soil
health?
Cultivate SA | Summer 2021 | 1
Table of Contents Cultivate Local 3
15
Directory
Green Space Alliance Garden Directory
16
Cultivate Health & Wellness 41
NEISD's Farm to Table
Business Feature: SANO Nursery
Cultivate Seasons 20
Crop Focus
24
Summer Planting Guide
27
Personal Reflections on the
Cultivate Tips & Tricks 45
49
Tips for Growing Tomatoes
Cultivating Soil Health
Summer Solstice
Cultivate History & Awareness
Cultivate Community 50
32
Texas Agriculture & ForProfit Prisons
38
San Antonio & the UN Food Summit
Gardopia's Growth and the Garden Awards Gala
CULTIVATE LOCAL
Directory stekraM sremraF
the most comprehensive list of local farms, markets, products, and services in all of San Antonio
Products & Services
Local Farms
Cultivate SA | Summer 2021 | 3
Farmers Markets
9.
Farmers Market at Herff Farm http://www.cibolo.org/ 830-249-4616
1.
33 Herff Rd
Alamo Heights Farmers Market
Boerne, TX 78006
alamoheightsfm.com 210-367-4673 255 E Basse Rd Suite 130,
10. Garden Ridge Market http://gardenridgemarketdays.com
San Antonio, TX 78209
602-920-9301
2.
19185 FM-2252
Alamo Ranch Farmers Market
Garden Ridge, TX 78226
http://alamoranchfarm.market 210-446-0099 11.
3.
Bandera Market https://www.banderamarket.com 740-563-2274
Helotes Area Farmers Market 210-420-4802 13222 Bandera Rd. Helotes, TX 78203
11625 Bandera Rd San Antonio, TX 78250
12. Huebner Oaks Farmers Market www.fourseasonsmarkets.com
4.
Bulverde Market http://www.bulverdemarket.com 830-438-3111
210-420-0488 413 N Main St. Cibolo, TX 78108
30280 Cougar Bend Bulverde, TX 78163
13. Legacy Farmers Market legacyfarmersmarket.com
5.
Cibolo Grange Farmers & Artisans Market https://www.facebook.com/CiboloGrangeFar mersMarket/
210-420-0488 16103 Henderson Pass San Antonio, TX 78232
210-249-6822 14. Live Oak Farmers Market
6.
Deerfield Farmers Market facebook.com/deerfieldfarmersmarket.satx 16607 Huebner Rd. San Antonio, TX 78248
www.facebook.com/liveoakfarmers marketonpatbooker (210) 473-0685 8151 Pat Booker Rd Live Oak, TX 78233
7.
Encino Farmers Markets www.fourseasonsmarkets.com 972-884-0680 22902 U.S. Hwy N San Antonio, TX 78259
15. Local Sprout www.localsprout.com 603-759-9781 503 Chestnut St San Antonio, TX 78202
8.
The Farm Connection www.thefarmconnection.org 210-674-2642 1595 S Main St Suite 120 Boerne, TX 78006
16. New Braunfels Farmers Market www.nbfarmersmarket.com 830-629-2223 186 S Castell Ave New Braunfels, TX 78130
4 | Summer 2021 | Cultivate SA
17. Pearl Farmers Market
4. Cielo Vista Farms
atpearl.com/weekend-market
facebook.com/cielovistafarm
210-212-7260
812-453-4396
312 Pearl Pkwy
9260 Weir Rd
San Antonio, TX 78215
Schertz, TX 78163
18. San Antonio Farmers Market Association
5. Fresh Traditions Farm
(multiple locations)
www.facebook.com/FreshTraditionsFarm
sanantoniofarmersmarket.org
210-389-6929
210-204-7939
8975 New Sulphur Springs Rd
100 Jackson Keller Rd
San Antonio, TX 78263
San Antonio, TX 78216
19. San Antonio Food Bank (multiple locations) https://safoodbank.org/ourprograms/farmersmarket-nutrition-program/ (210) 431-8342 5200 Enrique M. Barrera Pkwy San Antonio, TX 78227
20. Spring Branch Market themarketatspringbranch.com 830-709-7262
Farms 1.
Behind the Oaks Farms facebook.com/behindtheoaksfarms 210-793-1027 Greaves Ln Schertz, TX 78154
2.
Braune Farms www.braunefarmsfreshproduce.com 830-643-9974 1300 Link Rd Seguin, TX 78155
3.
Brehm Farms brehmfarms.com 210-771-3147 8990 Hildebrandt Rd San Antonio, TX 78222
Cultivate SA | Summer 2021 | 5
6.
Garcia Street Urban Farm
15. Peeler Farms
www.instagram.com/garciastreetfarm
peelerfarms.com
218 Garcia St
210-551-5828
San Antonio, TX 78203
3007 FM 539 Flooresville, TX 78114
7.
Granieri Family Farm 210-333-5184
16. R Farm
3851 Roland Rd
rfarmchicksandmore.wordpress.com
San Antonio, TX 78222
210-800-4695 1041 Farm-to-Market 2537
8.
Green Bexar Farm
San Antonio, TX 78221
http://www.greenbexarfarm.com 512-216-0033
17. Rising Kale Farms
14997 FM 1346
www.risingkalefarms.com
Saint Hedwig, TX 78152
210-843-1962 2230 Well Rd
9.
The Greenies Urban Farm
Marion, TX 78124
https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2020/10/1 6/greenies-urban-farm-to-demonstrate-
18. Talking Tree Farm
agriculture-in-the-city
http://talkingtreefarm.com
1543 Sherman
210-923-9044
San Antonio, TX 78202
6250 Pfeil Rd Schertz, TX 78154
10. The Green Microstead http://www.thegreenmicrostead.com 210-501-2185
11.
Miller Farms
Products & Services Plant Nurseries
millerfarmsrawmilk.com 210-508-1733
1.
Accent Plant Interior 210-648-1303
12730 FM 471 Lacoste, TX 78039 2.
Evergreen Garden Center www.evergreengardentx.com
12. Miss Scarlett's Texas Homegrown
210-735-0669
facebook.com/MissScarlettsTexasHome
922 W. Hildebrand Ave
Grown
San Antonio, TX 78222
30315 Bartels Rd Bulverde TX 78163 3. 13. MT Rabbitry & Poultry Farm sanantoniorabbitsandchickens.com
Fanick's Nursery www.fanicknursery.com 210-648-1303
210-827-4686 1610 Co Rd 5714 Natalia, TX 78059
4. The Garden Center thegardencenter.com 210-648-1303
14. Parker Creek Farms parkercreekranch.com
1025 Holmgreen Rd San Antonio, TX 78201
2956 FM 2200 Cultivate SA | Summer 2021 | 7
D'Hanis, TX 78850
5. Green Gate Nursery
Bulk Materials
830-372-4060 990 S N Hwy 123 Bypass Seguin, TX 78155
1. Adam's Supply Co www.adamssupplyinc.com 210-822-3141
6. Milberger's Nursery www.milbergernursery.com
1434 E Bitters Rd San Antonio, TX 78216
210-497-3760 3920 N Loop 1604 E San Antonio, TX 78247
2. Adkins Materials adkinsmaterials.com 210-649-3836
7. Nature's Herb Farm naturesherbfarms.com
10966 US Hwy 87 E Adkins, TX 78101
210-688-9241 7193 Old Talley Rd #7 San Antonio, TX 78253
3. Barrels for Sale barrelsforsale.net 559-997-3682
8. Para Para Plants 210-809-2487
2610 S East Loop 410 San Antonio, TX 78222
232 Kathy Dr San Antonio, TX 78223
4. Buckhorn Soil & Stone buckhornsoilandstone.net
9. Peterson Brothers Nursery
210-695-1911
210-333-6971
10685 W Loop 1604 N
1630 Creekview Dr
San Antonio, TX 78254
San Antonio, TX 78219
10. Rainbow Gardens rainbowgardens.biz 210-680-2394 8516 Bandera Rd San Antonio, TX 78250
.11. SANO Nursery facebook.com/SANOnursery 210-432-4265 285 W Quill Dr San Antonio, TX 78228
12. Shades of Green www.shadesofgreen.com 210-824-3772 334 W Sunset Rd San Antonio, TX 78209
8 | Summer 2021 | Cultivate SA
5.
Dabco Stone & Soil
12. Tank Depot
dabcomaterials.com
www.tank-depot.com
210-426-6160
210-648-3866
12625 S Zarzamora St
2702 S East Loop 410
San Antonio, TX 78224
San Antonio, TX 78222
6. Ewing Irrigation (multiple locations)
13. Texas Soil and Stone
www.ewingirrigation.com
texassoilandstone.com
210-828-9530
210-497-1777
1041 N Interstate 35
26950 Bulverde Rd
San Antonio, TX 78233
San Antonio, TX 78260
7. Gardenville (multiple locations)
Edible Landscapers
www.garden-ville.com 210-404-1187
1. Compost Queens
11601 Starcrest Dr
https://www.compostqueenstx.com
San Antonio, 78247
210-640-9468
8. Gretchen's Bee Ranch
2. Two Hoes Gardening
gretchenbeeranch.com
twohoesgardening.com
830-305-7925
210-414-8660
2745 W Kingsbury St Seguin, TX 78155
3. The Landscape Cooperative www.LandscapeCooperative.com
9. Keller Material
210-988-8290
kellermaterial.com 210-967-1300
4. Uprooted Gardens
9388 Corporate Dr
uprootedgardens.com
Selma, TX 78154
210-842-5613
10. Landscape Solutions and Nursery
Education & Advocacy
soil4sale.com 830-985-3747
1.
