The AAUW Corpus Christi Branch held a membership meeting – the first in-person meeting with a speaker since March 2020 – on Saturday morning, March 5, 2022, at the YWCA.  Sixteen members, one guest, and our speaker were present, along with another five members who joined in by Zoom.  Janet Blanke introduced our speaker, Dr. Gilda Ramirez, Executive Director for Grow Local South Texas.  Dr. Ramirez earned her bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees at Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi, focusing on public administration and educational leadership.  She serves on a variety of civic boards and works with several community organizations.

The mission of Grow Local South Texas is to improve access to, education about, and advocacy for affordable nutrient dense foods.  The organization helps connect local farmers with the community through Farmers’ Markets.  They host the Farmers’ Market every Wednesday, 5:00-8:00 p.m., at the Art Center of Corpus Christi, 100 N. Shoreline Blvd.  Interest is high in finding more growers who can provide nutrient dense foods at the markets.   If you are interested in becoming a vendor, you can apply here.  The organization also hosts an annual Small Food Producers’ Conference to help small businesses hone marketing, agriculture, and financial skills.  Typical South Texas winter crops found at the Farmer’s Markets include Brussel sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, and kale.  Late February/early March is the time to plant tomatoes in the region.  Our summer heat is too intense for many vegetables, but okra will do well.

Grow Local South Texas also provides educational opportunities to local youth through in-school and after-school programs.  Programs currently serving 132 students are running at the Antonio E. Garcia Arts & Education Center, the West Side Helping Hand, the Boys & Girls Club of the Coastal Bend, and at the Mary Grett Transition Center.  In addition, cooking classes are available, and summer youth camps are offered at the Garcia Arts & Education Center.  Classes teach about food production, sustainability, horticulture, healthy food preparation, and even marketing and funds management with the “school to market” program.  Classes incorporate math, science, teamwork, and other valuable skills.

On the Grow Local South Texas website, you can find video series for cooking local – including recipes from local chefs; gardening tips for South Texas; and information about local food access points – including the Coast Bend Food Bank.  Another page provides printable online resources for gardening in South Texas.

If you would like to receive weekly updates about the markets or the education programs, sign up for their newsletter here.   Annual memberships and lifetime memberships to Grow Local South Texas are available.

President Shirley Selz and Book Finders co-chair Kristin Conlan presented Dr. Ramirez with a book about “awesome women” as a thank you for her presentation to our Branch.