The Hub of Prosperity Portfolio

"Providing prosperity to the community with clean, green fresh produce"

Table of Contents Situation Analysis Fact Sheet News Release Social Media Posts Flyer Feature Story Position Paper Column Pitch

Situation Analysis Situation : The Hub of Prosperity farm was first founded back in 2019 and it offers primarily produce, ranging from a variety of vegetables. The Hub of Prosperity has been a new adaptor of sustainably planting vegetables for the community. It partners with UTRGV Archeology and The First United Methodist Church. They also collaborate with students who want to do their graduate research on the farm.

The Hub of Prosperity seeks to improve its presence in non-grocery markets or in the local community, as well as strengthen its online presence. The challenges The Hub of prosperity farm faces consist of them not having enough exposure on social media. They are also understaffed and have a limitation of the number of goods and don’t do much outreach to the community.

Situation Analysis Objectives: Increase volunteer traffic by at least 10 loyal, long-term volunteers per week.

Reach 35 loyal customers per weekend to buy products produced.

Reach at least 3,000 followers in three months.

Audience : The audience that seems to best fit the Hub of Prosperity is the age range of the '20s to late '30s, who either live close to the neighborhood from the Hub of Prosperity or individuals who want to eat a much healthier meal. These are the consumers who want to reach out to not only support the locals but to eat freshly made (with no fertilizers or chemicals added). veggies and to use them in creating food. A good amount of these audiences is willing to buy products with a greater value solely based on how these veggies are a product of what the valley can naturally produce.

Situation Analysis Audience: Demographic and psychographics wise would age from 3 age groups: The first is early 20s, female/male, Hispanic, catholic, low-income, UTRGV student, vegetarian, vegan, eco-friendly. For a student who majors in agriculture or any major related to plants, farming is eco-friendly.

The second age group would be a soccer mom in her late 30s, white, female, Christian, good income, wealthy, and probably does Pilates lives around the neighborhood, and has a range rover.

She is looking for healthy food for her keto diet or organic food for her kids who are athletes.

The third age group would be Winter Texans, the late 50s, white, female/male, Christian, good income, rich. They usually come down for the warm weather looking for good organic food for their bones and trying to eat more vegetables.

Situation Analysis Strategy In order to meet the objectives, we are trying to achieve for The Hub of Prosperity we will be conducting a social media-focused plan to try and engage their target audience. We will be focusing on all aspects of social media through live streams, videos, social media ads, and consistency with all their social media platforms. By doing so we are reaching each individual target audience through each social media platform and tweaking it to attract their interest and obtain a loyal customer base. With the use of popular hashtags, Facebook ads, and Instagram ads, and being able to identify the customer's interest we will be able to have the knowledge of what to improve or change on our part.

Situation Analysis Tactics The tactics that we will be using are based on their demographics reaching the 25-34 age group by 47.9%, gender-wise they have more traffic by females which is 78.6%, and location wise reaching the most on Edinburg by 36.1%. Now these are based on Instagram which is good for that audience we will need to boost up our game on Facebook which has 36 likes and is a business page, but not many are known of this transition. Promoting it on Instagram and handing out mini business cards with recipes on the back with the produce the hub is selling on the weekends will be ideal. Twitter will be used for UTRGV students who usually use one at their age and rely on it for updates for the UTRGV. Using Twitter will allow the hub of Prosperity known to our target our young age group. The community which they are trying to reach has markets on the land The Hub of Prosperity has will be ideal to bring curiosity and interest to those living near and driving by.

We can also sell tote bags with the logo, socials, and phone numbers our target audience is likely to use reusable bags to store in their veggies and might as well promote it while doing so.

Situation Analysis Tactics We will have lives on Instagram while planting or having events regarding markets. We will be making reels that can show the process of a plant growing and cultivating the vegetables such as cucumbers, and kale the produce The Hub of Prosperity harvest. We will make a group for plant, ecofriendly, vegan, and vegetarian lovers in the valley to find our audience there since many people on Facebook are on their interest group and from there increase the traffic there.

Twitter will be for consistent tweets with puns and pictures of the work that goes behind the production of the veggies. We will deliver flyers around campus and the neighborhood promoting The Hub of Prosperity and our presence in markets near the Edinburg area.

How will we meet these objectives by being consistent with the dates we will be posting and networking with other veggie lovers in the markets we will be setting up are the beginner steps to take. An example depending on each platform analytics would be Instagram posting on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at around 2:30 in the afternoon because at around that time, our target audience seems the most engaged on our page.

Situation Analysis Calendar

Situation Analysis Budget The budget they gave me is $2,500 which is used on social media and is provided in the excel pdf I provided.

Evaluation Our goal is to increase Facebook page likes by 200.

We don’t want the staff to be filled with 1,000 if they don’t have enough produced to uphold it.

Our plan would be deemed successful if we increase our Instagram following by 3,000.

Our plan would be deemed successful if we reach 500 Twitter followers.

Our sales at the moment are good, but The Hub of Prosperity just wants to increase its social media presence.