Bexar Country Master Gardeners / Agrilife
3059 US-90
Extension
Castroville TX 78009
bexar-tx.tamu/edu 210-631-0400
11. New Earth www.newearthcompost.com
3355 Cherry Ridge #212 San Antonio, TX 78230
210-661-5180 7800 I-10 East San Antonio, TX 78219
2. Central Texas Mycological Society centraltexasmycology.com info@centraltexasmycology.org
12. Quality Organic Products
Circle Acres Nature Preserve
www.qualityorganicproducts.com
Grove Blvd
210-651-0200
Austin, TX 78741
15497 Lookout Rd Selma, TX 78154
Cultivate SA | Summer 2021 | 9
3. Central Texas Young Farmers Coalition
12. National Center for Appropriate
centraltexasyoungfarmers.org
Technology
info@centraltexasyoungfarmers.org
ncat.org 210-265-3905
4. Cibolo Creek Nature Center & Farm cibolo.org
118 Broadway San Antonio, TX 78230
830-249-4616 140 City Park Rd Boerne, TX 78006
13. Native Plant Society of Texas npsot.org/wp/sanantonio npsot.sanantonio@gmail.com
5.
Eco Centro
2809 Broadway
ecocentrosatx.org
San Antonio, TX 78209
210-486-0417 1802 N Main Ave San Antonio TX 78212
14. Palo Alto College alamo.edu/pac 210-486-3000
6. Festival of Flowers safestivalofflowers.com
1400 W. Villaret Blvd. San Antonio, TX
210-380-3532 1330 N. New Braunfels San Antonio, TX 78209
15. San Antonio Botanical Gardens sabot.org 210-536-1400
7. Food Policy Council foodpolicysa.org
555 Funston Pl San Antonio, TX 78209
210-365-7175 18202 Main Ave San Antonio, TX 78212
16. San Antonio Herb Market Association sanantonioherbmarket.com 866-923-2226
8. Garden Volunteers of South Texas gardeningvolunteers.org
17. San Antonio Seed Exchange Library
210-251-8101
facebook.com/groups/sanantonioseed
1254 Austin Hwy
exchange
San Antonio, TX 78209 18. San Antonio Stockshow and Rodeo 10. Gardopia Gardens
sarodeo.com
gardopiagardens.org
210-225-5851
210-478-7292
723 AT&T Parkway
619 N. New Braunfels
San Antonio, TX 78219
San Antonio, TX 78202 19. San Antonio Water System 11. Green Space Alliance
gardenstylesanantonio.com
greensatx.org
210-704-7297
210-222-8430
2800 US-281
108 E Mistletoe Ave
San Antonio, TX 78212
San Antonio, TX 78212 20. Sowing Strength sowingstrengthsatx.wixsite.com/sowing strength-satx 318-426-6109
21. Texas Nursery and Landscape
7. Moore's Feed
Association
mooresfeedandseedstore.com
tnlaonline.org
210-532-6328
grow@uprootedgardens.com
3721 Flores St San Antonio, TX 78214
22. Yanwana Herbolarios yanawanaherbolarios.org 210-872-8005
8. New Braunfels Feed nbfeed.com 830-625-7250
Feed & Seed
810 TX-337 Loop New Braunfels, TX 78130
1.
Alamo Feed 210-733-8211
9. Ramirez Feed
2230 Blanco Rd
ramirez-feed-store.edan.io
San Antonio, TX 78212
210-977-8993 3819 Nogalitos St
2. Bulverde Feed
San Antonio, TX 78211
bulverdefeed.com 830-438-3252
10. Rudy's Feed
29110 US-281
rudysfeedstore.com
Bulverde TX 78163
210-223-2832 1801 Nogalitos St
3. David's Garden Seeds
San Antonio, TX 78225
davids-garden-seeds-andproducts.com
11. St. Hedwig Feed
davidsgardenseeds@outlook.com
sthedwigfeed.com
5029 FM 2054
210-667-1346
Poteet, TX 78065
540 E FM 1518 S St Hedwig, TX 78152
4. Locke Hill Feed lockehill.com
12. Strutty's Feed
210-691-2351
struttys.com
4927 Golden Quail Ste 105
830-981-2258
San Antonio, TX 78240
28630 IH 10 Frontage Rd Boerne, TX 78006
5. King Seed Co dkseeds.com
13. Wildseed Farms
210-661-4191
wildseedfarms.com
4627 Emil St
830-990-1393
San Antonio, TX 78219
100 Legacy Dr Fredericksburg, TX 78264
6. Mini Ranch Feed miniranchfeedstore.com 210-628-1535 10103 Moursund Blvd San Antonio TX 78221
12 | Summer 2021 | Cultivate SA
Green Space Alliance Garden Directory
1.
2.
3.
4.
Alamo Heights Community Garden
6.
CIELO Community Garden
403 Ogden Ln.
10226 Ironside Dr.
San Antonio, TX 78209
San Antonio, TX 78230
Beacon Hill Community Garden
7. The Circle School Just Love Garden
1133 W. Gramercy Pl.,
217 Pershing Ave.
San Antonio, TX 78209
San Antonio, TX 78209
Bethany Community Garden
8. Collins Community Garden
500 Pilgrim Dr.
200 N. Park Blvd.
San Antonio, TX 78210
San Antonio, TX 78204
Blessed Sacrament Academy
9. Dellview Community Garden
Early Learning
1902 Vance Jackson Rd
Sensory Garden
San Antonio, TX 78213
1135 Misson Rd. San Antonio, TX 78210
10. Denver Heights Community Garden 300 Porter St
5.
Cable Elementary Community Garden
San Antonio, TX 78210
1706 Pinn Rd. San Antonio, TX 78227
Cultivate SA | Summer 2021 | 13
11. Doral Club Community Garden
23. Jardín de la Esperanza
7750 Culebra Rd.
2806 W. Salinas, San Antonio
San Antonio, TX 78251
TX 78207
12. Eastside Sprouts/Ella
24.
Jardín del Barrio
Austin Community Garden
2121 SW 36th St.
1023 N. Pine St.
San Antonio, TX 78237
San Antonio, TX 78202 25. Jardín del Sol 13. Eco Centro Community Garden
400 N. Frio St.
1802 N. Main Ave.
San Antonio, TX 78207
San Antonio, TX 78212 26. Jefferson Community Garden 14. El Dorado Community Garden
2350 W. Gramercy Pl.
2606 Prima Vista St.
San Antonio, TX 78201
San Antonio, TX 78233 27. Labor Serena Community Garden 15. Garcia Street Urban Farm
1246 Chalmers Ave.
218 Garcia St.
San Antonio, TX 78211
San Antonio, TX 78203 28. 16. Garden of Hope Therapy Garden 2303 SE Military Dr.
Lakeview Community Garden 1202 Plaza Lake Dr. San Antonio, TX 78245
San Antonio, TX 78233 29. Landa Library Gardens 17. Gardens of St. Therese 906 Kentucky Ave.
233 Bushnell Ave. San Antonio, TX 78212
San Antonio, TX 78201 30. Mahncke Park Community Garden 18. Gardopia Gardens 619 N. New Braunfels Ave.
330 Funston Pl. San Antonio, TX 78209
San Antonio, TX 78202 31. Mainland Square Community Garden 19. Gilbert Elementary Community Garden 931 E. Southcross Blvd.
Mainland Sq. & Pavilion Pl. San Antonio, TX 78250
San Antonio, TX 78214 32. Mission Library Community Garden 20. Green Bridges Community Youth Garden 4114 SW Loop 410
3134 Roosevelt Ave. San Antonio, TX 78214
San Antonio, TX 78227 33. Oblate School of Theology Gardens 21. High Country Community Garden 16418 Cypress Park St.
285 Oblate Dr. San Antonio, TX 78216
San Antonio, TX 78247 34. Olmos Park Terrace Community 22. International Community Garden 4242 Bluemel Rd. San Antonio, TX 78240
Garden 201 W. Mandalay Dr. San Antonio, TX 78212
40. Southtown Community Garden
35. Pittman-Sullivan Community Garden Dakota St. & S. Palmetto Ave.
1012 S. Presa St.
San Antonio, TX 78208
San Antonio, TX 78210
41. Spicewood Elementary Community Garden
36. Reconciliation Oaks Community
11303 Tilson Dr.
Garden8900 Starcrest Dr.
San Antonio, TX 78224
San Antonio, TX 78217
42. Sutton Oaks Community Garden
37. River Road Community Garden
2818 I-35 N.
E. Huisache Ave. & Allison Rd. San Antonio, TX 78208
San Antonio, TX 78212
43.
38. Roosevelt Justice Community Garden
Terrell Heights Community Garden 670 Greenwich Blvd.
Mitchell St. & Mission Rd.
San Antonio, TX 78209
San Antonio, TX 78210 45. YWCA Olga Madrid Teen Garden
39. Roots of Change Community Garden
503 Castroville Rd.
1416 E. Commerce St.
San Antonio, TX 78237
San Antonio, TX 78205
For
inquiries
about
the
Green
Space Alliance garden network of community gardens, please email us To
at
community@greensatx.org.
learn
more
about
Green
Spaces Alliance, you can email us at
info@greensatx.org
or
call
our
office at (210) 222-8430.
