Power innovation, meaningful donations, and addressing issues—such as teaching communities how to be self-reliant for food—just scratch the surface of Texas A&M University Urban Farm United’s mission and goals. They harness the power of sustainability by growing food that serves the community and donating all fresh produce to the 12th Can food pantry. They also partner with the Texas A&M School of Public Health and the Hunger Consortium project to promote their tagline mission, Grow to Serve.
The project received its Aggie Green Fund Grant, a grant which allows for projects on campus that show sustainability, in spring 2019. The Texas A&M Urban Farm United was co-founded by Director Lisette Templin, who is also a professor in the department of health and kinesiology, as well as founding Director of Operations Broch Saxton, a graduate of soil and crop sciences.
“The project launched its first full year of operation during the 2019-2020 school year and is now gearing up for its second year,” says Templin. “We have a united team, hence our name. Our Capstone students who do their Capstone projects come out of the Provost office’s [LAUNCH program]. The beauty of our team is that they do not have to be agriculture students; they come from everywhere. It’s important that not just agriculture majors know how to grow food; everyone should learn how to do it.”
The project donates all its food to the 12th Can, where they provide vegetables twice a month during the school year, says Stephon Warren, Jr., current director of operations for Texas A&M Urban Farm United and a master’s student in plant breeding. The project also focuses on using resources already in the community to provide food.
“We want to teach people to feed themselves, so they do not have to [solely] rely on food being brought in or having to go to grocery stores,” Warren says. “We’re trying to be a model for people so they know growing your own food sustainably is possible.”
In order to grow food sustainably, the team uses aeroponics, a system of misting or dripping water on plant roots, Warren says. The roots are kept wet, though not fully submerged, which allows the growing of plants straight up and down in towers, he explains.
“In each of our towers, we grow 44 plants, so in a two-by-two square foot of space we grow 44 heads of lettuce,” Templin says. “Our technology uses 90 percent less land, 90 percent less water, and has 30 percent more yield. We’re also reducing the mileage that the food has to travel and increasing nutrient density.”
Urban Farm United’s next goals include fully sustaining Texas A&M dining halls in terms of vegetable production and partnering with local restaurants, Warren says. “Students don’t always see that Texas A&M University and [Bryan] College Station are one, but we are,” Templin says. “It’s all about sustainable communities. We celebrate food, so why not healthy food?”
Texas A&M Urban Farm United encourages any local Bryan College Station restaurants to contact them if they are interested in beginning a partnership. Contact the program by emailing tamuurbanfarmunited@gmail.com or visit their Facebook page.
