URBAN HARVEST INC
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Mission Statement
Urban Harvest, a non-profit started in 1994, encourages community, good nutrition and sustainability through the teaching and support of organic gardening. We envision a healthier city where everyone has access to locally grown, nutritious food harvested from sustainable community gardens and farms.
About This Cause
Urban Harvest was founded in 1994 by individuals who believed that people could feed themselves and revitalize their communities by growing healthy food. This core belief led to the creation of community gardens, addressing important issues like hunger, community development and conserving natural resources. The Community Gardens Program paved the way for organic garden education: The Adult Education Program now reaches approximately 1,000 people a year in nearly 60 gardening and sustainability classes. The Youth Education Program followed in 2003 and now reaches 4,600 children a year in 25 school gardens throughout Houston and Spring Branch ISDs. Finally, in 2004 Urban Harvest opened a year-round farmers market, providing economic opportunity for local growers and gardeners. That market now boasts approximately 70 vendors weekly, including over 40 farmers; the program also includes a seasonal market hosted in partnership with the City of Houston. Urban Harvest is supported by a hardworking staff of 10, a dedicated Board of Directors, a network of thousands of volunteers, and many individuals, foundations, community partners and businesses. Together, we are growing a healthier, more sustainable Houston. Urban Harvest’s programs innovatively address critical needs of a diverse array of our region’s residents. From empowering those in low-income neighborhoods to grow nutritious food for themselves and their community to providing economic opportunity for local family farms, our work focuses on developing food security for our region in a healthy, ecological way. When Urban Harvest was founded over twenty years ago, it was thought that food could not be grown in our region organically. Since that time, through the work of tenacious and dedicated individuals, Urban Harvest has proven that fruits and vegetables can be grown here in abundance without contaminating the environment. Urban Harvest’s programs support and sustain a local food system, tackling vital issues like hunger and access to healthy foods, neighborhood revitalization, economic development through agriculture and ecological land use. Times of economic and environmental insecurity underscore the need for resilient communities. Through Urban Harvest, our region is buoyed by a thriving network of sustainable community gardens and farms. Fresh produce from gardens supplement food staples for low-income and fixed income individuals, raising the overall nutritional value of their diet. Farmers markets keep consumers’ “food dollars” in the community where they live, directly benefiting the local economy. Gardens revitalize neighborhoods by providing safe, attractive spaces for people to gather, by fostering a sense of community and by connecting diverse groups across the city. Furthermore, children who garden develop a lifelong appreciation for eating healthy fruits and vegetables. Gardens also inspire an appreciation for the natural ecosystem and sustainable land use. Finally, gardens offer benefits for the community-at-large by protecting water quality, mitigating storm water and providing habitats for beneficial insects and wildlife.