Cultivate SA | Summer 2021 | 15
LOCAL BUSINESS FEATURE
SANO Nursery
by Georgiana Wells Hawks circle and call out to each other as
appropriate plants helps to actualize
they hunt for lunch. The oaks, pecans, and
gardening successes and benefits.
palms provide a shady canopy and playground for baby squirrels to chase
At SANO, we specialize in growing
each other as well as a habitat for
vegetable and herb plants, and we have
raccoons, possums, bats, birds, frogs,
participated in area farmers markets for
lizards, and feral cats. It is a peaceful,
about four years. When the Covid-19
almost rural eight acres hidden inside Loop
pandemic shut down local markets,
410 on San Antonio's Inner West Side that
contactless delivery became our new way
is home to San Antonio Natives & Organics
to connect with customers. Uncertainty in
(SANO) Nursery. I am fortunate to call this
food supply, a desire to start a new hobby,
place my home for the past seven years
and a need to eat healthier foods meant
and am inspired by it on a daily basis.
many people were gardening for the first time or restarting previously neglected
When I moved to San Antonio from Florida
gardens during the pandemic. Having a
twenty-two years ago, I faced the
local source for organically grown non-
frustration of having plants die despite my
GMO plants and advice on how and what
best efforts, and I wanted to save others
to grow was important. Through Facebook
from that painful feeling. I learned that
and Instagram, people could message us
many plants from big box stores do not do
an order, pay through Paypal, and have
well in San Antonio, so I now strive to
their garden kits delivered to their door.
provide resilient, seasonally appropriate plants that can grow in San Antonio's
Gardening gives us so much more than
alkaline soil, heat, and frequent droughts.
tomatoes, squash, or bell peppers. It helps
Nurturing plants should be a relief from
our physical, mental, and emotional
stress, not a source of it. Providing
wellbeing. It also helps us connect with
16 | Summer 2021 | Cultivate SA
others. While digging in the soil or pulling weeds, a family or community can come together with a shared sense of accomplishment (Hutchins, 2020). I experienced this as a child, when my grandfather taught me how to garden. Some of my earliest memories include eating blackberries from the bushes and green onions straight out of the ground at my grandparents' house and helping my grandfather devise flags, crinkly foil, and netting to discourage squirrels from eating our bell peppers. While gardening, I bonded with my grandfather and cultivated mental and physical wellbeing. Through SANO Nursery, I offer these and other benefits to the San Antonio community.
Digging in the dirt improves physical health, increases hand strength, and provides a dose of Vitamin D.
It also offers mental health benefits (Hutchins, 2020). "Inhaling m.Vaccal, a healthy bacteria that lives in soil, can increase levels of serotonin and reduce anxiety" (Hutchins, 2020). As an adult, putting my hands in the soil and sharing this activity with others has increased my sense of wellbeing. Nothing brightens my day like getting a picture of someone's harvest or thriving garden that started as a seed I planted. Seeing these pictures of smiling and proud gardeners reminds me that SANO provides not only plants, but also wellbeing to our community. During the pandemic especially, growing plants grounded me during stressful times and led to many lasting friendships. Gardening was also beneficial for our community as they dealt with the difficulty of living during a pandemic.
Cultivate SA | Summer 2021 | 17
Growing food feeds our primal needs in many ways. Homegrown and local food is not just tastier; it is also more nutritious. The longer food has to travel or stay on a shelf, the more nutritional value it loses (Lussier, 2018). Food that has to travel halfway around the world also consumes much more fossil fuels than the vegetables that came from right outside your door. Additionally, most commercially grown fruits and vegetables have been treated with pesticides and fertilizers that have long lasting negative environmental repercussions (Lussier, 2018). Growing your own food gives you control over what chemicals you are ingesting. Organic gardening practices in particular help put nutrients back into the soil, reduce waste, and conserve water, which is beneficial to your health today and the health of our planet in the future.
Feeding people has been a core part of
grow is an opportunity for
who I am and what I do, so when I started
experimentation, and I am always open to
SANO it became a natural continuation to
suggestions or requests.
focus on food plants . Deciding what to Vegetable and herb varieties at the shop change with the seasons and are chosen for their ability to withstand the Central Texas climate. This has helped SANO partner with local businesses and farmers that need starter plants. Next, we will expand into more ornamental varieties, with the goal of offering native and pollinator friendly options.
We currently offer our products at local farmers markets or by delivery. If you would like to visit onsite, please make an appointment and adhere to appropriate safety protocols. Our feral cat, Mouser, loves visitors. If you visit in the evening, you can join me and listen to the owls and watch the fireflies. You can reach us on Instagram at SANO_Nursery or on Facebook at SANO Nursery. Happy gardening and stay safe!
Call The Landscape Cooperative (210) 988-8290 Cultivate SA | Summer 2021 | 19
CULTIVATE SEASONS
CROP FOCUS Food for thought with an up close look at four seasonal veggies
by Amanda Micek
Cucumbers History
Fun Fact Cucumbers are 96% water!
Originating from India, cucumbers are one of the oldest grown vegetables. They have been in gardens for over 3,000 years and
Recipe
were grown by the Romans, Greeks, and ancient Egyptians. Christopher Columbus is
Cucumber Sandwich
credited with bringing the cucumber to the Americas, introducing the crop to Haiti in
Ingredients
1494.
8 oz cream cheese
Growing Tip Cucumbers like sun, loose and fertile soil, and warm weather. Make sure to plant your seeds 1-2 feet apart to avoid
2 tablespoons mayonnaise 1 loaf of bread 1 long cucumber or 2-3 smaller ones Dill,
garlic
powder,
other
seasonings
(like
salt and pepper) as desired
crowding, which can contribute to the spread of bacterial wilt and powdery mildew, two diseases that can plague
Preparation
your plants. Mix together cream cheese, mayo, a pinch of dill, a dash of garlic powder, and any
Health Benefits Cucumbers are a great low calorie option with only eight calories per half cup. They
other seasonings you want.
Spread on the bread and top with thinly sliced cucumber.
also have high amounts of antioxidants and Vitamin K.
20 | Summer 2021 | Cultivate SA
Enjoy!
Dill History Dill originates from the Mediterranean and
Fun Fact In Ancient Rome, dill was a good luck symbol and in Egypt it was used to ward off witches.
was grown in Egyptian and Babylonian gardens as early as 5,000 years ago. Dill was first used as a healing herb and was used by Greek and Roman doctors to treat
Recipe
soldiers and gladiators. The plant spread to England and was popularized there in the
Grandma’s Dill Dip
17th century. Dill was introduced to the Americas by English settlers and it is
Ingredients
written that John Winthrop, who led Puritans to the New World, grew dill in his personal garden.
1/2 cup of mayo 1/2 cup of sour cream 1 bunch chopped dill
Growing Tip
Dash of onion salt
Dill likes sun and well drained, slightly acidic soil. Plant about one foot apart in rows.
Preparation
They grow great alongside cabbage and onions.
Mix
all
ingredients
together
in
a
medium
bowl
Health Benefits Dill is high in Vitamin C and a good source of fiber, potassium, folate, and Vitamin E.
Enjoy
with
other
veggies,
the better!
People throughout history have also chewed on dill to improve stinky breath.
.
baby or
carrots, pita
cauliflower
chips.
The
bites,
more
dill
Fun Fact Okra seeds, ground and roasted, were used as a coffee substitute during the American Civil War.
Recipe
Okra
Summer Fried Okra
Ingredients
History
1 pound sliced okra
Okra was first cultivated by
1 cup of flour
Egyptians where it quickly spread
1 egg
across Northern Africa. Through
¼ cup milk of choice
trade, okra spread to the
Salt, pepper, paprika, & garlic powder
Mediterranean and India. Okra is said
to taste
to have first arrived in Brazil around
Frying oil
1650. African slaves introduced the crop to the Americas and many
Preparation
European countries. By the 1800s it was commonplace in the United States.
Mix
dry ingredients (flour and
seasonings) in one bowl and wet ingredients (egg and milk) in another
Growing Tip Okra plants enjoy full sun. However,
Pour about an inch of oil into a skillet on medium-high heat
make sure you give them at least an inch of water every week to prevent dry soil.
Dip okra slices into wet mix and then dry mix to coat.
When the oil is hot, place okra slices
Health Benefits Okra contains Vitamins A, C, and B6, as well as iron, potassium, magnesium, and folic acid for intestinal health.
22 | Summer 2021 | Cultivate SA
into the oil and fry on each side until golden brown.
Jalapeños
Recipe
History Simple Baked Jalapeño Poppers The jalapeño originated in Mexico and dates back to the time of the Aztecs.
Ingredients
Peppers were often smoked and kept for long term storage. When Europeans arrived in the New World they were introduced to the crop, taking it back with them to Europe.
12 jalapeños, 8 oz cream cheese 4 oz shredded cheddar cheese ¼ cup of breadcrumbs 1 tablespoon of melted butter
Growing Tip
Preparation
Jalapeños grow best in well-drained, sandy soil.
Preheat oven to 400° F
Mix together cheeses in one bowl, adding desired spices
Health Benefits Mix butter and bread crumbs in separate bowl
One cup of jalapeños contains 14% of the daily requirement of Vitamin A, 66%
Cut jalapeños in half and deseed. Cover each
Vitamin C, 1% calcium and 4% iron.
half with cheese mixture and top with breadcrumbs
Bake for about 20 minutes and enjoy!
Fun Fact The jalapeño’s name literally means “from Jalapa (or Xalapa),” which is a large city in Mexico. Cultivate SA | Summer 2021 | 23
.