Fact Sheet FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 4, 2022

Anabelle Cantu Cantu Strategic Relations University of Texas Rio Grande Valley 956-689-4623 cantu01@utrgv.edu PROVIDING PROSPERITY TO THE COMMUNITY Did you know... The Hub of Prosperity is an urban farm that produces sustainable produce that is grown with no synthetic chemicals or pesticides. The Hub of prosperity doesn't receive subsidies from the government or corporations that sponsor chemical use or fertilizer use. Every vegetable is ethically grown and in an all-natural environment.

Founded in 2019 by Alex Racelis, agroecology program director and associate professor at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

Located behind the Edinburg First United Methodist Church 3707 W. University Dr. Edinburg, TX 78539.

Pay employees above the minimum wage Conducts classes for students at the University Conducts classes for the community on growing plants and vegetables.

Volunteer hours are from two times a week 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m on Tuesdays, Thursdays afternoons from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturdays beginning at 12 p.m.

Farmer's market opens every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Open for graduate students and the public to research their research projects on the farm.

Organic products are produced by the community and students in the Rio Grande Valley.

The Hub of Prosperity is subsidies by The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

Social Enterprise where The Hub of Prosperity sells community, environmental well-being, honest, hardworking, and straightforward produce.

Hosts community events such as tomato fests where The Hub of prosperity grows 24 different varieties of tomatoes and invites the community free of charge to taste them and teach them how to harvest them in their homes.

The Hub of prosperity vegetables does not waste vegetables, with the leftover tomatoes they made tomato sauce.

Free parking at the First United Methodist Church Offers services such as making your own community garden bed on your own and given a step by step instruction.

Instagram @hub_of_prosperity | Facebook @Hub of Prosperity Farm

News Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Anabelle Cantu University of Texas Rio Grande Valley 956-689-4623 cantu01@utrgv.edu THE HUB OF PROSPERITY FARM: PROVIDING PROSPERITY TO THE COMMUNITY EDINBURG, Texas – May 4, 2022 – The Hub of Prosperity Farm is an urban farm partnership between UTRGV Agroecology and the First United Methodist Church founded in 2019.

According to the agroecology program director and associate professor Alexis Racelis, he began farming the farm when he received land located behind the Edinburg First United Methodist Church.

The church is located at 3070 W. University Dr, where you will find The Hub of Prosperity behind the church within walking distance from the church’s parking.

“At The Hub of Prosperity, we not only grow sustainable produce, but we also provide a place for people to do their own graduate research project there we have had research done on native plants, insect community, cover cropping, soil health, pest and disease management, and sustainable weed control. The research we have out there isn’t limited to people for the university, but we have had people send us to the U.S. Department of Agriculture doing research out there right now. Anyone is welcome to volunteer, to do their research we are here to inform and help”, said Taylor Snowden sustainable agriculture and food systems senior.

MORE According to Racelis the name The Hub of Prosperity and the logo are inspired by the 1920s advertisements seen in the Museum of South Texas History that recruited people at the time to visit the Rio Grande Valley for its year-round growing seasons. The logo being the citrus similar to the one that The Hub of Prosperity currently has was advertised to symbolize how the Rio Grande Valley has the soil and the climate for farmers to harvest the entire twelve months of the year.

“Another large component of The Hub of Prosperity is our farmers' markets, and this happens whenever we have produced available or any product that we make out of the produce that we have available. Our farmer market is every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. the produce we offer varies from the vegetables we have in season. The customer we usually obtain are typically from the church or from the neighborhood nearby”, said Fatima Garza an anthropology junior.

“In The Hub of Prosperity what we want people to know is that when they purchase our products they aren’t just buying a bunch of herbs cheaper than H-E-B but what they are buying are community and education, we are contributing to the welfare of the valley”, said Racelis. ###

Social Media Posts

Flyers/Poster

Feature Story Anabelle Cantu Cantu Strategic Relations 956-689-4623 cantu01@utrgv.edu

Grow prosperous food and worry less about pesticides As a child, many tend to hate vegetables and all food that is green or deemed to be "healthy" or "organic". I personally always loved my tomatoes, broccoli, carrots all types of vegetables from a young age except onions. Do you know the difference between purified water and faucet water where you can definitely catch the difference, well you can also taste it in vegetables that are "modified" and vegetables that are actually organic.

According to the latest report about pesticide residues, the Environmental Working Group says that 70% of vegetables contain up to 230 different pesticides or their breakdown products. Many companies use chemical use and fertilizers on their vegetables claiming that they are grown "organically".

The Hub of Prosperity has grown its vegetables organically without any fertilizer or chemical use on its vegetables. With the research, they collect while growing their vegetables they have developed a more sustainable approach by using mushrooms as fertilizer for their vegetables.

With the variety of vegetables changing from season to season and the classes in The Hub of Prosperity, there are many other benefits they provide to the public. Teaching free classes and having that hands-on experience while learning about agriculture is a great way to inform our community about the agriculture surrounding the Rio Grande Valley.

