Deep in the heart of Houston, Texas, you’ll find a 6-acre urban farm smack dab in the middle of a food desert, which the USDA defines as an area where people have limited access to a variety of healthy and affordable food. Run by entrepreneur Chaz Daughtry, Sweetwater Farms is used to teach inner-city youth about agriculture and healthy eating. The farm grows organic fruits and vegetables, including tomatoes, beets, sweet potatoes, okra, mulberries, and more. They then sell their bounty to customers at the farmers’ market and to restaurants and food trucks.
I first heard about Sweetwater Farms through an Austin produce delivery service that my family uses. Chaz’s dedication to uplifting his community is so inspiring. He had a plot of land surrounded by concrete. Rather than selling or building on it, he created a beautiful space to feed and teach his community while being an entrepreneurial farm. As Chaz says, “I know we probably won’t ever be big enough to sell to everybody here, but we can teach everybody here.”
Check out the video below to get a tour of Sweetwater Farms and learn more about this amazing place.
1 Comment
Jessica Lozano
Hi Gen!
This is awesome! What an inspiring story! How great that he was able to do this for himself and his community. Thank you for sharing his story. I wish I could do something like this too. Very cool 🙂
Take Care,
Jess