Heather Rinaldi, Sarah Perry and Donelle Simmons
White Rock Local Garden — a collaboration between White Rock Local Market (WRLM) Highland Park Cafeteria, USE Farms and DFW Truck Farm/Garden Inspirations — has broken ground in East Dallas.
The urban garden is an organic, non-GMO space that will cultivate organic produce, herbs and flowers for classes, WRLM, individual gardeners, Highland Park Cafeteria and donations.
White Rock Local Market is open from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. from March 2 through Dec. 8. The first and third Saturdays of the month markets will be located at Lakeside Baptist Church. Markets on the second and fourth Saturdays at the Green Spot. For more information, event calendar, vendor listings and memberships go to its website.
The first “Love Your Farmer“ volunteer day will be held June 23 from 8:00 a.m. to noon at White Rock Local Garden. To volunteer, register with WRLM or email director Sarah Perry for instructions. Hats, sun screen and gloves are required. Bring your garden tools if you have them. Breakfast and refreshments are provided.
“We are very pleased to see our vision for White Rock Local Garden take fruition,” Perry says. “Everyone has been very generous with their support, time and materials. We are truly grateful to have Heather Rinaldi and Donelle Simmons at the helm of this project.”
Located off Garland Road and Fuller, the three-fourths-acre piece of land was provided to White Rock Local Market by Jeff Snoyer, owner of Highland Park Cafeteria and Monopoly Place.
White Rock Local Market is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization sustained by contributions and memberships. Individual memberships for 2013, from Seeds ($25) to Beyond Organic ($1,000) and everywhere in between are on-sale now. Membership benefits vary. For some background on the market, check out the Advocate’s Q&A with Perry and business partner Mary Norvell from our November 2010 issue.
In addition to the market and garden, WRLM provides “Love Your Farmer” volunteer days, cooking demos, and “Sprouting Healthy Kids” — a hands-on gardening and nutrition after school program, continues the SNAP/Lone Star food stamp program and offers gardening, cooking, sustainability and nutrition workshops.
