You might not know by looking, but there’s a farm in the parking lot of San Antonio Clubhouse. And it’s not only growing crops. It’s also helping the members of Clubhouse, a nonprofit that works with those facing mental health challenges, gain skills and self-confidence.
It’s all due to the generosity of Impact San Antonio members, whose annual contributions funded the 2018 $100,000 grant that purchased the farm, which is housed in a trailer-size container.
On March 6, members of Impact SA joined staff and members of Clubhouse to celebrate their new Hydroponic Urban Garden. The farm grows a variety of salad greens and herbs in 88 vertical strips. They grow in foam, not soil. Water is pumped into the foam, and red and blue LED lights simulate sunlight and promote fast growth. The farm can grow up to 550 small heads of lettuce per week.
Impact SA President Jennifer Bennett noted that one reason the project was chosen as one of 10 grant finalists for 2018 was the “multilayered benefits that it delivers to the community.”
“It gives Clubhouse members meaningful and therapeutic work to assist in their recovery and provides healthy food choices for members and their families at no cost to them,” she said. “The project extends beyond Clubhouse, too — extra produce will be donated to several nonprofits to encourage healthier eating for their clients.”
Clubhouse member Linda Williams said the Urban Garden arrived about two months ago after a 10-month wait. During that waiting period, Clubhouse held “farm camps” to educate members on how the farm would operate, and members also voted on which crops would be grown, she said.
Clubhouse Executive Director Mark Stoeltje noted that some of the 300-plus Clubhouses around the world have heard about the farm and are asking for details, including how they got the funding to buy it.
The answer, of course, is through the generosity of members like you!
To read the San Antonio Express-News article and KENS5-TV stories about the farm, click HERE.
