Winter will be making its last gasp (hopefully!) later today here in North Texas. We go from a high temperature of eighty degrees to a Monday high in the fifties with a frost warning for the morning. Weather in North Texas, particularly this year, can be diagnosed with severe bi-polar disorder. We go from extreme highs to extreme lows in a flash. It’ll be ninety degrees by Thursday. It looks like our tomatoes and peppers will be covering my kitchen floor tonight…
I picked up our transplants of tomatoes and peppers on Thursday. Tarrant County College’s Northwest Campus Horticulture students grew our starts again this year as they have for the past five years. I’ve been so grateful to have such a wonderful partner for the farm at TCC. Instructor David Cole has not only grown our starts every year, but he’s also brought his Food Crops class to Opal’s for a workday and tour each semester. We love having them out and the ongoing volunteer relationships that develop.
Steven and David
This year we had an additional treat as Steven Nunez, of Mind You Garden Urban Farm and Grow SE, joined TCC as head of the Horticulture. Steven and his wife Ursala have been a vital part of Grow and done amazing work with Mind Your Garden – a homestead farm in southeast Fort Worth.
I also had the privilege of hosting some of the IM Terrell Academy seniors for a volunteer day this past week. It’s always such a pleasure to see young people working hard and enjoying a day at the farm. They were a tremendous help and accomplished more than I could have imagined in their morning with at Opal’s Farm.
IM Terrell Academy Seniors
I also had to reschedule our Grand Opening for Opal’s Farm Stand to April 4th (the first Saturday) and make some changes to the proposed days. We will be at 1115 Evans (Evans and Rosedale) every Saturday from 1 PM to 4 PM. We’ll still be taking some produce to the Funkytown Mindful Market, and they will have our produce available for sale as well. We are so excited to be serving our Historic Southside neighbors.
Y’all stay warm tonight and have sweet dreams of fresh Spring veggies!
It’s hard to believe that December is already here. This year has flown by! It seems like only yesterday I was planting early Spring crops and now I’m getting beds ready for them again. I keep hearing the old Harry Chapin song over and over in my head as I pull out the old summer crops and prepare for the coming year. “All my life’s a circle, sunrise and sundown. Moon rolls through the nighttime, ‘til the daybreak comes around. All my life’s a circle, but I can’t tell you why. Seasons spinning round again, the years keep rolling by…” I keep thinking that things will slow down at Opal’s Farm, but the circle keeps rolling on.
Opal’s Farm Stand went on the road yesterday with all the greens and root vegetables that’re coming in this time of year. We were at the monthly Funkytown Mindful Market on Wesleyan Street. Attendance was strong despite the chilly overcast December day, and a good time was had by all. I got to spend the morning with our stand next to my friend Steven from Tabor Farms and catch up with one another. He and all the Tabor crew have done an amazing job building the farm up and growing some fantastic winter produce. Please go by and visit Tabor sometime for a real treat. Even better than that – volunteer with them!
My friends at CoAct, Jesse Herrera and Ashley Munoz, saw to it that Market Bucks went to every market visitor and any produce left over was sent to the Funkytown Fridge. Everyone’s so busy this time of years that it’s easy to forget that many of our neighbors go hungry during this hectic holiday season. CoAct, Funkytown Mindful Market, Tabor Farms, and Opal’s Farm hope to make the holidays a bit easier for those going without. Food, and good healthy food, is a basic human right and we want to do what we can to ensure that everyone has access.
Please remember too, that Opal’s has Fresh Bucks available through the end of December to help those who were affected by the government shutdown. The Sustainable Food Center has graciously shared a grant to make sure those affected can purchase up to $30.00 per day on fresh food with the Fresh Bucks available until they’re all gone or the end of December, whichever comes first.
Fall saw above normal temperatures and December’s moved in the opposite direction. It’s the coldest start to December in sixteen years so we’ve been covering crops to make we have plenty of winter produce available. The good Lord willing, we will be open throughout the year both Cowtown Farmers Market and Opal’s Farm Stand.
There are some changes coming to Opal’s Farm Stand in 2026 so we can serve more of our neighbors. We’re finalizing those plans now and we’ll be making an announcement about those changes soon. Meanwhile, the circle keeps rolling on. Happy Holidays everyone!
