Grow your own food and go local!
First, be a good neighbor when growing your garden, and learn which City codes may impact and/or regulate your gardening activities.
Get involved! Join the Local Foods, Local Places program.- Grow your own food and spices in your yard or in containers.
- Join a community garden or a local gardening organization.
- If you need help, take a gardening class.
- Take a composting class. The City offers free composting courses. We will post them on Green Dallas, as well as our facebook page, so make sure you follow us on social media.
- Buy locally-grown and in-season foods to support your local food system.
Check out our Community Garden Grant
It’s purpose is to assist those within the community that are seeking to begin or expand a community garden for the benefit of themselves and others, who donate produce to local food charities. Funds are for gardens using organic growing methods and water conservation measures, such as rain water harvesting and drip irrigation.
If you are interested in starting your own neighborhood farmers market, you can get the application for the permit here.
Food Choices Matter
From the Centers for Disease Control – CDC envisions a food system that provides healthy, sustainable choices, minimizes environmental impacts, and serves as a model for the broader public health community. It is up to you, as a purchaser and consumer, to consider the impact of food from seed to table. Choosing local, healthy, environmentally responsible food helps promote personal health as well as the overall health of the community.
Choose food that:
- Does not harm the environment
- Supports and preserves rural communities
- Is healthy and nutritious to eat
- Respects farm animals
- Provides farmers with a fair wage
- Is free of added chemicals
- Is grown in the local community
- Does not harm the health of farm workers
Food Recovery
- Plan your meals, so you only buy what you need.
- Buy and eat ugly food!
- Donate unspoiled food that you aren’t going to eat.
- Compost food scraps and spoiled food.
- Recycle used cooking oil with the Cease the Grease program.
- Follow the Food Recovery Hierarchy (composting will come before industrial uses for individuals).
Learn more about food waste, nutritious eating, and food budgeting here.
