After all the corny dogs and cotton candy tacos at the State Fair of Texas are gone, a steady stream of fresh produce will continue to flow out of the fairgrounds and into South Dallas through a network of community groups.
Big Tex Urban Farms, based at the foot of the Texas Star Ferris wheel in Fair Park, estimates that, by the end of this year, it will have produced about 600,000 servings of vegetables. That's just more than half a million servings from about a third of an acre since the farm's first season in 2016.
"We found our niche," says Jason Hays, the fair's creative director. "We're here for the long haul."
A more productive method
The farm previously managed about 500 wooden raised dirt beds on slotted construction pallets that sat in the parking lot. Potatoes, onions, carrots, okra and other vegetables grew during the summer. Then the pallets were moved by forklifts to make room for the fair.
"I knew I didn't want to keep doing that," says Drew Demler, greenhouse manager and director of horticulture.
Hydroponics — growing plants indoors in water-based nutrients — was the solution, Hays says.
The bulk of the farm's produce now comes from hydroponic systems in the fair's big greenhouse. There's no dirt, and it's never too hot, too cold, too wet or too dry. Food can be harvested year-round, and it has boosted production more than fivefold, according to the State Fair. It also doesn't have to be moved in the fall and can act as an educational exhibit during the fair.
Growing in the greenhouse
So far Demler and his team have grown lettuce, chives and other greens in the greenhouse using hydroponics.
The newest installation will grow tomatoes and peppers. Plastic square buckets sit in a row on metal platforms. Pipes carry water into the tubs and then drain it away. Over the coming weeks, the tomato plants will snake upward along simple twine supports until they reach the ceiling almost 20 feet overhead, says Demler.
The peppers won't grow as tall, but will be larger than most garden peppers, he says.
Behind the tomatoes and peppers, different varieties of greens grow through holes in a sheet that floats on water. The roots hang down into the nutrient mixture, keeping them hydrated and fed.
All the ways to grow
There are still about 200 dirt growing boxes outside the greenhouse.
"I wanted to be able to show all the ways to grow food," Demler says.
Growing boxes from previous seasons were delivered to neighborhood organizations. Cornerstone Baptist Church near the fairgrounds has received many boxes and now grows food for a kitchen that feeds the homeless.
A teaching tool
During the fair this year — Sept. 28 through Oct. 21 — visitors can see the farm in operation.
Demler says kids really love the exhibit. "They want to get to the water," he says. But he admits that many come in because the greenhouse is air-conditioned and they can watch Farmer Mike carve pumpkins.
During other times of the year, people can visit the farm to see how the food is produced and learn about growing their own. Fair officials also hope the farm can help train residents for jobs in the rapidly growing hydroponics industry.
Feeding the community
At the Baylor Scott & White Health and Wellness Center at the Juanita J. Craft Recreation Center, residents can pick from fresh produce grown at Big Tex Urban Farms, including lettuce, basil, okra, microgreens and a variety of peppers. Some commercial produce is also is available at reduced cost.
Beverly DeBase really likes the butterhead lettuce.
"They grow the best and the sweetest lettuce," DeBase says of Big Tex farms. She says she lives about 2 miles from the center and often plays tennis there. She's picked up chard and ginger in the past and hopes they'll grow arugula. Demler says that's in the plan.
"This is definitely an asset here," DeBase says. "This is a food desert for sure."
Karel Holloway is a Terrell freelance writer.