September is finally here, and meteorological autumn has begun. I’d like to think that truly means the end of summer, but I live in Texas, so I know better. We’ll still see some hot days but hopefully no more triple-digit-temperatures. All-all we’ve had a mild summer compared to the last three or four years. We even had rain in July and August, which is rare indeed. Opal’s Farm, with the new fall seed, loves it.
Today is one of the one-in-seven instances that the Labor Day holiday falls on the first day of September. Those who get the day off will be spending time barbequing with family and friends or simply catching up some sorely needed rest. Thanks to the rain this morning I get to spend some time at the desk and reflect on what Labor Day truly means. Labor Day isn’t always a holiday for farmers, so I thought I’d take advantage of the weather to play catch up on the recent farm news.
Most of you all are aware of the cutbacks that led to staff layoffs at the first of the year. Add to that an April knee injury and I’ve been working a bit slower than usual this year. I also had to scale back the amount of land we were cultivating to our original one acre. The good news is that we were still able to surpass last year’s total in pounds of produce grown. That’s what happens as the soil becomes healthier with each passing season. That’s why farming regeneratively is one of our core values.
Stacey Harwood, our Volunteer Coordinator, has remained on staff although paychecks have been a bit erratic this spring and summer. She’s been with Opal’s for six years now and has become a loved member of Opal’s family (we may be a non-profit but we’re really a family farm!). She’s done an excellent job of working with our volunteers and we’ve had some great groups and individuals come out to work on the farm. If you have volunteered with us, please know there’s no way to adequately tell you how much you mean to us. We’ve been able to get so much more completed with your help. Your impact has reached far beyond just the farm to the tables and people across the communities we serve.
Help is treasured, but the reality is that most days it’s just me at the farm. That’s not always so bad though. I’ve really thought about how we can serve our community better. One way we have done that is to open Opal’s Farm Stand every Saturday from 1 PM to 3 PM at the “Doc” Sessions Community Center Parking lot (201 S. Sylvania – the corner of 4th and Sylvania).
Opal’s Farm Stand offers more affordable prices for our quality organic produce to our neighbors. We are also a SNAP/EBT retailer and began offering Double Up Bucks two weeks ago with the help of Texas Health Resources Community Hope and Double Up Texas. SNAP participants can redeem up to thirty dollars in SNAP benefits to purchase fresh produce. Those thirty dollars then becomes sixty dollars, doubling their purchasing power.
We’re still at Cowtown Farmers Market most Saturday mornings, but our emphasis is switching from so much being sold at retail to lower pricing for our community. To be honest, it’s a bit of a financial risk. It takes time to build a market location. Farmers live on slim profit margins. People fail to realize the work that goes into growing good heathy food. That’s why Cowtown offers great food at a fair price.
Unfortunately, farmers markets are not always accessible to marginalized neighborhoods: either in location or pricing. We’re so grateful to be a part of the WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program at Cowtown. The market and our regular customers are a blessing to us. They’ve helped sustain Opal’s financially and we wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for them. However, we will be taking less produce to Cowtown so that more is available to the neighborhoods we serve through Opal’s Farm Stand.
We also want to extend a heartfelt thanks to Jesse Herrera of CoAct and the Funkytown Mindful Market. Their market is held on the first Saturday of every month at Texas Wesleyan University (1201 Wesleyan in Polytechnic Heights). They’ve been purchasing Opal’s Farm produce to sell to the Eastside neighborhoods they serve. The next market will be held on September 6th from 11 AM to 2 PM.
I would be remiss if I didn’t give a shout-out to the Dallas Wings WNBA and the Texas Fence Association. In January, they built a chain link fence around our bio-intensive third of an acre. The Dallas Wings front office spent a volunteer day at the farm and got so much done that I am in awe of them. They’ll be returning in September and the Texas Fence Association will return to fence another third of an acre (you all are amazing!).
Our first cohort of Taste the C.U.R.E., in partnership with Tarleton State University, graduated on June 28th. The students did a great job of learning and using bio-intensive farming methods. Several have kept their farm plots while others have chosen to take the knowledge they learned and apply it to their own backyards and neighborhoods. The next cohort starts in February and more details will be forthcoming.
