Who We Are

Grow Southeast is an independent initiative between the Office of Commissioner Roderick Miles, The Healthy Tarrant County Collaboration, and COACT, aimed at addressing food and economic inequities in Southeast Fort Worth.  

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​The Challenge

Many of the neighborhoods within East Fort Worth lie within an identified USDA food desert. The region is 72 square miles and counts for 20% of Fort Worth's population. Within this area are 3 supermarkets and 5 discount grocery stores. High poverty, lack of economic opportunity contribute to food access and basic needs insecurity issues. Within urban agriculture there is a widening race and age gap of farm owners and managers. The average age of a farmer in Texas is 59 years old and 64 in Tarrant County. Most of the active farms do not have a succession plan, leaving them vulnerable to redevelopment, reducing localized food access and resiliency. Collectively, Latino and Black farmers represent less that 15% of the producers in the entire state of Texas.     

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Project Mission

Grow Southeast addresses the gap in food access and food resiliency in Fort Worth by developing community owned and operated urban farms. 

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Project Objectives

1) Incubate community owned and operated urban farms. 

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2) Design toolkits to help urban farmers achieve self-sufficiency and create social impact.

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3) Increase the number of emerging farmers representing communities of color in the greater Fort Worth Area.

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4) Design policies that support regenerative urban farming in Fort Worth. 

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Project Vision

Southeast Fort Worth as the renowned community for food, culture, and well-being for everyone, everywhere

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