For our Year-End Review, Texas Small Farmers and Ranchers Community Based Organization sharpened its focus on two priorities that continue to shape its work: agricultural education and training, and the creation of real market opportunities for underserved producers. These goals moved beyond planning and into practice. They showed up in gardens, fields, classrooms, and communities across Texas.
Expanding Education From Youth to Land Stewards
Education remained the foundation of the organization’s work. Over the course of the year, youth and community garden outreach expanded across South Dallas, Tyler, Kashmere Gardens, Third Ward, Fifth Ward, Acres Homes, and rural communities throughout East Texas. Workshops emphasized practical skills, including composting, soil health fundamentals, and raised bed construction. Field days at the teaching farm in Bryan, Texas reinforced these lessons by connecting hands-on experience to classroom learning.
At the same time, long-term cohort training continued to evolve. The organization completed its first For-the-Profit Project cohort and launched a second foundational cohort. These programs spanned eight to twelve months and combined in-person workshops, on-the-land instruction, and virtual learning. Participants ranged from urban gardeners to landowners managing hundreds of acres. Regardless of scale, the message stayed consistent. Regenerative agriculture and sound decision-making apply everywhere.
Strengthening Capacity Through Partnerships
Partnerships played a critical role in expanding impact. One of the most significant developments was the launch of the Grazing Plan Primer in collaboration with Holistic Management International. This five-week online course introduced livestock producers to using animals as tools for soil regeneration. Participants then reinforced their learning through a week-long, on-site training in Decatur, Texas. As a result, producers gained practical strategies they could immediately apply to improve pasture health and land resilience.
Creating Market Access Where It Did Not Exist
Education alone does not sustain farms. Economic pathways matter just as much. In 2025, the organization made a deliberate shift toward food system development. With guidance from national nonprofit Red Tomato, the team assessed local food system gaps and opportunities. These conversations grew into weekly mastermind sessions that shaped the next phase of work.
By fall, those efforts led to the launch of the Texas Bypass Program. The program connected farmers directly with local eaters and institutions, creating alternative purchasing pathways for both rural and urban producers. This initiative emphasized land monetization, business literacy, and the transition from informal production into viable enterprises.
Building on these lessons, planning also began for a Learning Academy focused on market readiness and workforce development. Although rooted in East Texas, the framework was designed to support producers wherever they operate.
An Open Door to the Future
Accessibility remained a guiding principle. The organization charged no membership fees and removed barriers to entry wherever possible. Farmers, gardeners, and community members were invited to learn, connect, and grow together. Ongoing data collection and feedback across the supply chain, from growers to haulers to eaters, ensured that programs stayed grounded in real-world needs.
Gratitude and Forward Motion
As 2025 came to a close, gratitude remained front and center. Appreciation goes to the team, partners, collaborators, volunteers, donors, and funders who sustained the work. Most importantly, gratitude goes to the producers who continue to steward land and feed communities under increasingly complex conditions.
The foundation is in place.
The systems are taking shape.
And the work moves forward into 2026 with clarity and purpose.
Be the exception.