SUMMER PLANTING GUIDE USDA Zones 8b / 9a Plant Type
Planting Range
Companions
June | July | Aug | Sept
Corn, Cucumber, Peas, Rosemary, Beans
--S----
Strawberry, Swiss Chard, Tomatoes, Thyme, Sage
Beets
S----
Beans, Lettuce, Marjoram, Onion, Potatoes
Corn
Beans, Cucumber, Dill, Melon, Parsley, --S----
Peas, Squash, Sunflower, Sage, Thyme
Cucumber
Beans, Corn, Dill, Lettuce, Onion, Peas, --S----
Peppers, Tomatoes, Thyme
Eggplants
Hemp /
--S----
J----J----A----S----
Cannabis
Herbs (Basil,
Beans, Marjoram, Potatoes
Beans, Lettuce, Marjoram, Onion, Potatoes
J----J----A----S----
Asparagus, Borage, Chamomile,
Rosemary,
Oregano, Chives, Marigolds, Peppers,
Lemongrass)
Root Vegetables, Tomatoes
Corn, Marigold, Squash, Melon
--S----
Sunflower, Sage, Thyme
Peas, Radishes, Peppers, Tomatoes, Okra
J----J----A----S----
Beans, Sunflowers, Cucumber, Melon, Eggplants, Peppers
Peppers
J----J----A----S----
Basil, Cucumber, Oregano, Parsley, Peas, Rosemary, Squash, Swiss Chard, Tomatoes, Sage, Thyme
Cucumber, Radish, Tomatoes, Corn,
Peas J----J----A----S---(Southern)
Parsley, Peppers, Squash, Strawberry, Sage, Thyme
Sweet
Beats, Bush Beans, Celery, Corn, J----J----A----S----
Garlic, Marigold, Onions, Peas,
Potatoes
Sage, Thyme
Beans, Cabbage, Beets, Coriander, Potatoes
S----
Dill, Marigold, Marjoram, Pea, Sage,
(Non-sweet)
Spinach
Thyme
J----J----A----S----
Radish, Strawberries, Brassicas
(Malabar)
Squash
J----J----A----S----
Corn, Lettuce, Melon, Peas, Peppers, Sage, Thyme, Marigold, Nasturtium
(Summer)
Sunflowers
Eggplant, Leeks, Lettuce, Peas,
J----J----A----S----
Beans, Corn, Squash, Melon, Sage, Thyme
Swiss Chard
J----J----A----S----
Beans, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Onion, Peppers, Sage, Thyme
--S----
Basil, Beans, Chives, Cucumber, Garlic, Lettuce, Marigold, Nasturtium,
Tomatoes
Onion, Parsley, Peppers, Sage, Thyme
if you have questions, contact Gardopia at info@gardopiagardens.org
Cultivate SA | Summer 2021 | 25
26 | Summer 2021 | Cultivate SA
Personal Reflections on the Summer Solstice A creative essay by Victoria Houser Creating Homelands
The summer solstice marks the peak of the year, a time when the sun lingers over the earth for long hours. Litha (a Celtic word for “June”) is the name used to refer to the deities of midsummer as well as the myriad events and traditions surrounding the solstice. In Greek mythology Litha was a time for people to worship and celebrate Apollo, the great sun god. Apollo is a fierce and powerful god,
the burdens carried through winter, Litha is
certainly worthy of much celebration during
a time to simply exist in the lightness that
the pinnacle of summer.
comes from unburdening oneself. The labors of life and love will still be there for
Closely connected to the sun god is the Greek
us when we cross the threshold of the
goddess Hestia, known as the feminine heart
summer solstice, but right now life is wide
of the sun. Hestia is goddess of the hearth,
open with the possibilities of all the work
watching over domestic life and promising
we’ve done to be here. It is an occasion
sanctuary to visitors. She is known for
marked with ceremonies of beauty,
hospitality and safe shelter in times of need.
sunshine, and fulfillment.
As we enter Litha, we are offered an opportunity to imagine homelands in all
During Litha, Hestia’s feminine heart of the
contexts. What does home mean to us as
sun reminds us of the importance of
individuals and communities? How can we
offering kindness to each other, but
extend sanctuary to those in need of a home?
especially to those seeking sanctuary and
In what ways can we contribute to cultures of
domestic peace. While we celebrate the
homemaking that are inclusive and holistic?
abundance of summer, the joys of warmer
Hestia dreams of a world where homelands
weather, and the beauty surrounding our
unite, opening and expanding generosity to
lives, it is also a time to extend what we can
strangers and kindness to those who need it
to those seeking reprieve from brutal
most.
injustices. French feminist philosopher, Hélène Cixous writes, “It is because of the
Litha brings joyous celebrations at the peak of
cruel price paid that, in joy, we can rejoice.
sunshine, joy, and all that is light. It is a
But to earn joy, one must first have broken
moment of intense celebration. Having shed
with oneself, life so great is knocking from
Cultivate SA | Summer 2021 | 27
the inside” (103). We’ve all paid cruel prices in
work is ongoing. Chauvin’s conviction is
just
this life—lost love, abandoned dreams, labor
one instance in which people in power were
done in vain. But many have paid much
held responsible for their violent crimes. It is
steeper prices for making a home in their
certainly a triumph, but it meets a low bar
bodies.
of justice when Black lives are still threatened by the power structure of
The first months of summer bring new waves
policing. During this solstice, the moment of
of growth and clarity. Hope seems to rise from
swelling life and renewal, we must also
the earth and spread through the atmosphere.
remind ourselves of the work before us - of
While this hope is vital for us to survive, it is
fighting racism, interrupting violence, and
also a reminder that there is still work to be
listening to voices that continue to be
done. June is also pride month—a collective
marginalized.
celebration of queer lives, and a time to acknowledge the heavy prices paid for the
Community, Vulnerability, and Expansive Life
hard-fought joy of being able to build homes and lives with partners outside cultural
At the apex of Litha, the world is pregnant
inscriptions of heterosexuality. The life that
with life that has been painstakingly
knocks from inside, as Cixous describes it, asks
nourished and is now emerging from spring
for an expansiveness in our cultural
into plump fullness. It is a time to turn one’s
understandings of domestic life.
energies toward what has been quietly growing in the soils of our everyday lives.
Another incredibly important date that
This is not to diminish the pain, sorrow, and
precedes the summer solstice is Juneteenth, a
anxieties that one has walked through in the
holiday established in 1979 in the state of
winter and spring, but rather it is a moment
Texas to remember the emancipation of
in which we can say, “Yes, I have seen
African American slaves in the United States.
myself through many difficult and bitter
Juneteenth is the first national holiday
times, but life persists inside of me. Joy is
celebrating the end of slavery. In the wake of
imminent. There is beauty yet to be seen
the last two years, and with the recent
and held.” Litha is a time to create space to
conviction of Derek Chauvin, the holiday takes
speak life over our dreams for the year,
on new salience as we continue to fight police
both dreams that were not realized and
brutality and the murders of George Floyd,
dreams that we still hope to fulfill.
Breanna Taylor, Duante Wright, and so many other Black lives. Juneteenth is a moment to
During the waning winter and early spring,
celebrate Black joy and to remember that the
when I struggled most to believe there
would be new life, two poems came to comfort
At the very beginning of May, having
me: Ocean Vuong’s “Threshold” and Mary
completed the mundane and tiring tasks
Oliver’s “Wild Geese.” The opening lines to
for the week, I went to a park to sit in the
“Threshold” read: “In the body, where
sunshine and enjoy grapes. My life felt
everything has a price, / I was a beggar. On my
incredibly crammed into scheduled
knees, / I watched through the keyhole, not /
meetings, writing sessions, and household
the man showering, but the rain / falling
chores. So, I wrote a note to myself that I
through him.” The image of the rain steadily
needed to sit outside in the sun for at least
falling through his body reminded me of the
an hour. I hoped to do some reading while
distinct feeling of shedding an old self. It felt
also letting my body soak in the warm glow
like washing away some version of the past
of early summer. But when I arrived, my
that needed to be released.
usual little corner of the park was
overrun
with small children, people with their dogs, At times I felt like both people in Vuong’s poem
and lovers. Apparently, the universe
—the one looking on and the one with the rain,
demanded that everyone leave their homes
but in both cases I was in a body where
on the first warm day of the season.
everything definitely had a price. And I was definitely a beggar on my knees. Cold winter
I sat in the grass, allowing myself to take
days bled into rainy spring afternoons, and the
up the space with others. So much of our
world struggled to be bright. “It filled me to my
social life has been organized around
core,” Vuong writes, “like a skeleton. Even my
maintaining distance from one another as
name / knelt down inside me, asking / to be
we continue to survive a pandemic. Our
spared.” One winter day, my mother called to
most basic and essential needs have been
tell me that my sisters all had COVID, and that
fraught with peril for over a year now, and
she was sure she would have it soon as well.
most of us have become experts in the art
Everything knelt down inside me. Their names,
of solitude. So, as I sat in the park quietly
my own, and the countless others who also
eating my little grapes, letting my novel’s
heard such news weighed heavy in my soul.
words wash over me, I felt a heightened connection to the strangers around me. My
Spring eventually arrived, and my family
muscles tensed in the fluctuating presence
recovered from the virus within a few weeks.
of the children who ran to and from the
How many others were not spared though?
water, shrieking in delight.
My body felt unbearably heavy wading out into the world again. Even simple tasks felt
After long periods of social isolation, any
impossible. Mary Oliver’s words reverberated
interruption in our physical spaces
across my bones: “You do not have to walk on
threatened our bodies with potential
your knees / for a hundred miles through the
hazards to our personal health as well as
desert repenting. / You only have to let the
the health of all our dearest people. Living
soft animal of your body / love what it loves.” I
through a pandemic taught us about the
struggled to know what my body loved. All
extreme vulnerability of our bodies.
through March and April, I begged my body to
Interruption in our physical spaces has
speak to me and tell me what it desired. Spring
been dangerous for months with bodies
felt impossible as the idea of new life always
carrying potential threats to our own
appeared off in the distance, but never quite in
wellness as the lives of all our dearest
reach. But April drew to a close, and I felt my
people. Re-learning to live together takes
body eventually soften as the
ardent and
sun rose early
and lingered longer in the sky at night.
continuous energy. Yet, we are
boundless in our capacity to exist with one
Cultivate SA | Summer 2021 | 29
another. The pandemic has felt like a
further still as we unite across spaces to
suspension of an incredibly long rupture in
be with each other while also maintaining
organizing our lives with other bodies.
the spheres of our little worlds.
