Our History

In 1996, a small group of farmers was recruited for Baton Rouge’s first farmers market by Chris Campany as part of his Master’s thesis under the direction of LSU Landscape Architecture Professor Suzanne Turner. Red Stick Farmers Market was born and the first market was held in November 1996 in the parking lot of the Government building located on St. Louis Street in downtown Baton Rouge. Big River Economic and Agricultural Development Alliance (BREADA) was officially recognized as a 501 © 3 non-profit organization in the same year and began its work to increase economic opportunities for small farmers.

In 2002, BREADA was approached to relocate the farmers market to 5^th and Main Streets and create a dynamic public marketplace for the downtown community. In conjunction with the Baton Rouge Area Foundation and the State of Louisiana, Main Street Market opened, serving as both an incubator for small local businesses and a gathering place for the community. Since then, we have continued to expand our outreach efforts to small farmers and our community with the addition of a mobile farmers market serving limited access neighborhoods, incentives to assist low income families increase access to fresh food, and a kids club that teaches healthy lifestyles to our youngest market shoppers.

Our mission is to build a healthy and strong local food system; to increase sustainability of independent local farmers, fishers and food producers; and to foster stewardship of land and community through public markets.

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Our Staff

Darlene Adams Rowland
Executive Director

Lisa Gray
Deputy Director

Malorey Uzee Cutrer

Marketing & Outreach Manager

Nick Uzee

Market Coordinator

Allie Schleter

Community Engagement Coordinator

Executive Committee

President

Susannah Bing Johannsen, Louisiana Division of the Arts

Past President

Jessie Hynes Babcock, Beaux Box Commercial Real Estate

Vice President
Nathan Judice, Pickering Firm

Secretary

Nathan Judice, Pickering Firm

Treasurer
Lauren Songy Hatcher, Business Consultant

Founding Director Emeritus
Suzanne Turner, Suzanne Turner Associates LLC

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2023 BREADA Board Members

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Mila Berhane  

Red Stick Farmers Market

Marcus A. Coleman, Ph.D.

Professor, Tulane University

Teresa Bailey Day

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana 

Representative Barbara Freiberg  

Louisiana House of Representatives 

Chef Celeste Gill  

Chef Celeste Bistro, Main Street Market 

Jenifer Godfrey 

Higher Education Consultant

Lauren Marschall  

Center for Planning Excellence 

Tracy Averett Morganti 

Attorney, Breazeale, Sachse, and Wilson, LLP

Bernell Muse

Southern University Ag Center

Claire Sauls Ryan  

Attorney, Adams and Reese LLP

Anna Gatlin Schilling

Consultant

Katherine Spaht

Community Volunteer

Catherine St. Pierre

Attorney, Erlingson Banks, PLLC

Charles D. Sutcliffe 

Governor’s Office: Coastal Activities  

Casey Tate 

Downtown Development District