Today’s guests are doing innovative agriculture work that is deeply rooted in history in their small town of San Elizario, Texas. David Cantu and Maya Sanchez are two local government leaders who have helped spearhead projects to encourage San Elizario residents to grow food for themselves and food to sell—all tailored to their unique desert environment. They’re tapping into historical knowledge of what plants grow best in these conditions and hoping other desert-dwellers can learn from this, too.
These efforts are particularly meaningful in a border town where almost half of the population lives below the poverty line. These are opportunities to grow food in backyards and gardens to feed one’s family, and this program has also helped residents grow produce to sell to local restaurants and stores, or turn into other food businesses, themselves.
David Cantu is an alderperson and Maya Sanchez in the City Administrator for San Elizario. Both are very active in their city, in this agricultural initiative, and in their own gardens, too.
We interviewed Cantu and Sanchez for an article back in 2020, and, as you’ll hear in this interview, since that time they’ve helped more of the community be involved in growing food, connected these efforts with flood mitigation goals, and even had the chance to sell locally grown produce to neighboring cities.
“This Texas Town Is Growing Stronger By Thinking *Inside* the Box”,” by Rachel Quednau, Strong Towns (August 2020).
Learn more about our open Member Advocate position and apply today.
Send your story ideas to rachel@strongtowns.org.
Subscribe to The Bottom-Up Revolution on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Podbean, or via RSS.
Support this podcast by becoming a Strong Towns member today.
Introducing Your New Host for The Bottom-Up Revolution!
Top of the Bottom-Up: Creating a Coffee Shop for the Whole Neighborhood
Top of the Bottom-Up: Taking Matters Into Our Own Hands to #SlowTheCars
Top of the Bottom-Up: Building Family and Community Resilience
Top of the Bottom-Up: Building Gentle Density and a Grassroots Campaign for City Council
The Bottom-Up Revolution Is…Getting Stronger
Top of the Bottom-Up: Growing Food, Growing Resilience
Sarah Cipkar: Building an Accessory Dwelling Unit and Helping Others Do the Same
Erin Stewart: A Mayor Working for Safe Streets and a Thriving Downtown
Norm Van Eeden Petersman: Speaking Up to Build Strong Towns
Emma Durand-Wood: Planting Street Trees and Neighborhood Connections
Spencer Gardner: Moving from Planning to Action
Lindsey Meek: An Engineer who ”Saw the Light”
Amy Stelly: Campaigning to Get Rid of an Urban Highway
Steph and Sean Tuff: Starting an Electric Bike Company
Danny Schaible: Creating a Street Design Team
Ari Feinsmith: Helping More People Get Out and Bike!
Montavius Jones: Celebrating Your City and Helping it Grow Better
Jen Stromsten and Alex Beck: Welcoming New Americans and Building up a Rural Economy
Jonathan Curth: Ending Parking Minimums and Seeing the Results
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Modern West
Voices of Misery Podcast
House of Whimsical Terror
Dairyland Frights
Stuff You Should Know
Timcast IRL