Local nonprofit Restorative Farms aims to train new farmers and provide healthy, low-cost produce to the community.
The roots of the organization, located in South Dallas, stem from the concept of “restorative justice” and its core elements: encounter, repair, and transform. The group says it seeks to realize “real impact and social justice through the power of social enterprise.”
It aims to tackle the three primary issues that most urban farms reportedly encounter: firstly, providing low-cost and nutritious produce to the community; secondly, generating income for community growers and producers through production and sales; and thirdly, offering community members training, work, entrepreneurial and leadership experience, as well as other opportunities to help them break out of poverty.
“Historically, Dallas has issues with food insecurity and food-related health issues that resulted in significant economic strain on the surrounding health care system,” states the City of Dallas’s Comprehensive Urban Agriculture Plan. Per the plan, the City seeks to ensure that all residents can access healthy food by 2050, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Some ways to support the community in reaching its goals is by purchasing a Restorative Farms portable planter box, called a “GroBox,” or donating a GroBox to a school, business, community center, or any other place that would benefit. As one of Restorative Farms’ primary funding sources, this initiative helps continue providing community members with training to provide for themselves and their families.
Restorative Farms co-founder Brad Boa told The Dallas Express, “For us, growing your own food is more than just a hobby; it requires expertise and delivers practical benefits to individuals or households. GroBoxes excel in this aspect. The Restorative Farms growers have meticulously curated the necessary components (the GroBox, the soil, supplements, and seasonally appropriate seedlings) for successful growing.”
“This allows GroBox owners to take charge of at least part of their food source. The unmatched fresh quality, nutrition, and experience of harvesting produce from your own balcony or backyard are very special. Typically, mid-March is the last frost in our area, and so it’s the perfect time to get a GroBox,” Boa said.
These boxes are entirely handmade by the staff and volunteers and can be shipped to doorsteps anywhere in the United States. The GroBox measures 32 by 26 inches and is 15 1/2 inches tall when assembled. It is designed to fold flat to make it portable.
Each GroBox costs $135 and includes a homemade wooden planter box, premium soil mix, specific plant starts for North Texas, and seed packs. You can even have an on-site set-up service for $20 per GroBox.
Texas-based Tito’s Handmade Vodka sponsors the GroBox project. Restorative Farms is one of many non-profit organizations the company supports through its “Love, Tito’s” mantra.
“Through Love, Tito’s, the team has supported thousands of causes — lending a hand to rebuild communities after devastation, spreading joy to those who need a little more, and protecting the environment we all share,” the company states on its website.
For more information on how to purchase your own GroBox, click here. You can also make a tax-deductible donation or volunteer to help “Grow A Better Dallas.”