Ximena Sandoval has volunteered and been a loyal customer for The Hub of Prosperity for years and said, " Since finding out about The Hub of Prosperity and what they stand for has given me an insight on how vegetables should be produced and how important it us for us to inform us about what we put in our body. I couldn't be any more grateful for The Hub Prosperity and how they have reached me about sustainable farming. " The Hub of Prosperity looks forward to mentoring and teaching the public and students about farming and how to grow plants and vegetables.

For more information please visit https://www.utrgv.edu/agrecology/

Position Paper The Hub of Prosperity offers organic, affordable, and sustainable vegetables that many grocery store companies do not offer. Many of these companies use chemical fertilizers in their vegetables to make them either pleasing to the eye or grow faster. The vegetables that are produced by these companies that claim that their produce is “organic” and do not contain any kind of chemical in them are lying right under our noses.

These types of fertilizations that claim to be used to better our environment are worsening it and contaminating it with the chemicals they use within it. The difference between organic fertilizers and chemical fertilizers is clear the organic federalizes come from organic sources such as animal manure and plants while the chemical fertilizer comes from inorganic material which undergoes chemical treatments. The reason companies buy the chemical fertilizer instead of going the organic route is it’s not only cheaper for them even though they are multimillion-dollar companies, but also, they are able to control the process in which they grow making them unnaturally big and with a distinct color. On the other hand, the organic fertilizer takes skill, time, and money which can become an issue for a hungry and impatient population and can make the company lose sales from the slowness it takes to produce and deliver their produce. If you compare the fruit that The Hub of Prosperity produces and the one a company produces you will not only be able to taste the difference, but also see it.

As a customer of both The Hub of Prosperity and this grocery store, I put these two products to the test and the difference was shocking the competitor's tomato was bigger, lighter, and shiny and it had a film of wax on top of it, really slippery. On the other hand, The Hub of Prosperity tomato was not shiny it had a darker color, and it wasn’t shiny as soon as you bite it you can taste the perfect amount of sweetness and crunch.

Now it’s your choice to choose what to put in your system, but in comparing local sustainable businesses whose mission is to not sell their organic produce, but to educate the community on farming to a company that is well known but doesn’t provide these long-term benefits that can feed not only your brain but your stomach with authentic organic vegetables.

Works Cited: Buckler, Laura. “The Hidden Dangers of Chemical Fertilizers.” Environmental Protection, 7 Dec. 2017, https://eponline.com/Articles/2017/12/07/The-Hidden-Dangers-of-ChemicalFertilizers.aspx.

Buckler, Laura. “The Hidden Dangers of Chemical Fertilizers.” Environmental Protection, 7 Dec. 2017, https://eponline.com/Articles/2017/12/07/The-Hidden-Dangers-of-ChemicalFertilizers.aspx.

Column Program manager Stephani Kasper has been working with The Hub of Prosperity since 2019 for three years going on four alongside agroecology program director and associate professor Alexis Racelis.

“My experience with working with The Hub of Prosperity has been amazing we have such a passionate community and student workers who care about the environment as much as we do. For the past three years, we have been developing it as a farm for research and education for the community and where university professors can hold classes for hands-on learning. This space is open for educational experiences with sustainable agriculture for the UTRGV community and the broader Edinburg community. I feel accomplished with the opportunity of being able to produce sustainable organic food for the community and going through the process of growing these vegetables the organic way.” said Stephani Kasper Being able to grow plants with The Hub of Prosperity has been an experience of a lifetime. I am not only informing myself about the process of growing and sustaining a farm but also giving back to the community. As I grew older, I wasn’t known of the ways one can grow vegetables or what soil to use and how to fertilize it, but with the help of The Hub of prosperity I have been able to not only inform myself but others.” said Fatima Garza an anthropology junior and a student worker at The Hub of Prosperity.

Pitch To: Stefanie Herweck, Writer at the Sierra Club From: Anabelle Cantu Date: May 4, 2022 Subject: Interested in building your own garden bed in your home? You can do it with the proper guidance let us help you Hey Stefanie, I love the work you do for the community of Rio Grande Valley with your helpful insights on how we can help the environment.

I wanted to give you a heads up in advance to make your quarterly issue's upcoming events page. The Hub of Prosperity in Edinburg is hosting an event where they would be able to build their very own garden beds. A session that is environmentally friendly and sustainable for the community. This community garden beds session will be held on the farm located at 3070 W. University Dr. Edinburg, TX 78541 on May 27, 2022, at 8 a.m.

This event would be the perfect opportunity for your readers to tour the farm and answer any questions that they might have about the vegetables they produce to the process in which they grow their crops. Personally, I cannot think of a better way to spend Sunday morning surrounded by nature and fresh air.

The outdoor farm has hosted many different events from a tomato fest to classes in teaching the community of the process of ethically farming here in the Rio Grande Valley.

Anabelle Cantu Cantu Strategic Relations 956-689-4623 cantu01@utrgv.edu