March 2022 Newsletter
Spring On the Farm
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What's blooming at Farmshare:
- Mobile Markets Update
- Meet One of Our New Farmer Starters
- Fall 2022 Farmer Starter Applications Due Friday
- Introducing Our New Team Members
- Grateful for You!
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Our Fresh for Less Mobile Markets are back! If you are new to our work here at Farmshare Austin, you may be familiar with our food access program, Curbside Delivery, which offers healthy, local produce and grocery items at affordable prices for delivery at no additional cost for residents within the Eastern Crescent of Austin and Travis County. This program was developed in the wake of the pandemic to ensure that people facing geographic and economic barriers to accessing fresh, healthy food could safely order groceries to their door without the additional burden of delivery fees. Prior to the pandemic and the creation of Curbside Delivery, however, Farmshare’s food access work consisted of Mobile Markets. These weekly, mini, pop-up farmers’ markets provide the same great products available through Curbside Delivery, only our friends and neighbors can make their purchases in person at a variety of locations throughout the city. Both programs aim to reduce barriers to accessing fresh, healthy food by accepting cash, EBT, P-EBT, SNAP and Double Up Food Bucks as forms of payment, in addition to debit & credit cards.
For the health and safety of our staff and clients, Mobile Markets have remained closed throughout the majority of the pandemic. Now that Austin has worked together to bring down COVID rates, our team has decided it is a great time to re-introduce the Mobile Markets to the community! We are so excited to expand our capacity to serve even more people with the continuation of Curbside Delivery alongside the Mobile Markets. Learn more about our food access work by visiting our website and for any questions please email foodaccess@farmshareaustin.org!
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A new class of Farmer Starter is in full swing! Each month, we’ll be highlighting some of the students and share their inspiration and vision for joining the program.
This month, we are highlighting Lindsay Jones (she/her/hers)!
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What inspired or motivated you to join Farmer Starter?
I’ve always wanted to have my own intentional community, where we farmed and gave back to the community around us. It was when I was talking to my mentor that he encouraged me to give farming a try right now. He explained that there was no reason for me to wait until my 30’s to get my dream life started.
What is your relationship to farming?
Me and farming are distant cousins. Over the past few years I’ve dipped my toe into owning all sorts of different house plants. Technically farming is in my blood, but it isn’t until Farmshare that I actually got my hands dirty.
What do you hope to do with what you learn through this program?
I hope to learn how to run a farm and make a profit, all while giving back to the communities who need it most. I’m sure my learning here will help me understand why giving all of my produce away for free is not a sustainable business model.
What is your favorite fruit or veggie?
My favorite fruit is an Apple Pear also known as an Asian Pear. Or as I like to call it a “Papple” pear + apple = papple.
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Fall 2022 Farmer Starter Applications Due Friday
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Want to be part of our next Farmer Starter class? Applications for our Fall 2022 program close this Friday, April 1st! During our unique 5-month immersive farmer training program, students will learn about organic and sustainable produce growing methods, as well as develop the business and financial planning skills necessary to establish a successful market farm.
Click here to learn more about Farmer Starter and apply today! Spots are limited.
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Introducing Our New Team Members
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Farmshare is excited to welcome two new members to our team: Claire Taub and Lia Ballentine!
As our new Local Food Procurement & Logistics Manager, Claire (she/her/hers) is responsible for managing program logistics for our Fresh for Less Food Access Programs including Curbside Delivery and Mobile Markets. She brings an organic farming background and environmental education experience to Farmshare. With her support, Claire is helping to ensure we meet our goal to make fresh, seasonal produce and grocery items accessible for our communities.
Lia (she/her/hers) joins us as our new Development & Communications Manager responsible for growing our reach and strengthening our community partnerships. Harnessing her background in corporate communications and food entrepreneurship, Lia is bringing a strategic focus to amplifying Farmshare’s mission through robust marketing and fundraising efforts.
We’re thrilled to have Claire and Lia on board!
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Thanks to your generous contributions, we raised over $12,000 during Amplify Austin Day—exceeding our goal of $8,000! Your donations will directly fund future scholarships to our immersive Farmer Starter program, which has tripled in size since the onset of the pandemic. Your gift will help meet the needs of deserving students who are eager to build a resilient and diverse local food system.
Thank you for making Farmshare’s Amplify Austin Day a huge success!
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If you are able, please consider making a donation of any size to Farmshare Austin. We're working hard to grow a new generation of sustainable farmers through Farmer Starter and increase food access through Fresh for Less Mobile Markets & Curbside Delivery. None of our work would be possible without the amazing support from our friends and neighbors like you!
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