Programs

Partnering to support the development of a healthy regional food system for the ArkLaTex

We Grow Together is an umbrella organization of several food, gardening, nutrition and wellness organizations. The initiative began in response to the Shreveport-Caddo 2030 Master Plan adopted in 2010. Health education and access to healthy food are serious needs in our community. Louisiana has the sixth highest adult obesity rate in the nation, and the fourth highest obesity rate for youth ages 10 to 17. Shreveport alone has 19 food deserts, low income neighborhoods where at least 33 per cent of the population live more than a mile from the nearest grocery store.

Through a partnership with the City of Shreveport, We Grow Together has a campus in the Stoner Hill neighborhood of Shreveport featuring an education center and teaching garden. We offer a variety of classes and workshops, including cooking classes, and host various youth programs in the garden. Each Thursday at the Education Center is Souper Thursday, when Stoner Hill residents are invited to enjoy a delicious and nutritious soup featuring vegetables growing in the garden. The Stoner Hill Market was launched in summer 2020 to bring a weekly Thursday green market to residents, hearkening back to the days when truck peddlers would bring their produce to the neighborhood.

We Grow Together hosts two major events each year, both free and open to the public:

Greens on the Red (3rd Sunday in March), a celebration of all the delicious and nutritious greens that grow prolifically here;

Reaping the Harvest (2nd Saturday in September), a time to celebrate the end of summer and prepare for the fall/winter garden

Reconnecting Youth with Real Food

Slow Food USA’s National School Garden Program (NSGP) aims to reconnect youth with their food by teaching them how to grow, cook and enjoy real food. Through increased confidence, knowledge gain and skill building, we want to empower children to become active participants in their food choices. By becoming informed eaters, today’s children will help make a positive impact on the larger world of food and farming well into the future.

The goal of the NSGP is to support local Slow Food chapters, volunteers, garden leaders, and teachers to become more effective in sustaining school garden programs in their community. Slow Food North Louisiana wants serve as a local hub of important resources and volunteer assistance, as well as a connector that facilitates partnerships on the ground. The expansion of Slow Food USA’s National School Garden Program brings an abundance of resources, including curriculum and program ideas, to Slow Food chapters and schools across the country.

To access the Good, Clean and Fair Curriculum, click here. If you would like help getting connected to local resources to start your school or youth garden program, contact us at slowfoodnla@gmail.com. You can also join the Louisiana Farm to School Network to access resources available within the state.

Bringing the Ark of Taste to North Louisiana

Agricultural biodiversity and small–scale, family-based food production systems are in danger throughout the world due to industrialization, genetic erosion, changing consumption patterns, climate change, the abandonment of rural areas, migration, and conflict.

The Slow Food Ark of Taste is a tool for farmers, ranchers, fishers, chefs, grocers, educators and consumers to seek out and celebrate our country’s diverse biological, cultural and culinary heritage.

Since 1996, more than 3,500 products from over 150 countries have been added to the International Ark of Taste. Over 200 of these foods are from the USA, and we are always seeking more edible treasures to include. Click here to view the USA Ark of Taste catalog. We find that products in the Southeast and Southwest regions work best in our climate.

Slow Food North Louisiana supports improved biodiversity in North Louisiana by donating Ark of Taste and other heirloom seeds to local farmers, youth and school gardens and home gardeners. We purchase seeds primarily from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange and Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. If you are interested in learning more about available seeds, contact us.