While I sat near the shore of the lake, I let my
Litha is a time for acceptance of the self
toes sink into the earth and thought about
and others. It is a time to open our hands to
what the world would look like now. Being
the sun and let warmth circulate through
suddenly surrounded by strangers in a park
us as we receive and release the beautiful
filled me with an awkward joy. There was a
moments from the spring that we’ve
closeness in the distance that we maintained
carefully nourished into blossoming. Litha is
with one another, a connectivity in the silent
a time for letting go of our past mistakes
agreement that this was enough for now. I put
and the judgments we’ve carried against
my book down, laid back on the grass, closed
our own bodies. Litha provides a space to
my eyes, and allowed myself to be present
release patterns that no longer serve us as
with others in a raw and trusting way. In the
we heal, and it is a time to rejoice in all that
transition from spring to summer, as the world
has provided peace, strength, and inner
begins to reopen, we must learn to live
knowledge this year.
together with respect for our embodied spaces, knowing that things will not be like this
Litha is a time for us to be present with all
forever.
we’ve carried. It is a time for a deep awareness of every muscle and every feeling that our bodies hold. Every tiny moment that has led us to the current position our bodies occupy. Every violence that our bodies have witnessed and carried. All of the joy we have shared with others as we recover. All of those disparate and uniquely challenging memories that make up the current moment sit with us now. Lithia invites us to rejoice in the infinite wonder of growth. The solstice celebration asks us to put aside the outward strife in order to be present with all that we have experienced, carried, and felt throughout the season of growth.
Litha is a time to engage with each other as Mediations and Practices for Celebrating Litha
part of a universal experience. While the spring solstice issued a cleansing ritual to
Litha is a time where we can celebrate the
help us move forward from winter, the
subdued knowledge of our bodies. It is a
summer solstice is a time for cleansing
knowledge that our bodies have carried for so
ourselves of self-doubt and self judgement
long, and it is bursting at the seams of our
as we rejoice in our connections to each
lives now as we are ready to dance and frolic
other and the earth. To honor Litha’s
in the summer sunshine. The fullness of life
season, below are some rituals that you
expands out from the earth and through the tendrils of our own bodies, reaching out
30 | Summer 2021 | Cultivate SA
can practice on this summer solstice to release self-judgement and rejoice in the
expansiveness of the universe.
the cycle of all living things. As a caretaker of a garden, you can celebrate the many
Water Ritual to Release Self-Judgment
ways you have nourished life this year. Spend some time listening to the life forces
The following is a ritual of release from The
that you have connected yourself to in this
Book of Runes by Ralph H. Blum. The ritual can
space. If you do not garden, you could
be performed in a variety of ways, such as
dedicate some time to visiting a community
wading into a pool, a river, or a lake. The
garden or a friend’s garden and join others
simplest version of this would be to prepare a
in celebrating the life they cultivate.
bowl of water that you can dip your hands in as you speak the following over your body:
3) Baking or cooking a meal for another person or family.
I bathe myself in generosity, Appreciation,
Creating something to be shared with
Praise and gratitude for my fellow beings,
another person can take many forms, but
Self-acceptance,
cooking with another or for another can
And enlightened understanding of my life
provide a beautiful space to celebrate the
experiences
many ways we take care of each other’s needs and enrich each other’s lives. Plan a
This can be repeated a number of times for
meal with someone who has walked with
specific experiences you would like to release,
you through the more challenging moments
or it can be performed as a general practice of
of the winter and spring. Or invite someone
releasing experiences collected throughout the
you want to know better into your space to
year. The summer solstice invites us to rejoice
share in a new ritual together. Rejoice
in the release of any judgements that may
together in the life that you’ve sustained
have crowded into our lives this year. It is a
together.
time to witness how this release opens our bodies to receive even more light and joy.
The summer solstice contains the deepest heart of summer. It is the crescendo in a
As you release judgment and pain and begin to
year full of desires, challenges, heart aches,
experience acceptance of the self and the
and jubilation. It is also the moment when
positioning of the universe, you can also
the sunlight will start to wane, and summer
practice the following to create symbolic
begins to deepen into fall and eventually
meaning around the event:
winter. We are at the peak of warmth. Delight and rejoice in all that has brought
1) Building a flower crown or devoting time to
you to this moment.
drying/pressing flowers. References Later in the year, as the sun has begun to set sooner and darkness descends, you can place these symbols around your dwelling to remind you of what you learned during the release of the summer solstice.
Cixous, Hélène. Stigmata. Routledge, 2005. Oliver, Mary. Dream Work, Atlantic Monthly Press, 1986. Vuong, Ocean. Night Sky with Exit
2) Gardening
Clearing away any weeds and nourishing living plants is one way to celebrate your position in
Wounds. Copper Canyon Press, 2016.
CULTIVATE HISTORY & AWARENESS
photo used with permission by Bruce Jackson
Texas Agriculture and the For-Profit Prison Industry Part II by Charlotte Lucke Bruce Jackson’s collection of photographs
plant, plastic sign shop, and an agricultural
are haunting reminders of the way the
operation where prisoners have grown
past reaches into the present, the present
crops and raised livestock since 1883. In a
into the past. Providing a glimpse into
report submitted to the court in 1979, a
Texas prison farms from 1964 until 1979,
corrections expert observed that the
the photos reveal convicts tilling fields and
Texas Department of Corrections was
picking crops as guards on horseback
“probably the best example of slavery
watch over them with loaded rifles. The
remaining in the country.” Jackson’s
1974 case, Ruiz vs. Estelle, widens the
photographs support this testimonial,
glimpse into Texas prisons and their labor
visually testifying to conditions uncannily
operations. In the 1974 lawsuit, inmates
reminiscent of slave plantations.
charged the Texas Department of Corrections (TDC) with cruel and unusual
Jackson photographed Texas prison
punishment at the Wynne Unit in
farms in an era marked by a boom in
Huntsville, Texas which houses a mattress
prison populations as the carceral state
factory, coffee plant, records conversion
tackled the spectres of crime and drugs.
32 | Summer 2021 | Cultivate SA
According to the Texas State Historical
passed the Prison Made Goods Act which
Association, between 1968 and 1978 the
established the Texas Correctional
Texas prison population grew by 101%,
Industries (TCI) and required that prison-
while the state population grew by only
produced goods be sold, for-profit, to
19%. Further, between 1962 and 1972,
other state institutions. With the passing
Black convicts made up roughly 44% of the
of this law, the TDC developed a coffee-
inmate population while Anglo-Americans
roasting plant, garment factories, a tire
made up 39% and Hispanics made up 17%.
facility, and a bus-repair shop, among
Yet, as reflected in data collected by the
other operations. The state’s development
U.S. census, Anglo-Americans have
of profitable prison operations continued;
historically been the majority demographic
in the 1978 report Texas Department of
of the Texas population. Research by
Corrections: 30 Years of Progress, the
sociologist Michelle Alexander and
TDC boasts about its agriculture,
historian Elizabeth Hinton, among many
business, construction, and industry
others, attribute the prison population
divisions - all of which, the report claims,
surge to the federal government’s
maximize citizen tax dollars and
expansion of the carceral state. More
rehabilitate prisoners. Ironically, the 1978
specifically, this research attributes the
report condemns past prison conditions
carceral state’s policing of Black
and lauds its progress despite the 1972
neighborhoods to the surge in the Black
case which charged the TDC with cruel
prison population.
and unusual punishment.
As problems facing communities of color
Despite the emboldened claims of the
persisted, lawmakers fought poverty and
1978 report, the prison system of this era
gaping inequality with law and order.
was tainted by inhumane living and
Hinton has traced policies from the
working conditions. In 1972, inmate David
Johnson administration through the
Ruiz hand-wrote a lawsuit against the
Reagan administration that funneled
TDC for overcrowding, inadequate
hundreds of billions of dollars into law
healthcare, inadequate security, severe
enforcement and criminal justice programs
and arbitrary punishment, and unsafe
that policed Black neighborhoods. Social
working conditions. These conditions,
unrest and protest further contributed to
argued Ruiz, violated the 8th Amendment
the policing of Black neighborhoods—a
which prohibits cruel and unusual
repetition of the racialized policing of the
punishment. The 1978 article, “Inmates
late nineteenth century that reverberates
Tell of Texas Prison Brutality” from the
still today. As argued by Alexander,
New York Times includes a testimony by a
incarceration and the war on drugs was
prisoner who was ordered to feed silage
also a form of retaliation against the Civil
into a threshing machine and
Rights movement in the 1960s. For
consequently lost both arms. In 1980,
policymakers, the answer to poverty,
when the case finally went to trial, Federal
crime, and social unrest was arrest and
District Judge William Wayne Justice
imprisonment to maintain the status quo.
ordered changes, including limiting prison capacities, hiring more guards and medical
To offset costs of the surging prison
personnel, and
stronger oversight. The
populations, Texas prisons followed the
1980 charges— and ruling—continued the
model established in the late nineteenth
pattern of investigations and failed reform
century, producing and selling goods
of the
early twentieth century. Early
through prison agriculture, mills, and
release
programs, attempting to maintain
factories. In 1963, the Texas legislature
the prison population, contributed to
recidivism, or the return of prisoners to
populations. In 2002, Perkinson
prison for further convictions.
investigated the Eastham Unit, a sprawling thirteen-thousand-acre cotton farm in
Since the beginning of the prison boom in
Houston County. Once a slave plantation,
the 1960s, incarceration rates have
sharecroppers and leased convicts
continued to skyrocket, conditions have
replaced slave labor following
remained deplorable, and racial disparities
Emancipation in the late nineteenth
have endured. In Texas, policing and
century. The plantation was later sold to
incarceration rates have increased even
the state of Texas and developed into a
more dramatically than in the rest of the
state prison. While at the prison in 2002,
United States. American Studies
farm manager John Massingill gave
professor Robert Perkinson reports that
Perkinson a tour of the operation and its
“between 1965 and 2000, the U.S. prison
4,000 heads of cattle, 5,000 hogs,
population swelled by 600%, in Texas by
52,000 laying hens, and 1,400 acres of
1,200%” (30). Within the prison system,
field crops. In his book, Texas Tough: The
racial gaps endure as Black Texans make
Rise of America’s Prison Empire,
up one-third of the prison population,
Perkinson vividly describes the farm’s
while they make up only 12% of the state
“pungent pig complex, wooden longhouses
population. Further, nearly half of the
stuffed with mangy chicks, and a cattle
prison population is serving time for
burial pit mobbed with buzzards” (76).
