those communities to counteract such issues but is also paving a path toward horticultural futures by training the next generation of urban gardeners.
Mitchell Provensal, the Baton Roots associate director of agroforestry, founded the organization in 2019 — the program is part of The Walls Project, which leads programs and events that break through social systems that prevent people from living safe, healthy lives.
Baton Roots began as a community gardening program with 18 raised garden beds at Howell Park. Six years later, the program has expanded into public housing, classrooms, internships and even an apprenticeship program. SK Groll, the Baton Roots associate director of planning and evaluation, says Baton Roots has grown in size and scope.
In addition to the four acres at Howell Park, the organization has gardens and fruit orchards, compliments of Baton Rouge Green's City Citrus initiative, at the 11 East Baton Rouge Parish Housing Authority communities.
This year, Baton Roots has started two training initiatives through their Agroforestry Apprentice and Hustle and Grow internship programs.
Provensal says that the average age of the farmer is close to 60 years old in the United States, and the percentage of farmers is near 2% — many of whom are growing cash crops that do not directly feed people.
"There is this tiny population of mostly older people that is growing food for everybody else," he said. "We need more youth interested in agriculture, growing food and being part of the food system. We're hoping to inspire a new generation of farmers and growers."
Agroforestry apprentices
Agroforestry is a land use management system that integrates trees with crops or pasture. Baton Roots has a grant with the USDA and the US Forest Service for the next few years to run an adult agroforestry apprenticeship program in which the participants learn by hands-on experiences with Baton Roots and Baton Rouge Green.
The inaugural Agroforestry Apprenticeship program started Jan. 14, and the 13 apprentices work Tuesday through Thursday with optional field work on the weekends.
"We've got folks who are 18 years old and just graduated high school," Groll said. "We've got folks for whom this is maybe their second or third career. And we've got folks who really were passionate about ag and forestry but didn't have a pathway into a career in those fields."
By the end of the apprenticeship, the participants will be trained to take the state horticulture and arborist license exams.
Hustle and Grow high school student internships
The youth-focused internship program, Hustle and Grow, is a 15-week spring, fall and summer training course in sustainable urban agriculture. Hustle and Grow teen interns participate in the hands-on growing process from start to finish and learn the importance of stewardship and food access for communities.
The youth program has gone through multiple iterations, from starting with the Mayor's Youth Workforce Experience in garden beds to venturing into classrooms at Capitol High School, Istrouma High School and Scotlandville Magnet High School to teach agroforestry.
This year, Baton Roots is taking the current teen internship program back to the farm, starting on Feb. 13. At the end of the semester, participants will receive a stipend to help them continue their agriculture education.
"We need the kids to experience this bigger operation of growing food on this urban farm," Provensal said.
Bryce Moore, who took the pilot program horticulture prep courses, will be instructing the students. He received his horticultural license and has been farming with Baton Roots for the past year.
"I'm in awe of my team members who have the charisma and passion that makes growing food so exciting for young people," Groll said.
Past students and volunteers join Baton Roots
Throughout the years, several students and volunteers who participated in early Hustle and Grow programs have continued to work with Baton Roots, even joining the team.
The mobile farm manager, Jacquel Curry, was a volunteer when Baton Roots was starting to expand the farm plots at Howell Park and build the gardens at the first Housing Authority garden site. Curry went from a volunteer to part-time employee to his full-time position overseeing the Parish Housing Authority gardens.
Groll noted that when people come together to work with Baton Roots, more people are gaining new skills in the community.
"Louisiana has a rich history of agriculture, but we need more small farmers that are growing food that's feeding people," Provensal said. "I'm hoping that this hands-on program with our urban farm is showing people different possibilities."
For more information, visit thewallsproject.org/batonroots.