Horticulture Agriculture And Just Plain Culture

If you live in the big cities of Louisiana, like Baton Rouge or
New Orleans, you might not realize just how rural much of
Louisiana actually is. And how important agriculture is to the
state’s economy: it's the state’s 5th largest sector behind oil,
natural gas, commercial fishing and chemicals.


A lot of research around agriculture - and it’s sister
discipline, horticulture – goes on right here in Baton Rouge,
where we also have some micro organic farms in the middle of the
city!


Heather Kirk Ballard is Assistant Professor of Consumer
Horticulture in the School of Plant, Environmental, and Soil
Sciences at Louisiana State University's AgCenter. The Ag Center
has stations in all 64 parishes around Louisiana and works
directly with the agriculture and horticulture industries to
bring the latest in cutting edge research from LSU out into the
field.


In addition to her research and extension program, Heather is the
host of the AgCenter’s Get It Growing program, which is a
user-friendly guide to growing for the average person, and a
member of the Louisiana Super Plants Program. Her extensive
research focuses on consumer’s home garden needs, the effect of
plants on the environment, our health, the economy and the
community. 


But Heather isn’t just a researcher. She spent several years
working in the commercial sector, most recently at General
Electric and EcoLab, monitoring and maintaining water quality.
And before that she was a high school teacher. 


Allison Guidroz is co-owner of Fullness Organic Farm, a small
organic farm right here in Baton Rouge off Nicholson Drive near
Gardere.


Allison is a Baton Rouge native, who fell in love with growing
food while in college at LSU. She worked in community gardens,
took an organic gardening horticulture course and started a
business putting in custom organic raised beds.


After graduating, Allison and her husband, Grant, did a year of
service through AmeriCorps with Slow Food Baton Rouge and
continued work with community gardens, installed school gardens
and hosted local food events. In 2015, they started Fullness
Farms, with the goal of growing the best food possible for their
friends and family.


Allison has since gone to complete a master’s degree in
horticulture and the small organic farm the couple started for
themselves has turned into a - pardon the pun - growing business.


Out to Lunch Baton Rouge is recorded live over lunch at Mansurs
On The Boulevard. You can see photos from this show by Erik Otts
at our website. And check out more fascinating conversation about
Baton Rouge's unique culture of agriculture: farming oysters.


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