Inside Big Tex Urban Farms

Among all the fried food at the State Fair of Texas you’ll find a greenhouse working to feed North Texas.

The Big Tex Urban Farms grows fruits and vegetables year round on the fair grounds. The project started in 2016 as a mission to help food-insecure communities in southern Dallas.

Farm manager Drew Demler said all the produce grown goes to charities working to fight hunger. The farm uses raised boxes and hydroponic systems to grow green beans, black eyes peas, cucumbers, onions, potatoes, herbs and more.

During the fair they invite people to step inside the greenhouse to see what they’re doing and ask questions.

“It’s live action,” said Demler. “We are harvesting. We’re replanting. We’re planting seeds for our hydroponic systems.  We’re harvesting herbs and we’re also here to answer questions.”

They will try to answer any questions you have about growing produce and invite you to learn more about their mission.

In the last two years, they’ve also helped some neighborhood groups establish their own  gardens using raised beds and hope to continue that growth. Already, this year they have donated more than 9,000 pounds of fresh produce to the surrounding communities.

The project is funded by ticket sales at the State Fair of Texas.

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