nonviolent offenses or probation
Unpaid convicts, notes Perkinson, tend the
violations. Meanwhile, the state,
entire operation, shadowing the labor of
corporations, and private businesses
enslaved people in the 1850s. One convict
continue to make money from
shared this sentiment with Perkinson,
incarceration through agricultural and
elling him, “This here is a slave plantation”
industrial operations, commissary vendors,
(78).
and fees for using prison telephones. While prison farms are inherently unjust Today, the operations developed by the
and exploitative, prison agriculture can
TCI remain intact as prisoners grow and
benefit some prisoners as it gives them a
manufacture crops and goods across the
sense of purpose and connection. Tim
state, with the highest concentration of
Sneed told Cultivate San Antonio about
facilities in East Texas. In fields, Texas
his experience at the Ellis Unit in
prisoners raise field crops, edible crops,
Huntsville, where he was able to pursue
and livestock. In production facilities,
an Associate of Applied Science Degree in
convicts process the yields into food and
Horticulture and a Texas A&M Master
goods, including the textiles and goods
Gardener Certificate Program. He helped
listed for sale on the TCI website. The
develop Herbs Behind Bars, a program
Texas Department of Criminal Justice
that provides fresh herbs to prison
(TDCJ) also has canning facilities, cotton
kitchens. His experience and degree also
gins, beef and pork processing plants,
helped him land a job after getting out of
textile mills, feed mills,, and an alfalfa
prison. In addition to credentials and a job,
dehydrator. In prisons, Texan inmates are
Sneed explained that the horticulture
required to work as long as they are
program allowed him to be outside and
physically and mentally able. On many of these prison farms, echoes of the past continue to reverberate as convicts still work the land once toiled by slave
feel something greater than himself through the process of co-creation. Growing plants, Sneed told Cultivate, taught him patience, and his prison
horticulture experience was one of the
one spot producing products such as
greatest accomplishments of his life. As he
clothes and shoes for eight hours a day.
illustrated the way hardened convicts'
For these jobs, inmates receive a stipend
entire countenance would change after
called “good time” which are credits
seeing a sprout grow, Sneed suggested
toward shortening their parole eligibility
that the horticulture program touched
date. Sneed notes that this good time
other convicts, too.
cannot be used outside the prison system upon release. While some inmates are able
Recent articles similarly describe the
to earn money through the Prison Industry
advantages of prison agricultural and
Enhancement Program, these inmates are
horticultural programs. A 2020 article in
required to use their earnings to pay for
the The Houston Chronicle describes the
rent and for food within the prison.
aquaponic farm in the Michael Unit, a
According to the Texas Correctional
four-hundred acre farm in Anderson
Industries, the purpose of the unpaid and
county, where inmates tend the farm and
paid jobs is to rehabilitate prisoners and
grow fresh greens incorporated into meals
provide them with marketable labor skills.
that feed the unit’s 3,800 residents.
Yet recidivism rates remain high, and with
Ariella Simke reports that prior to the
a criminal record, inmates have an
development of the aquaponic farm,
incredibly difficult time finding jobs.
inmates at the Michael Unit rarely ate
Furthermore, data demonstrates that the
fresh greens, and many other units did not
prison system does not reduce crime
have access to fresh food. The article
rates. Despite data that demonstrates the
lauds the inmates who tend the aquaponic
failure of reform and rehabilitation, the
farm as “pioneers” paving the way toward
state continues to funnel prisoners into its
an efficient and sustainable food system.
system and laud its operations as
A 2013 article in the Texas Tribute reports
rehabilitative and sustainable.
about the Smith County Jail Farm, a four acre plot where inmates grow food
The historically abhorrent conditions of
donated to the East Texas Food Bank.
Texas prisons and prison farms persist as
Reflecting on the farm, convict Frank
inmates continue to charge the state with
Meadows states, “It’s been a blessing for
crime and failed reform continues. In 2014,
me . . . I’d rather be out here and get to eat
inmates charged the TDCJ with cruel and
some of these tomatoes.” Using language
unusual punishment due to the absence of
similar to Sneed’s, Sheriff Larry Smith of
air conditioning in the Wallace Unit, a
Smith County claims that the garden
prison in central Texas. While the state
allows the inmates to “feel like they’re a
agreed to install air conditioning at the
part of something.” While these articles
Wallace Pack Unit in 2018, the majority of
report about the benefits of agriculture
Texas prisons remain without air
and horticulture in Texas prisons, these
conditioning despite extreme Texas heat.
models are not as picturesque as they
This May, the House Committee on
sound. Rather, they are built upon the
Corrections passed a bill to incrementally
backs of people trapped in a historically
install air conditioning and climate-control
unjust and violent system.
systems in Texas prisons. Yet the Texas Senate did not bring the bipartisan bill to
Texas is one of four prison systems that
its 2021 session, and today, 70% of Texas
does not pay inmates for their labor. Many
prison living areas do not have air
of these jobs, Sneed states, are
conditioning. This is only one of the many
“sweatshop like jobs,” where inmates sit in
problems plaguing Texas prison. Under the
the guise of rehabilitation, corporations
Crewdson, John M. “Inmates Tell of Texas
and the state profit from exploitative
Prison Brutality.” 1978. The New York
prison labor and dire living conditions. The
Times.
costs of maintaining prisons remain
Cruel and Unusual Punishment: Ruiz.” The
exceptionally high, and prisoners,
Texas Politics Project at the University
taxpayers, and the state continue to fund
of Texas Austin.
a system that does much harm and little good.
“Demographic Change in Texas, 18502000” The Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas Austin.
Texas prison farms are an important
Grissom, Brandi. “Garden-Fresh Produce
symbolic link between the past and
for Needy, Thanks to Inmates.” 2013.
present as imprisoned people work the
The Texas Tribune.
same fields once worked by nineteenth-
Jackson, Bruce. Inside the Wire:
century enslaved people. With the turn of
Photosgraphs from Texas and Arkansas
the twentieth-century, prisoners work not
Prisons. 2013. University of Texas
only on farms and in mills but in
Press.
modernized factories and shops. As in the
Perkinson, Robert. Texas Tough: The Rise
past, present conditions remain deplorable.
of America’s Prison Empire. 2010.
In Inside the Wire, Bruce Jackson writes
Metropolitan Books. New York.
about being stonewalled by the Texas
Livingston, Jeff. “Bipartisan Texas Prison
prison system upon his attempt to revisit
Reform Air Conditioning Bill Dies
the prisons in 2010. Reflecting on being
without a Vote in Texas Senate.” 2021.
denied access, he writes, “Those places do
Newsbreak.
not want witnesses.” Yet witnessing is
Lucko, M. Paul. “Prison System.” Texas
essential for restorative justice to take
State Historical Association Handbook
place. While the model of sustainability
of Texas.
and rehabilitation through agricultural
McCullough, John. “After a Lawsuit, Texas
labor seems wholesome, beneath the
Plans to Install Air Conditioning in a
surface lies the violent, historical
Stifling Prison.” 2018. The Texas
exploitation of human lives. This history
Tribune.
must be recognized as a contributor to the
McCullough, John. “After Sweltering
racist police violence that devastatingly
Temperatures Killed Texas Prisoners,
repeats itself again and again. Restorative
Lawmakers Vote to Install Air
justice envisions a world without prisons
Conditioning.” 2021. The Texas Tribune.
and without police violence: where drugs are decriminalized, social networks are bolstered, and taxpayer money goes to
Neucere, Elizabeth. “The Wynne Unit." East Texas History “Prison Industry Enhancement
revitalizing rather than policing
Certification Program.” 2019. Texas
communities.
Correctional Industries. Ramirez, Fernando. “Here’s how much
References
Texas Spends on the Average Inmate.” 2017. Chron.
"Alternative to Incarceration.” Texas Criminal Justice Coalition. Camarillo, Vicky. “‘The Penal System “Today is Slavery:’ Lawmakers Finally Start to Talk About Unpaid Labor in Texas Prisons.” 2019. Texas Observer.
Sneed, Tim. Cultivate Interview. February 26, 2021. “Texas Department of Corrections: 30 Years of Progress.” 1978. Texas Department of Corrections. “Texas Profile.” Prison Policy Initiative.
Cultivate SA | Summer 2021 | 37
UN Summit Discusses San Antonio's Unsustainable Food Systems and Response by Wallis Monday After a summer filled with events, the
hungry. According to the Global Hunger
United Nations will host a Food Systems
Index, at least 690 million people are
Summit this fall in New York City. Aimed at
undernourished globally. The San Antonio
creating action-plans for a sustainable
Food Bank reports that in Bexar County,
future, the topics range from nutrition to
one in four children are food insecure. The
agriculture to world poverty. Strong food
UN has recognized that, in a quest for a
systems are a key to achieving the UN’s
sustainable future, environmentalism must
Sustainable Development Goals by 2030,
include those living in poverty. In doing so,
and global and local governments are taking
the organization has invited local
action. Food systems are described as the
communities worldwide to assess for
“constellation of activities involved in
themselves how sustainability can move
producing, processing, transporting and
forward. The local generation of guidelines
consuming food." But what does this mean
for sustainability is a crucial component of
for our community?
the UN’s agenda for their fall summit. And so, like many cities across the globe and the
In the United States, much of the
country, San Antonio held a Food Systems
conversation around sustainable
Summit of their own, organized by
development leaves out the most vulnerable
Gardopia Gardens and the City of San
communities who are most likely to go
Antonio. On May 22nd, over seventy .
