Farmer Training and Coalitions
TechNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR BEGINNING FARMERS and Gardeners
SPROUT has partnered with Louisiana State University on Grow Louisiana, a state-wide farmer development program that helps train beginning farmers in horticulture, business, and farm planning.
This program helps new farmers pool resources and knowledge, breaking down the barriers to becoming a farmer. We also offer community classes and new farmer development with office hours, community support, and workshops. We help to develop new producers to feed our city and protect our environment. Past classes include:
-Market preparedness trainings and marketing work for small farmers
-Farm Service Administration Trainings
-Good Agricultural Practice and Food Safety Modernization Act Trainings
-Transitioning to sustainable methods of growing
-Starting your first market garden
-New tools and equipment for farmers
-Community Garden Network
Collaborative regional alliance of farmer trainings
SPROUT has worked with partner organizations to help build CRAFT, a network which brings more experienced farmers together to share knowledge, marketing techniques and resources. Though we have helped support its formation, CRAFT is a farmer-run and farmer-led organization.
Programs like CRAFT allow established sustainable farmers to retain their success by coming together to adapt to the state of the industry
TIMES
Year-round, please check our calendar for upcoming events
GROW LOUISIANA, our statewide farmer training program with LSU Ag Extension, Market Umbrella and Acadiana Food Alliance is training new farmers throughout the state. Send us an email to join the 2020 or 2021 cohort!
Location
City-wide
Garden Teacher Trainings
Our garden teacher trainings are an intensive way to give classroom teachers an overview of adapting existing curriculum, planning usable gardens, creating school buy-in and measuring success.
Greater new orleans grower’s alliance
SPROUT sits on the leadership committee of the Greater New Orleans Grower’s Alliance (GNOGA) as a space for new and seasoned farmers to meet, share resources and collaborate on future endeavors. This organization provides the resources to allow people to try their hand at farming and collaborate with others to create a social sphere around the local farming community.
In Our Neighborhood
CHildren's Classes and Kid's Camp!
SPROUT provides free children’s classes nearly year-round in partnership with the Goldring Center For Culinary Medicine. We operate out of the ReFresh Community Farm. We welcome all young people to come learn about food, farming and the natural world while fostering leadership, responsibility and kindness. Classes are made possible by Emeril Lagasse Foundation and Emerging Philanthropists of New Orleans.
Farmer's Market
Our year-round farmers market has vendors from all over New Orleans, but many of our vendors are from right in our neighborhood. The ReFresh Farmer's Market isn't just about selling delicious food to people. Our market builds a community of vendors who rewrite the paradigm of how food dollars get allocated and how small food businesses can support themselves. Come visit us rain or shine and meet our amazing vendors.
Market Match is a unique and effective program to address healthy food access across America. Since 2008, Market Match has helped the Crescent City Farmers Market to increase SNAP purchases by 348%! The program increases the buying power of shoppers using SNAP benefits (formerly called ‘food stamps’) and passes the financial benefit on to Louisiana’s farmers and fresh food purveyors. It is truly a program that addresses our food system on many levels. This funding is made possible with the help of Market Umbrella, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and grant support from the USDA’s Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) program.
Follow us on instagram at @sproutnola or ReFresh Farmer's Market on Facebook.
times
2019 Kid’s Camp TBD
Kid’s Gardening and Cooking Class Spring Sessions are in full swing!
Location
300 N Broad Street, New Orleans, LA 70112
Times
Mondays, September-June
4pm-7pm
Location
300 N Broad Street, New Orleans, LA 70112
REFRESH COMMUNITY FARM
The ReFresh Community Farm is a SPROUT NOLA project, but it's our community gardeners that make it happen. The farm is home to over 30 individual gardeners who work hard to organize projects like a medicinal herb garden, monthly potlucks and community classes. Check out our community’s mission, vision and values.
The farm is on site at the ReFresh Project, a Community Health Hub. Come see the amazing things that ReFresh does collectively!
truck farm table and local food aggregation
SPROUT works to rebuild and repair our local food system through our Truck Farm Table at the market and local food aggregation in partnership with Recirculating Farms and Top Box Foods. At the Truck Farm Table we gather local food, flowers, and plant starts and sell them free of charge for vendors. Rebuilding a food system not only involves getting fresh, local goods to consumers, but also providing ways for farmers to profit from their goods. Through our partnership with Recirculating Farms and Top Box, we aim to further increase the farmer support by selling leftover produce from our market to create local produce boxes that are available to the wider community.
Broad corridor community garden network
SPROUT has partnered with local gardeners to form the Broad Corridor Community Garden Network, or BCCGN. This network aims to connect school gardens, neighborhood gardens, and gardening nonprofits in order to:
Obtain, circulate and aggregate resources cooperatively
Access technical and logistic help for and from other gardeners
Build a collective of gardeners that can advocate for themselves and other gardeners throughout New Orleans, especially the Broad corridor.
For more information about the network or how to join, please click here!
Times
Garden with us through our Volunteer for Veggies program! Based on availability and time of the year we offer a volunteer program for anyone to come, learn, and garden in our community gardens.
Location
300 N Broad Street, New Orleans, LA 70112
Where?
Monday Market at ReFresh 3pm-7pm, September - June
Thursday at the Crescent City Farmer’s Market 4pm-7pm, September - June
Advocacy and Policy
Local advocacy
SPROUT sits on the steering committee of the Food Policy and Advisory Committee, or FPAC, which is an advisory committee for the City of New Orleans. FPAC pushes lawmakers for sustainable reform in agriculture laws.
National advocacy
SPROUT works in partnership with the National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC) to mobilize young farmers to advocate for national agricultural policies that support sustainable farming. The NYFC provides a platform for New Orleans area farmers to participate in discussions around national agricultural policy and make their voices heard.