GROW North Texas

GROW North Texas works to connect North Texans to food, farms, and community, creating a sustainable food system that enriches the land, encourages economic opportunity through food and agriculture, and provides equitable access to healthy, nutritious food for all residents.

 A local food system allows for wide participation by farms, ranches, food artisans, and retailers creates a sustainable system that improves local economies and better provides for communities’ food needs.

Our programs, Owenwood Farm, Farm Success, GNTX Giving Grove Program, and Fresh Stop Farm Stands work to increase local food production and support equitable access to healthy, nutritious food. 

The Owenwood Urban Farm Project is one part of a collaboration transforming the former Owenwood United Methodist Church into a community gathering place, housing multiple nonprofits offering various programs to the community. The Farm produces organically-grown fruits and vegetables, expanding to 3.5 acres when fully developed. The Farm also serves as a learning space for food production, food access, and policy. Produce grown on the farm helps supply Fresh Stop Farm Stands and our onsite Friday morning farm stand. 

Everyone deserves access to nutritionally adequate, affordable, and culturally appropriate food. Fresh Stop Farm Stands provide an another outlet for local farm produce and facilitates the WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program between April and October each year. We take the produce from Owenwood and other local farms to two WIC clinics in Dallas each week. In addition to WIC FMNP vouchers, Fresh Stop Farm Stands accept cash, credit and debit cards. Customers who use their SNAP benefits can get twice as much produce with Double Dollars. GROW North Texas also facilitates the Farmers Market Nutrition Program for several other markets as the contracting entity with the Texas Department of Agriculture. 

Farm Success provides education, training, and technical assistance to new & beginning farmers in North Texas, through webinars, hands-on learning, and 1:1 individual support toward long-term success in their agricultural operations. Farm Success has served hundreds of new farmers in the last two years. 

The GNTX Giving Grove Program partners with community-based organizations to utilize unused land and turn it into a perennial food source with fruit trees, shrubs, berries, and herbs. The program also offers lifetime support of the orchard through workshops, on-site site visits, and continually guidance and consultation. Annually, the program plants 15 to 20 orchards in partnership with community-based organization all across the Metroplex. Since February 2022, well over 50 orchards have been installed.