38 | Summer 2021 | Cultivate SA
people showed up virtually to engage in
restaurant employees, and grocery stores.
conversation surrounding the UN’s
Communities globally have renewed
suggested action tracks:
respect for essential workers because of the Covid-19 pandemic. More specifically,
Ensure access to safe and nutritious
San Antonio became especially cognizant of
food for all
food security during winter storm Uri that
Shift to sustainable consumption
left many without power, water, and/or
patterns
source of food. But respect and awareness
Boost nature-positive production
does not put food on the table.
Advance equitable livelihoods Build resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks,
Federal and local funds, through grants,
and stress.
subsidies, and tax breaks, will prove that governments are backing up these claims
Opening the discussion was Juan Mancias,
with money. We cannot build a just food
a leader of the non recognized Carrizo
system without financial backing, as
Comecrudo tribe, who explained that San
panelists Tracie Shelton and Jamie
Antonio's food systems are deeply linked to
Gonzalez repeatedly stressed. Shelton, the
its colonial history. The Spanish missions of
founder of the business incubator Alamo
the 16th century are a constant reminder
Kitchens, and Gonzalez, the self proclaimed
of the forced assimilation of indigenous
“Puta de la Fruta,” work on the grassroots
peoples and their agricultural practices.
level to promote local culinary
What we’re left with today is a patchwork
entrepreneurs and increase access to
of traditions which has garnered a
healthy foods in areas without much fresh
UNESCO recognition of San Antonio as a
produce, known as food deserts. Both
City of Gastronomy but has also created a
Shelton and Gonzalez work to increase
disconnect between agriculture,
accessibility for those who might not live
sustainability, and diet. As a consequence,
near a grocery store, or who are unable to
the San Antonio food systems are
travel to one. Shelton seeks to increase the
environmentally unsustainable and
amount of small, food-based businesses
unhealthy. Education initiatives, like those
you might have in your own neighborhood,
hosted by Gardopia Gardens, aim to
while Gonzalez has worked to put fruits
strengthen the cognitive connection
and veggies in corner stores and bodegas.
between what we plant, how we plant, and
Grassroots changes such as these could
what we eat.
grow to their full potential with institutional support.
In addition to an unsustainable and unhealthy food system, panelists
The UN’s year-long agenda is packed with
emphasized that, like most major American
events for those who want to get involved
cities, San Antonio still houses many folks
and become a “food systems hero,”
who don’t know where their next meal will
whether you are passionate about
come from. So how can we create a city
agriculture, education, or workers’ rights.
where people have access to healthy food
SA’s panelists repeatedly modeled that
options that are affordable and
there are many ways to be a food justice
environmentally sustainable?
advocate, and that the more folks get involved on every level, the stronger our
Leaders of the city agreed that we must
food system will be.
begin with economic stability for workers across the food supply system: farm workers, entrepreneurs, fast-food and
Cultivate SA | Summer 2021 | 39
CULTIVATE WELLNESS
Local Produce Finds its Way onto School Trays Across NEISD with Farm to School Grant by Taylor Phelps
School cafeterias are revamping their
The North East Independent School District
menus with locally sourced fruits and
incorporates local produce into school
vegetables. From broccoli to Texas oranges,
meals, educates students about agriculture,
Farm to School programs across the nation
and supports urban rural economies
now deliver fresh produce and foods right
through the USDA funded Food and
to our children’s trays. Some foods are as
Nutrition Grant. In 2015, NEISD was the
local as the garden located on campus!
first district in San Antonio to be awarded
Communities, area farmers, and children all
the grant. Since then, NEISD has been able
benefit from the Farm to School initiative.
to expand their bid process to purchase
Cultivate SA | Summer 2021 | 41
Texas-produced foods, such as local whole grain flour made by C.H. Guenther & Son. The district has also created a School Garden Toolkit Guide which is available to any school that would like to start their own garden. Lastly, the School Nutrition Department expanded their team by hiring a culinary coordinator who improved district health initiatives with the development of nutrient-rich recipes featuring locally grown produce. The culinary coordinator also provides additional training for nutrition staff.
In 2018, NEISD was awarded additional funds for the Farm to School program. The funds provided School Nutrition Services with the ability to train all staff on how to process fresh produce for the meal program.
Additional purchases included
cold plates on the serving line at six elementary campuses to maintain produce
freshness during service, a vacuum sealer to freeze fruits and vegetables, and equipment for campuses such as cutting boards, knives, and blenders for smoothies at the high schools. Thanks to these initiatives, children eat more fruits and vegetables, increase physical activity, develop more interest in school meals, and learn the importance of agriculture. These initiatives also include culinary classes and education programs for both students and parents, either during or after school.
NEISD School Nutrition Services and staff work diligently to increase exposure to new fruits and vegetables through many avenues. Campus staff and students work together by using the School Garden Toolkit to start and maintain seasonal produce gardens that can withstand the South Texas climate.
42 | Summer 2021 | Cultivate SA
In April 2021, students at Woodstone
NEISD School Nutrition Services has been
Elementary were given the opportunity to
honored to continue to support local
taste radishes grown in their campus
farmers and producers through the Farm
garden. Students picked radishes
to School program. NEISD hopes to see
and delivered them to school nutrition staff,
more school gardens and utilization of
who prepared the vegetables in the kitchen
local produce across the district and city!
for sampling. NEISD Wellness Coordinator Jackie Pedersen provided handouts that included a brief history and fun facts about the veggie that was new to many students. At Colonial Hills Elementary, the P.E. coach has been inspiring students to participate in their teaching garden, where students are learning how to grow produce by composting with worms and cafeteria scraps. Students sample the garden produce in the school cafeteria, where staff hear them excitedly discussing the vegetables they grew themselves.
When a child gets the opportunity to sample a new food they helped grow, they are likely to tell their parents about it and want to grow or have these items bought from their local grocery stores. Often, farmers markets and grocery stores located near districts with Farm to School programs see an increase in fruit and vegetable sales that can be tied back to schools using hands-on education about locally sourced produce. Farm to School reaches beyond building school gardens and educating students. The program procures local and state farm grown produce and meat, supporting Texas farmers by providing new opportunities. Farmers benefit by expanding income potential, selling surplus produce, and partnering with local districts to increase demand and awareness of foods. Communities also benefit from the creation of new jobs, the circulation of money through local and state economies, and the connections built between school nutrition services and food vendors.
Cultivate SA | Summer 2021 | 43
CULTIVATE TIPS AND TRICKS
Tips for Growing Tomatoes in San Antonio, Texas
by Darinka Hudson
San Antonio is a great place to grow a food garden, and tomatoes are at the top of its growing list. Tomatoes love attention, but figuring out exactly what that means can be daunting. That’s why I’ve come up with 10 steps to help you grow them abundantly! 3. Place the bed in a south facing part of 1. Have fun with your garden and be
your garden that gets at least eight
yourself! Dance, sing, pray, listen to
hours of sun daily. Tomatoes require a
music, practice yoga, or read. Whatever
lot of sun because they use it to make
you do, have fun with your garden and
the energy they need to grow. A South
enjoy yourself.
facing garden will get the most amount of sun throughout the day as it moves
2. Grow in a raised bed or large
across the sky from east to west.
containers. The soil in San Antonio is void of nutrients because it’s mainly
4. It gets hot in San Antonio! During
caliche, a composition of clay and rock. A
periods of no rain, water your tomatoes
raised bed makes it easier to establish
every day and try to get them hydrated
the rich, loose soil that tomatoes require.
in the morning. This keeps your tomato
You’ll need a depth of at least 18” of soil
plants hydrated throughout the hot day.
so that the roots have enough room to
Make sure to water at soil level, and do
grow. These plants can get very tall, and
not get your tomato plants wet. Water
the roots need sufficient depth to keep
droplets act like a magnifying glass
the plant healthy. Tomatoes need a lot of
during the day, and the sun will burn the
nutrients, and are called heavy feeders.
leaves. Also, getting leaves wet at night
Therefore, make sure you plant them in
can cause mold to grow. Better to water
soil made of rich compost and gardening
deeply and less frequently, than shallow
soil.
and daily.
Cultivate SA | Summer 2021 | 45
5. After the first six weeks, start feeding your tomatoes. They grow fast, and get very hungry! Add a small amount of all purpose fertilizer around the bottom of the plant every two weeks.
6. Pinch off the first bunch of small flowers. This allows the plant and its roots to grow and get stronger.
7. Once the first bunch of flowers are pinched off, add a tablespoon of Epsom salt to the soil at the base of each tomato plant. This stimulates more flowers to bloom, which allows the plant to produce more fruit.
8. Once the tomatoes are blooming, gently tap or shake the plant for ten seconds every day. This helps to pollinate the flowers, and really helps fruit production so you can get more tomatoes.
9. Trim any leaves that are touching the ground as they serve as bridges for bugs to eat your delicious tomatoes.
10. Mulch your beds with natural wood chips or straw. This helps the soil retain water and nutrients from the San Antonio heat.
I wish success for you in every way, and particularly with your tomatoes! Remember, the most important thing is to enjoy this process and be open minded. Growing tomatoes is an act of patience, self love and self growth. Savor the process of learning to cultivate your own food, have fun, and enjoy the fruits of your labor!