Finally, I want to remind our readers of the importance of today, Labor Day. It was signed into law June 28th, 1894, by President Grover Cleveland following the Pullman strike and decades of struggle by the US labor movement as industrialization grew throughout the end of the nineteenth century. Labor Day is a day to remember and celebrate the sacrifices of the US labor movement and honor their achievements and the prosperity we enjoy today.
Have a great holiday. Enjoy your family and your neighbors. Stop by and see us at Opal’s Farm. We’d love to have you join the family!
Happy Groundhog Day! I’m not sure about that furry little creature in Pennsylvania but a groundhog would see his shadow here in Fort Worth. We’re having a false Spring with sunny weather and Spring-like temperatures approaching eighty degrees for the first week of February. Don’t be deceived though. It is a false Spring. February and early March lie ahead and this is Texas. Need I say more.
We’ll be planting onions and potatoes this week but little else despite the warm weather. Bed preparation moves full steam ahead. Our “Taste the C.U.R.E.” students are making amazing progress on their plots. Seeing their diligence and desire reinvigorates us the have the best Spring yet!
The Texas Organic Famers and Gardeners Association 2025 conference is completed. It was great to see folks from all around the state I only get to see once or twice a year. I would like to say a huge thank you to the TOFGA Board for inviting me to speak at one of the workshops this year. I appreciate everyone who attended and look forward to seeing you again soon.
I haven’t posted much for the last month. My wife, Margaret, has been in the hospital for two weeks and only came home a week and a half ago. Thank you for your prayers and phone calls. It’s been hectic with Margaret, work travel, and all that comes with a home, four dogs, and grandkids. Going to work is like a vacation!
I also said goodbye to Joey Hughes, my Assistant Manager. Joey is going to be managing and expanding the educational opportunities at the Ridglea Giving Garden, as well as working with the North Texas School Garden Network and Hollow Trace Farm part-time. I appreciate all the work Joey put into growing our biointensive learning garden and kids’ educational curriculum for the field trips we host.
Speaking of which, Spring is the perfect time to bring kids of all ages (and as Ms. Opal likes to remind me, “You’re all kids if you’re not ninety-eight years old”) to the farm for a tour or field trip. You can book your tour or field trip at Delve Experiences, but hurry as Spring dates will be filling up fast.
Greetings to you all. I haven’t written much this month. I’m still trying to process the Election night results. I had thought people might’ve grown tired of the circus that is forty-five and now forty-seven-elect. I’ll leave that to the pundits to deal with. The farm doesn’t much care about politics. It just keeps on being Opal’s Farm – food grows, people are fed, and life goes on.
Things have just been incredibly nuts at the farm (in a good way mind you). Every time I think its’s going to slow down the “to do” list gets longer. We are having bumper crops this Fall, and the weather has been absolutely wonderful, making me somewhat sad when the day is over. It’s just too nice not to be working.
We held the Second Annual High Strides Against Diabetes 5K and Fun Run and the after-party last Saturday. We had such a great time with awesome food and fun. Next year, the race will be held in Dallas at Joppy Momma’s Farm. We alternate years for the race. Kim High, the Founder and Farm Manager for Joppy Momma’s has a great team that did so much to make this a successful event. I, on the other hand, should not have Event Planner on my resume. This was so much work! Thank you Kim, Joppy Momma’s, and all the folks from Dallas who worked so hard to put this together. It’s already time to start planning for next year!
We had a special luncheon at the farm with our friends from Houston, the Black United Fund, Inc. this Saturday. We discussed ways we can continue to grow and empower our communities to grow all over this great state. We believe in taking care of each other and building our communities through the medium of good healthy food that we all need so desperately. It was a honor and a privilege to host the event and we’re looking forward to our future collaboration.
The biggest thing going on at the farm right now though is the amazing amount of fresh produce we’re growing this Fall. We’re experiencing record yields and beautiful, fresh wholesome produce. We’d love to see you at either Cowtown Farmers Market or at Opal’s Farm Stand (at the entrance to the farm) every Saturday morning, rain or shine, from 8 AM until Noon. We accept SNAP-EBT benefits at both locations and be sure to look for our weekly specials.
We’d love to see you at the farm. Volunteers are always welcomed and appreciated. We’d never have the success Opal’s Farm has seen if it weren’t for all the volunteers who have helped us grow over the last six years. We’d love to have you come out, get your hands dirty , and enjoy the great Fall days with us.
gregoryjoel.com 