Sustainable community: Diana and Saul Padilla

When Diana Padilla looks out at her and husband Saul’s farm, she sees past personal profit, focusing on the sweat they put in to the fruitful land.
The only words in her mind when she and her husband work on their farm, Yahweh’s All Natural Farm and Garden — now 35 acres on Morris Road, off of Rangerville Road — are “sustainable community.”
Although the pair has been providing straight-out-of-the-ground vegetables, fresh meats and eggs since they opened Yahweh’s in 2004, their latest project and goals revolve around passing their knowledge of farming to others.
“Can you see it?” Padilla said looking at the acres they recently bought next door to put their dreams in motion. “What we envision is a place for people in the community to come and learn what we do so they can turn around and provide for themselves.”
The Padillas are starting what they have dubbed the HOPE for Small Farming Sustainability. The couple, along with local chefs to whom they have been selling produce for about two growing seasons, are working together to build the land at Yahweh’s for the community.
“Our first phase is to develop a community garden of about 50 plots of 15 feet by 20 feet or 20 feet by 20 feet for people in the community to come and grow their own vegetables, while we teach them how to grow,” she said. “We would have all the equipment and tools and be available to answer any questions or help. In return, all they would have to do is pay a portion of the farm’s liability insurance, which comes out to about $20 a month, and either volunteer to help others, or share a portion of their food with local food organizations.
“We teach them to grow and nurture vegetables so they can do it themselves and at the same time help others in the community with their time or the fruits of their own labor,” Padilla said.
Although they are still in the process of being designated an organically certified farm, the Padillas said they have always practiced true organic farming since the beginning — something they want to pass on to the community.
The next phase of the project includes remodeling a house on the neighboring property into a community kitchen. Once complete, they plan to open it for people to come in and learn not only how to cook, but to do so with organic and fresh produce. They also have plans to open an onsite farmers market.
“We see this as a place for the community to come in and learn not only how to grow the food, or buy it onsite, but to make a meal and come and sit outside and enjoy the atmosphere.”
Eventually, they would also like to build a walking trail that winds through a subtropical fruit orchard and other parts of the property for people to spend their mornings exercising and picking seasonal fruit.
Although phase one is already under way, the Padillas are partnering with the American Culinary Federation Texas Chefs Association RGV Chapter to host the “Farm-To-Table” Harvest Dinner Event, Feb. 11 to raise money to jumpstart the project.
The event will be hosted at Yahweh’s and will feature dinner prepared by local chefs and vegetables, lamb and pork straight from the farm. Grass-fed beef will be provided by the Padilla’s neighbor, Dr. Garner F. and Nancy S. Cline, owners of Eagle Catcher Farm
“We hope to have 100 percent of the profits from the event go to buying equipment and paying for the work and materials needed for the project,” she said. “So we hope to get more sponsors so we are able to do this.”
After the project is launched, Padilla said they plan to start an advisory board and apply for grants to help with funding.
“We live in what is classified as a food desert by the Healthy Food Financing Initiative. This means the fresh fruits and vegetables are not readily available to our children of low-income families,” she said. “The area stores are more than a mile away from their home and the convenience stores located nearby typically don’t provide fruits and vegetables.”
“So we have a solution. We will educate and give training to families on how to grow their own organic food, provide workshops on how to cook this produce to give their families a healthier choice,” she said.
For more information visit www.yahwehsallnaturalfarm.com.