Sustainable Student Farming

What is the mission of Urban Howdy Farm? 

We teach sustainable agriculture practices to Texas A&M University students and the local Bryan-College Station community by growing crops year round and facilitating outreach projects. For example, we’ve taught gardening techniques to a local Girl Scout troop and partnered with Neal Elementary School on its fourth graders’ garden. Even if people just want to stop by and learn, we are more than happy to help. 

What do you grow? 

During the spring, we plant things like tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins, watermelon, peppers and okra. In the winter, we usually plant more root vegetables and leafy greens. The greenhouse is constantly growing basil, Swiss chard and lettuce. My personal favorite thing to grow is heirloom tomatoes! 

What happens to the produce? 

We let our members take some of the produce home, but most is donated to the 12th Can on-campus food pantry or sold to Nam Café, a local Vietnamese restaurant, or the Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center. We also organize community pick-ups several times a year where people can come by and grab what they want. 

How has the farm evolved since its founding? 

We started with just a plot of dirt behind The Gardens Apartments in fall 2021. Now that we have merged with Texas A&M Urban Farm United, we do traditional ground gardening, vertical tower gardening and hydroponics while maintaining a greenhouse. We’re also experimenting with newer, sustainable methods like aquaponics. Additionally, we’ve added a wildflower garden and worked with students in the university’s beekeeping course to incorporate a few hives.