The problem:
The County of El Paso, TX has identified one of its areas of concern is
in Food System Resiliency and Sustainability. El Paso has a long history
of successful leadership in food production under extreme climate
conditions and the county has growers and entrepreneurs and plenty of
open space. Despite this,
they struggle with lack of infrastructure, access to resources,
equipment; lack of workforce, need for training and labor support,
space to produce and process value added goods.
The Plan: Repurpose an existing historical building into
El Paso County and The City of San Elizario Urban Agriculture Team (SEUA) have identified a 1930's adobe structure which was originally built as a health clinic as part of The New Deal Civilian Conservation Corps. The building sits at the entrance to the Mission Historical District and is easily accessible by members of the community and tourists visiting El Paso's Mission Trail. Currently, the building itself is not being utilized for anything but the grounds surrounding are home to the SEUA's demonstration gardens, water harvesting display and training grounds.
This new Urban Ag Mini-Food Processing Hub will include installation of rain gutters and enhancements to existing water harvesting equipment, garden and property enhancements as well as procurement of sanitizing equipment for processing and distribution of food products from participating San Elizario growers. These improvements will allow the Ag Team to more effectively focus on SIP-Business Modeling, workforce development and training programs; and Community and Educational Institution Curriculum Development.
The Benefits: