Local Food Systems

Urban Patchwork

Urban Patchwork (UP) was Austin’s first nonprofit neighborhood farm network and Community Supported Agriculture. It helps neighbors turn unused yard space into farmland to produce vegetables, fruit, nuts, and eggs. In exchange for hosting farm plots, residents and businesses receive fresh vegetables. Founded in 2009, UP offers farm start-up programs, nutritional workshops for residents, home food production, canning, and fermentation courses, and job training and creation.

Sustainable Food Center

Founded in 1993, with roots dating back to 1975 as Austin Community Gardens, Sustainable Food Center (SFC) works to cultivate a healthy community by strengthening the local food system and improving access to nutritious, affordable food.  Through its Grow Local Program, SFC supports home, school, and community gardeners with classes, trainings, and resources and provides schools and low-income home gardeners with free gardening materials to reduce the financial barriers to gardening.  Its Farm Direct Program promotes access to fresh, healthy food by connecting local farmers to schools, worksites, and food service operations and to Austin shoppers through four of the largest weekly farmers’ markets in Texas.  It also runs The Happy Kitchen/La Cocina Alegre, which offers community cooking and nutrition education classes.