“Farming is a profession of hope”

―Brian Brett

WHAT’S GOOD

Caring for Charis Park

Last week, a new live oak was planted in Charis Park to replace the red oak that had previously died. The planting reflects our ongoing commitment to maintaining and improving the shared spaces our community enjoys. Volunteers also gathered for a recent Community Garden Work Day to help care for the grounds and garden beds. Efforts like these are a practical part of how we invest in the health and accessibility of the park. If you’d like to support its continued care, consider becoming a member of Friends of Charis Park or joining us for a future work day.

Concentric Circles That Sustain Us

Amy Lynn Johnson, Communications Manager, Sunset Ridge Collective

Earlier this month I had the opportunity to go out and meet Juan and Roxanne Chavez in Somerset, Texas. Together they run Herd on the Street, one of the farms that joins us every Saturday at the farmers market here in Charis Park.

The farm is about a forty minute drive from Sunset Ridge, and when I pulled up, Juan was waiting to open the gate. Our farmers market manager, Sarah, drove in right behind me, and we were all greeted by Juan’s big beautiful farm dogs.

Juan invited us to ride their four wheeler so he could show us around the entire farm. Fitted in my denim overalls and cowboy boots, I grabbed my camera and hopped in. We passed by the cows first and they stumbled to the side as we slowly drove by with the farm dogs following. As we drove deeper into the property, Juan told stories about clearing out parts of the land and learning to build fencing for the first time. Sarah pointed out native plants and talked about their benefits and how the indigenous peoples of this land originally used them.

Along the back fence of the property we spotted a turtle in the path and we stopped to all get out and have a look. Juan had never seen turtles on the property, so it was a fun surprise sighting for us all. I caught glimpses of prickly pear and imagined the overhead canopy that would soon be blooming with spring.

The cows greeted us on our return to the front of the property and we set up for a video interview. Juan generously shared about the challenges of being a first generation farmer and why he and his wife chose regenerative agriculture—to take better care of the land, which in turn takes better care of the livestock, and ultimately better care of the people who find sustenance from their farm.

When he shared his story of becoming a part of the Sunset Ridge Farmers Market—and being nervous as a first generation farmer—Sarah interjected to say that he wasn’t the only first-time farmer in the market. In fact, many of them are. Hearing Juan share how supportive the other farmers have been was both uplifting and not a surprise at all.

Being the only regenerative farmers market in San Antonio, we attract a lot of like-minded people. People who care about the earth and how we care for it, people who care about where our food comes from and how it's raised—and ultimately people who care about supporting the people around them, a true community.

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Before we left, I got to step into the pigpen and meet the pigs. It was hard not to feel like a kid again looking at their adorable rolling faces and fuzzy ears—especially when they were just as curious about me, greeting me with their snouts and nibbling at my overalls.

The next stop was their storefront, where we got to meet Juan’s wife, Roxanne. The front of the building was painted with a large ‘Welcome to Somerset’ mural, and the inside was just as welcoming. I recognized products from other San Antonio businesses, and even other vendors that join us at the market on Saturdays.

It was wonderful to see so many concentric circles coming together in this space, reminding me that the communities we nurture and grow are interconnected—much like the land we all ultimately share. The farmers market is just one small but mighty part of supporting families and communities beyond our own. Reconnecting us with the local land. Enriching our bodies, the soil, the earth.

I returned to the office that day still in my overalls, with a little bit of mud from pig kisses on my knees, grateful for people who are willing to take chances and make a difference that will ripple out into our world.