46 | Summer 2021 | Cultivate SA
A Guide to Cultivating Soil Health by Alma Rominger
Are rocks healthy? Sand? Clay? Of course
living in beautiful symphonic symbiosis. Each
not! In order to be healthy, something must
plays a part in improving soil structure and
first be alive. That’s why when we talk
soil fertility, so keeping these beneficial
about healthy soil, we’re talking about the
microbes happy is key to improving soil
health of the soil microbiome, the
health and optimizing plant growth.
community of microorganisms living beneath the soil. A robust soil microbiome is
Like all living things, healthy soil needs air,
the foundation of healthy soil and plants,
water, food, and shelter. So let’s break it
and there are several ways to cultivate its
down, need by need, to understand how we
health.
can best improve and maintain our soil’s health.
The soil microbiome improves soil structure and optimizes plant health. One way the soil
Air: You want to aerate your soil without
microbiome does this is by aerating the soil
disturbing the microbiome or exposing it to
and increasing water retention. More than
the sun or wind, where it can dry up and die.
this, beneficial bacteria and fungi help break
An excellent way to aerate your soil is
down vital nutrients to make them more
by using a broadfork or pitchfork. At the
accessible to plants. Mycorrhizal fungi will
beginning and end of the planting season,
adhere to plant roots and can expand their
stick your tool into the first six or so inches
surface area up to 1,000 times, giving your
of soil and move it back and forth to create
plants access to nutrients they otherwise
holes in the soil, without digging the soil up
wouldn’t have.
or turning it over. The holes will help to expose the microbiome to much needed
Keeping a healthy soil microbiome will also
oxygen. Adding organic matter in the form
give your plants an added shield of immunity against disease and pests. Beneficial microorganisms have developed defense mechanisms, such as secreting chemical compounds, that will protect your plants from plant diseases and invading pests alike.
Soil is full of life—beyond plant roots, there lives a rich microbiome, an ecosystem of fungi, bacteria, and mesofauna like earthworms, nematodes, and insects, all
Cultivate SA | Summer 2021 | 47
of compost will attract earthworms,
One of the best and fastest ways to amend
nematodes, and beneficial insects that help
your soil is by burying Bokashi-fermented
create air pockets in the soil, so using
food scraps, as they are a straight dose of
compost regularly will also help in your
organic matter and beneficial microbes.
aeration efforts. Once aerated and
Bokashi is a composting method in which
composted, treat your garden bed like a
you ferment your food scrap collection in
sanctuary and try not to compact the soil
order to accelerate the breakdown of
by stepping on it or using heavy machinery
organic matter, control smells, and avoid
over it.
pests. Since the Bokashi microbes have already predigested the organic matter, the
Water: It’s important to keep your soil at an
easy-access nutrients will attract all the
optimum moisture level. Microbes and
soil microbes to the yard.
plant roots cannot access oxygen when the soil is too saturated for too long. And of
You can ferment your own food scraps at
course, leaving your soil too dry will stress
home using a Bokashi starter or purchase
and kill microorganisms and plants alike.
fermented organic matter through companies like Compost Queens.
When watering soil, you’re shooting for a healthy medium— field capacity is that
Shelter: After planting your seeds, you can
sweet spot in which the spaces between
cover the bed lightly with straw or leaves
the soil particles contain both air and
to retain moisture. Then once your seedling
water. Optimizing moisture content will
is a few inches tall, cover it with a 1-2 inch
depend on your soil type and the kinds of
layer of mulch, hay, cardboard, or pine
plants you’re growing, so it’s important to
needles. This will protect your soil from
research the kind of soil you’ll be working
drying out in the sun and prevent
with and the kinds of plants you want to
evaporation. Just be sure not to lay it on
grow. Best watering practices include
too thick as it can suffocate the soil
watering deeply and infrequently in the
underneath it.
morning using drip irrigation or watering ollas to keep the water close to the soil to
In addition to optimizing plant growth,
minimize evaporation.
healthy soil helps to sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it
Food: Soil LOVES compost! Compost
neatly underground where it’s needed. Not
introduces organic matter, macro and
only does healthy soil mean a healthy
micronutrients, and more beneficial
garden, it also makes for a healthy earth.
microbes into the soil. Unlike synthetic
So let’s get to work!
fertilizers, compost releases nutrients slowly as the microorganisms digest it, so consider it a long-term soil-ution!
In our warm climate, it’s best to add a 1-3 inch layer of compost at least twice a year. You can also add it around established flowering plants and trees to boost nutrients before fruiting. Frequently add compost to sandy or compacted areas to more quickly amend soil structure.
48 | Summer 2021 | Cultivate SA
Cultivate SA | Summer 2021 | 49
CULTIVATE COMMUNITY
Sowing Seeds of Transformation: Gardopia’s Growth and the Garden Awards Gala by Shirley Parodi What do you get when you have plants
The garden now successfully provides an
plus a little water, a healthy dose of
ongoing oasis and refuge to an at-risk
sunlight, a good amount of nutrient rich soil,
population, in addition to being a food forest
and community? You get solutions to two
in a food desert. Anyone can come and help
big problems: reducing the obesity
take care of the garden and leave with
epidemic, and mitigating crime in high-crime
fresh fruits and vegetables they pulled
urban corridors. That’s what Gardopia
directly from the ground. More so, they
Gardens set out to do 6 years ago when
leave having learned something about
the non-profit officially formed and built a
taking care of the land, the practice of
community garden in the heart of historic
gardening, and the importance of the
eastside San Antonio—an urban area known
nutritional foods it bears while gaining
for having the highest crime rate in the city.
something from the experience of working
50 | Summer 2021 | Cultivate SA
alongside others who may be different from
profit, Gardopia is finally coming into its
them.
own and reaping the fruits of their labor. If you’re a part of the food sustainability and
However, the impact Gardopia is making in
gardening community in San Antonio, you
San Antonio transcends the physical
know who Gardopia is. And if you’re not,
location of the garden. “Over the past five,
you’ve likely seen one of the many gardens
going on six years, we’ve built somewhere
they’ve helped to establish around town, or
between three and four hundred gardens,”
attended one of the educational and
said Gardopia CEO, Stephen Lucke. “We’ve
awareness events they’ve put on over the
built gardens at community centers like
years, such as the 2021 Food Systems
Woodard Park and Ella Austin Community
Summit they recently helped organize along
Center. We’ve worked with Washington
with the City of San Antonio and the Food
Elementary School, Dowden Elementary,
Policy Council. Nowadays, a typical “report
Young Women’s Leadership Academy and
card,” as they call it, looks similar to this:
Young Men’s Leadership Academy, Steele
.
Montessori, Alamo Heights Alternative High School, San Antonio Preparatory Academy...” These were only a few of the schools and community centers Stephen continued to list off the top of his head, most of which reside in the inner city. “When we’re in schools, we’re impacting thousands of people. When we’re in community centers, same thing,” he said.
While many took a devastating blow in 2020 due to the pandemic shut-down, Gardopia was lucky. Instead of floundering, it flourished. For many, gardening became a sort of much-needed therapy during Covid19. Community gardens became one of the few places where people could escape from the confines of their homes and still participate in a social activity while maintaining six feet apart. “I remember the first day the city was being shut down, we were at the garden, and I think we sold almost every plant we had. It was crazy. It was interesting,” said Chair of the Board, Andres Narvaes. And that was just the start of a year-long whirlwind. They built more gardens in 2020—over one hundred— than in any previous year. “If we had to shut it down, I don’t even know if Gardopia would still be around,” said Lucke.
And finally, after five years of the organization, they were able to put two fulltime staff members on the official Gardopia payroll in 2020, CEO Stephen Lucke and COO Dominic Dominguez. It was a huge milestone for the green thumbs, enabling them to focus on sustaining and growing organization instead of struggling between fulfilling their mission and figuring out how
After almost six years as a certified non-
to put food on the table.
Cultivate SA | Summer 2021 | 51
Gardopia’s third annual gala is August 11th,
in San Antonio. The LEED-Gold Certified
2021. And in true Gardopia grassroots
facility features beautiful pitched ceilings
style, this one will be special in that it will
constructed from reclaimed cypress logs,
also be an award ceremony for Gardopia’s
floor-to-ceiling glass windows, and sliding
Garden Olympics—a community event series
doors that open to an outdoor space
which resumed this year after being
overlooking jewel-toned flowers and
canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic. It
glorious green gardens. Event capacity will,
consists of three signature events: a Spring
of course, be limited due to safety protocol,
Garden Competition, which has been in full-
but there are still tickets available. “I’m
effect since early spring; the recent Youth
excited to see Stephen and Dom in
Garden Games,
anything besides overalls,” Narvaes teased
a fun-filled day where kids
engaged in horticultural-based field-day
his peers, “I don’t want to see any overalls
activities; and lastly, the Garden Awards
that night!” Rumor has it, though, that
Gala, a culminating event.
Lucke may just have a set of tuxedo overalls tailor made just for the special
“It is a fundraising event for Gardopia,” said
occasion.
Dominguez, “but more importantly it’s a way to really honor the winners of the Spring
If you’re interested in Gardopia's initiatives
Garden Competition... and just highlight
to grow healthier, more sustainably
them, and let them know that they are of
responsible communities through gardening
value. And that really gets back to
and food education, head on over to their
expanding the awareness of urban
website www.GardopiaGardens.org where
agriculture,” said Dominguez. The gala will
you can buy tickets to the Garden Awards
be food-centric and include entertainment,
Gala, or follow them on social media to find
food, beverage, keystone speakers, and a
out how to get involved. Just search for
silent auction. Making this event even more
“Gardopia Gardens.”
special is the location of the upcoming gala: The Betty Kelso Center at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens, a new premiere venue
52 | Summer 2021 | Cultivate SA
Cultivate SA | Summer 2021 | 53
Thanks to our 2020 - 2021 Sponsors & Grantors Air ($10,000+)
Sun ($6,500)
Water ($2,500)
Seed ($1,000)
Soil ($500)
