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 Southeast Fort Worth lie within an identified USDA food desert. Nearly all of the restaurants are fast food, and within the 34.8 square mile area, there are just 2 grocery stores, and more than 100 convenience stores selling mostly unhealthy snacks, tobacco, and alcohol. High poverty rates, lack of economic opportunities, and lack of transportation options fuel food and job insecurity.
Project Mission
Grow Southeast provides resources, capacity building, and support services to launch new community owned and operated urban farms in Southeast Fort Worth. Our goal is to help each farm become a successful self sufficient entity.
“Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much”
Helen Keller
Project Objectives
1) Incubate self sustaining community owned urban farms.
2) Increase food access & resiliency in South & East Fort Worth.
3) Create economic opportunities directly 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