Ark-La-Tex Clusters Farmer Co-op held their Large Tomato Competition at the CEP Ark-La-Tex Clusters Farmer Market in downtown New Boston, TX at The Pavilion on June 1st.
The grand prize winner was Mrs. Vicki Rhea, she had showcased her “Beef Stake” tomato at the local event.
Rhea is not only a vegetable producer, but she is also a goat and poultry producer in Bowie County. Mrs. Rhea is a long-time committee member of the CEP Ark-La-Tex Clusters Farmer Coop and she loves to educate other local small-scale farmers about goats and specialty crops such as Malabar Spinach, African or Egyptian Spinach, White Russian Watermelon, and Sorrel (Hibiscus Tea); in which some of the farmer co-op committee members had raised within three years, through the Prairie View A&M University Greenhouse Research Department Specialty Grant Program.
“I like to see more local farmers get involve with our local farmer market, we have worked really hard to keep it going through the years,” said Mrs. Rhea.
The Ark-La-Tex Clusters Farmer Market Coordinator & Bowie County Prairie View A&M University CEP-Agent (AGNr) Mr. Brandon C. Hawkins commented that the Ark-La-Tex Clusters Farmer Market has been around since 2003 and has changed the name in 2018, under a Small Farm Cluster Grant Program.
“The ideal of having a farmer market is to build good local farm business relationships with the farmer and the consumer.” “We need to support our local small or limited resource farmers, if we do not, they will diminish gradually due to the lack of support from our locals, who don’t purchase locally farm-grown produce in the Ark-La-Tex region,” said Mr. Hawkins.
The Ark-La-Tex Clusters Farmer Co-op Committee only host local farmer markets but also educate other local farmers through programs and educational agri-tourism. Rhea Farm and Long Walk Spring Farm have already conducted a few programs on their farm, earlier this year, with the assistance of the Bowie County Prairie View A&M University Cooperative Extension Bowie County Office.
The next upcoming program hosted by Long Spring Walk Farm will be held at the Christian Coalition of Unity Building (CCU Bldg.) in New Boston, TX “Herbs for Your Health” for July 8th; Saturday @ 10a.m.11a.m.; guest speaker Mr. Justin Duncan-ATTRA Sustainable Agriculture Specialist with the National Center for Appropriate Technology’s Southwest Regional Office in San Antonio, TX.
“It has been a privilege to collaborate with the small or limited resource local farmers, in this particular farmer co-op.” “They are very humble and dedicated, on reaching out to other farmers, who may need assistance on different diverse farm modernized practices, in order to stay relevant in the local/ regional food market,” said Mr. Hawkins. He also added the Ark-La-Tex Clusters Famer Co-op are working on establishing a farmer market drop-box station to promote healthy foods for locals and underserve communities in Bowie & Cass County.
Article was submitted by the Bowie County Prairie View A&M University Cooperative Extension Office
