Sustainable Food Center

Sustainable Food Center cultivates a healthy community by strengthening the local food system and improving access to nutritious, affordable food. SFC envisions a food secure community where all children and adults grow, share, and prepare healthy, local food. SFC has 3 main programs: Grow Local, Farm Direct, and The Happy Kitchen/La Cocina Alegre.

For over 30 years, SFC's Grow Local program has been helping local residents in Austin start and sustain school gardens by connecting parents, teachers, and community members with the resources and education they need in order to plan, fund, build, sustain, and advocate on behalf of school gardens.

Grow Local has provided assistance to more than 130 school gardens in the Austin area. These gardens offer children (and adults!) opportunities to learn about growing food and discovering how delicious and fun eating fresh fruits and vegetables can be. In addition to increasing children's preferences for healthy foods, school garden participation improves students' academic performance and social behavior and strengthens their appreciation of the environment.

Grow Local's school garden support includes:

• School Garden Leadership Trainings, offered twice a year
• Consultions on organizing, planning, building and using school gardens
• Free seeds, compost, and plants through the Spread the Harvest program
• Grow Local gardening classes on various topics
• A Central Texas School Garden Network
• Field trips to the SFC Teaching Garden
• Connections to volunteers 
• Assistance with grant applications