Grow Southeast

Who We Are

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

Steering Committee:

Charlie Blaylock | Owner | Shines Farm Stand

Carlos Walker | Owner | Akachi Ranch

Laura Miller | County Extension Agent | Texas A&M

Brenda Patton | Program Director | Blue Zones Project Fort Worth

Mashaal Atif | Material Management Planner | City of Fort Worth

Omar Harvey | Professor of Geology | Texas Christian University

James Earl | Director of Outreach | Cancer Care Services

Celina Esekawu | Farmer

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.   

Project Mission

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

“Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much”

Helen Keller

Our Mission

Project Objectives

1) Incubate self sustaining community owned urban farms.

2) Increase food access & resiliency in Fort Worth.

3) Create economic opportunities through urban agriculture.

4) Increase capacity of local residents to develop viable urban farms.

5) Identify, align, and create resources to support urban agriculture in Fort Worth.

Project Vision

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