Food Insecurity is a fact of life for more than 500,000 Houstonians, many of whom live in Acres Homes.
Having access to nutritious, locally-grown produce is a luxury for a lot of folks in the community.
A chef, restaurateur, and winemaker joined forces to help bridge the inequity gap by opening Verdegreens, an urban farm in the heart of Acres Homes. They’re hoping to make a meaningful difference in the community.
“Acres Homes has traditionally been a lower-income community and we don’t like the idea that higher-income communities have a monopoly on healthy eating. The entire area of Acres Homes, there’s not a lot of grocery stores that service it,” Bill Trainor said.
The three restaurant industry veterans founded Verdegreens in 2016, starting their urban farm on two acres of land.
Trainor said Verdegreens is a small sustainable farm with big hopes for the future.
“The thing that we probably like most about urban farming is that it brings the production of food closer to the people who are actually eating it. We have a very intensive operation and growing food for the people around us really seems just like it was intended. The things that we can do here is we can introduce people to really much more of a variety of possible things that they can eat, possible vegetables they can enjoy. We are also going to be working with the local Acres Homes farmers market in the coming weeks to make sure we have better produce for their market as well. It’s something that’s been a long time coming.
They put a premium on how they grow a wide range of produce, from leafy greens like lettuce and kale to microgreens like herbs and vegetables. Much of it is grown in four, 4,000 square foot greenhouses. Trainor said they’re one of the few hydroponic farms in Houston.
“We’re using about 90% less water than traditional agriculture does. One hundred percent of our water is contained in these greenhouses in this system. There is water flowing past the roots of these lettuces 24/7, 365 days a year. We pay a lot of attention to creating the right chemistry. It’s a bit of a science project to make sure that the plants have the optimal nutrition, the optimal acidity, and everything that they need to grow quickly. We harvest 52 times a year. We plant 52 times a year. So, it’s really a cool ongoing cycle. It’s a very intensive form of growing plants. We are constantly harvesting and constantly sowing. We’re building systems all the time and trying to prove what you can do on a small area of just two acres like we grow here in Acres Homes,” Trainor said.
Trainor added that he feels proud and humbled to be part of the fight to end food insecurity in the community.
“To sort of have a sense that we can help contribute to people eating better, especially in places where there is not the same amount of options available as there are in wealthier areas. We’re proud to be a part of it. We just play a small role on our tiny little postage stamp farm,” Trainor said.
Residents can come to the farm or place an order online for a “Farmbox.”
Trainor said many of their regular customers are from Acres Homes.
He said Verdegreens is expanding its mission and making sure people eat well by opening a farm-to-table restaurant in The Heights area in September called Farmstand.