Even as the seasons change, Lubbock-area farmers and markets are doing what they can to keep people fed in a time of food insecurity.
Here’s a look into local farms, produce, markets and the resources they offer to help the community this season.
“We know it’s hard for people right now, and we want to make sure we’re serving the people and doing the best we can,” said Jessica Tullar Caroom, executive director of Growing Together Texas.
Growing Together Texas is an organization that connects West Texans through food. One of its projects is LBK Grown, an online farmers market and weekly subscription food box service. It includes a community of more than a dozen local producers.
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What vegetables, produce are in season at local Lubbock farms?
This is a time of transition for most farms, clearing the last of summer crops and starting to harvest fall produce.
“This is kind of a hard time of year, because you are transitioning from summer and moving into fall,” said Kelsey McGee, of Faith 2 Farm and Four Leaf Farms. “Fall stuff isn’t quite ready, but summer stuff is still kind of lingering.”
Here’s a look at three farms and what they are growing.
E3 Farms, in Wolfforth, offers spinach, microgreens and mushrooms.
Faith 2 Farm offers:
Faith 2 Farm also has a commercial operation named Four Leaf Farms, which grows turnips and butternut squash for grocery stores. Their produce can be found in United supermarkets, and McGee hopes to appear in H-E-B soon.
Peikert Farms offers:
Where can you find local fall farmers markets in Lubbock?
There is always seasonal produce to be found at local farmers market. Here are the markets:
The Peikert Family Honor Farm Stand, 7807 FM 1585 in Wolfforth, is filled every morning with produce and baked goods from their farm and others. People are asked to pay what they can or pay back later in this self-serve shop. Emily Hoefs, of Peikert Farm, said the system has worked well so far since opening this year.
E3 produce can be found at the Drug Emporium, 5109 82nd St., and The Grocery Store, 701 Avenue F in Shallowater.
“It’s important to all of us to be able to provide fresh, healthy food for people in the community,” Hoefs said. “There’s just something special about being about to provide that service for the people around you.”
How are farmers, markets helping ease food insecurity? Food Bucks, donations
Farmers are also trying to ease food insecurity, which is heightened with recent SNAP benefit delays. Several local farmers brought their produce and meat to SNAP recipients at Head Start through a partnership with the Sustainable Food Center. The SFC gave a budget of $3,000 for the event, which paid farmers for their goods.
“One of the biggest decisions for me as a farmer is, ‘when is it time to terminate the crop’,” McGee said. “It was really cool to see that we could just turn on a dime and move all of these tomatoes and peppers that we as farmers were sitting on with abundance, and help people who really needed it.”
During this event, Caroom estimated two farmers markets’ worth of produce was given. This included 200 pounds of apples and beef, and 100 pounds each of onions, tomatoes and peppers, along with 100 containers of eggs. More than 100 people, along with Head Start staff, received the items. The remainder was donated to Catholic Charities and the Dream Center.
Area farmers markets also assist through different means. Mo’s Market offers veggie bag giveaways filled with donated items. Peikert Farms accepts WIC vouchers and has an honor farm stand stocked daily.
Idalou Harvest, Wolfforth Farmers Market and Peikert Farms are part of the Sustainable Food Center’s Food Bucks program. SFC’s Double Up Food Bucks doubles SNAP benefits per dollar so shoppers can get fresh food at participating locations.
The SFC is currently offering an additional program, temporarily: Double Up Fresh Bucks. From now through Dec. 31, 2025, people can receive $10-$30 to spend on any food or drink at participating locations.
Alana Edgin writes about business for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Got a news tip? Contact her via email at aedgin@lubbockonline.com.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Lubbock-area farmers, growers tout benefits of eating local, feeding others. Here’s how.
Reporting by Alana Edgin, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal / Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
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