Jan ’17- Winter Farming in Houston w/ Tommy Garcia-Prats
At work in the greenhouses at Finca Tres Robles
The Monday after our first hard freeze in 4 years, Tommy Garcia-Prats of spoke to us about his experience & progress as a new young farmer after 2 1/2 years at Finca Tres Robles urban farm in Houston’s Eastside. Tommy spoke about his mission to prove farming is an economically viable enterprise that provides great value to the community. As the only privately owned for-profit urban farm in Houston, Finca Tres Robles.is the prototype & proof of concept
After college, Tommy decided he wanted to be a farmer. He spent 5 years interning on farms in Maine, Iowa & Nicauragua. Then moved back to Houston looking for a farming job without success. Eventually he convinced his brother to work with him to start something,
Tommy and his brother Dan started Finca Tres Robles in the summer of 2014 on 1.25 acres of leased land which is still the only privately run and managed urban farm inside Houston’s 610 loop. The farm is located 2 miles East of downtown between Canal & Navigation on Greenwood Street which is just east of Lockwood.
Being a Houston native, Tommy feels strongly about farming in his home town, bringing attention to the need and value of agriculture in the Houston area and focusing on how we can creatively address food access issues throughout our city. We should grow food where we live. To attract all kinds of people to their business, they also host volunteers, interns, tours, fancy chef dinners, cooking lessons, and numerous classes and events. Visit their website for details.
HUG meetings are the second Monday at six thirty at the West Gray Multi-Service Center. Bring food, plants to share & things for door prizes: gadgets, books, jam, plants…
