Farm Camp and Urban Gardening Aim to Bring Good Food Back into Waco

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In the city of Waco, TX, where almost half the population is Latino, healthy food access is a real problem.

Elizabeth Ross is a member of the Heart of Texas Urban Gardening Coalition and she hopes that getting kids excited about agriculture and bringing more gardens into the city will help eliminate areas with low food access. 

She’s responsible for Farm Camp, a new summer camp for kids just outside Waco that is teaching kids how to live sustainability.

“The reason why it started was to address the issue of food deserts in the community,”
 Ross said in a radio interview. “There are so many areas, especially with a couple of grocery stores that have closed, leaving places without healthy food access.”

Besides the educational camp, she hopes that urban gardening can be part of the solution.

A few schools have after-school gardening programs, and a few community gardens are scattered throughout neighborhoods. However, according to City of Waco Senior Planner Felix Landry, despite removing some legal barriers, gardens don’t seem to be sticking.

City officials hope to hear more input about food access in Waco as well as community garden initiatives during the City’s comprehensive development plan public input forum in the Fall.