Living Roots' mission is to help endangered cultures protect their unique cultural identity by increasing economic opportunity and kindling a generation of youth as stewards. This project will focus on Garden Revival, Nutrition, and more.
Despite rich agricultural tradition, many Baja mountain families (rancheros) have drifted away from the historic practice of growing their own food. Over the last several decades, this has left them prone to diet-related maladies and vulnerable to economic down-turns and extreme weather patterns. This has ultimately led to a severe reduction in income which has resulted in insufficient food supplies and in the worst cases, forced families to leave their land and migrate to urban areas.
Utilizing community feedback, we have identified four core elements to empower rancheros towards food security and drought preparedness: Garden Revival Community Seed-bank Nutrition and Cooking Lessons Going to Market - Work with targeted ranches to test the viability of a San Javier Region Stand at the Sunday market in Loreto, the areas' largest town. Currently, there are very few local or organic produce vendors, yet our market research shows demand is growing in the area.
Goal of Funds: Conduct monthly workshops to increase skills/knowledge in traditional and modern agricultural techniques Plant Model Garden in Secondary School using community garden techniques and engaging youth in every process phase Create/augment 7 ranch gardens as onsite models Create point-of-sale opportunities Host 4 Harvest Dinners to teach nutrition information and how to prepare vegetables Create a Community Seed-bank o Construct a space for the seeds
This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Word file (projdoc.doc).