Fall Philanthropy Report: Urban Harvest Farmers Market Helps ‘Transform Food Accessibility’
Oct. 8, 2024
What year was your organization launched? Urban Harvest’s Saturday Farmers Market started in 2004 with just seven vendors, providing an outlet for local farms, community and backyard gardeners to sell fresh produce harvested directly from their soils. Now in its 20th year, the market has grown to be one of the largest markets in Texas, supporting over 100 local farmers, ranchers, and food artisans all from within 180 miles of Houston. The market draws 3,000 customers every Saturday morning and includes many original vendors like Animal Farm, Atkinson Farms, and Wood Duck Farm.
The Urban Harvest’s Farmers Market Program supports real, fresh food and the hardworking people who grow it. The market is more than just a place to shop, it’s a gathering place where friends and families meet up each at Urban Harvest, kids grow up knowing where their food comes from, and new friendships are forged.
What is your mission? The mission of Urban Harvest is to be a catalyst in transforming food accessibility in Greater Houston. Urban Harvest aims to achieve this by fostering strong partnerships with local farmers and gardeners, operating vibrant Farmers Markets, initiating mobile markets, and providing comprehensive garden education.
What is your vision? Their vision is not just to improve, but to transform the way communities engage with and access fresh, locally sourced food. Through these efforts, Urban Harvest aspires to set a national example, showcasing how innovative community collaboration can lead to sustainable change in food systems across the country.
How have you impacted the community?
In 2023 -
• Urban Harvest Farmers Market brought together over 100 local farmers, ranchers, gardeners and food artisans to sell their products directly to Houstonians
• Urban Harvest Farmers Market hosted over 45,000 shoppers
• Urban Harvest matched $25,000 in Double Up Food Bucks, allowing those who use SNAP/EBT to get $1 in fresh fruits and veggies for each $1 spent, up to $40 daily
• Approximately 45% of Urban Harvest vendors identified as social minorities and Urban Harvest continue to strive to grow the Farmers Market diversity. In addition, 50% of shoppers identify as a BIPOC.
Tell us about your big event. Urban Harvest invites Houstonians to break bread during their 30th Anniversary Sunday Supper hosted at St. John’s School on Sunday, November 3rd, 2024. The evening will be a celebration of local food, culinary excellence and the communities Urban Harvest serves. Thirteen of Houston’s most esteemed chefs will lend their unique talents during a multi-course, family-style meal created in partnership with local ranchers and farmers. Proceeds from this unforgettable farm-to-table experience will benefit the programs of Urban Harvest: Farmers Markets, Community Gardens, Youth Education, Food Access, and Gardening Classes.
What are you most proud of? Every year the small but mighty organization serves over 45,000 farmers market patrons and over 100 small food business; nearly 5,000 students and teachers in socially vulnerable Areas; 3,823 community gardeners preserving over 34 acres of greenspace; over 2,000 Mobile Market customers, 78% of which are in underserved neighborhoods; and educates over 900 individuals who participate in year-round organic gardening classes.
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At Marigold Club, Amid Martinis and Oysters, VIPs Alight to Toast CityBook’s Leaders & Legends
Daniel Ortiz
Nov. 21, 2024
MANY OF THE city’s who’s-who gathered at the city’s buzziest venue to toast Houston CityBook’s 2024 “Leaders & Legends,” presented by The Village of River Oaks.
About 100 guests filtered past fabulous autos from event sponsor Bentley Houston into Chef Austin Waiter’s red-hot Marigold Club in Montrose on a balmy pre-holiday evening. They came to sip gin “Marigold Martinis” and other signature cocktails, and to nibble beautiful classics such as tartare of beef filet with whole grain mustard and thyme and freshly shucked Mere Point oysters in shallot mignonette. But mostly guests, along with reps of event sponsor Valobra Master Jewelers, were there to gladhand and celebrate this year’s class of honorees.
This 2024 group included Community Artists Collective co-founder Michelle Barnes, Recipe for Success and Hope Farms founder Gracie Cavnar, “Enchilada Queen” and cookbook author Sylvia Casares, hot Hamsa and Doris Metropolitan restaurateur Itai Ben Eli, and Raz Halili, whose Texas fishery is the first fully certified-sustainable fishery in North America.
Other 2024 leaders and legends included University of Houston Chancellor Renu Khator, former Rice University president David Leebron, playwright ShaWanna Renee Rivon, jeweler and philanthropist Franco Valobra, and energy exec Bobby Tudor, who’s leading the effort to keep Houston the world’s energy capital — even as the industry pivots to sustainability and a greener future.
CityBook editor and CEO Jeff Gremillion made brief remarks and toasted each honoree. Jim Gray, founder and CEO of The Village parent company The Aspenwood Company, also welcomed the crowd.
“Leaders & Legends, our beautiful annual portrait collection, is the most revered and prestigious content we produce all year,” says Gremillion. “And the Leaders & Legends party — a lovely, lowkey affair at which honorees past and present can hobnob with other VIPs in a posh but relaxed setting — has become a highlight of the Houston social calendar.
“Everyone is talking about the Marigold Club, and we were delighted to partner with Chef Waiter and his amazing team for this year’s party. The attention to detail was extraordinary, and the food was elegant and delicious. Everyone had a wonderful time.”
Waiter’s complete menu also included chicken liver mousse gougères with preserved citrus jam and Argentinian shrimp cocktail with lemon and chives — all passed on silver trays by bow-tied and white-jacketed servers. For dessert, Marigold proffered chocolate friandswith chocolate cremeux, brûléed treacle tarts with citron crème and Earl Grey tarlets.
This year’s iteration of Leaders & Legends, created by Gremillion and Executive Publisher Lisa Holthouse, is the seventh for CityBook. Past honorees include Nobel laureate Jim Allison, billionaire mogul Tilman Fertitta, boundary-breaking prima ballerina Lauren Anderson, Astros owner Jim Crane, lifesaving medical researchers, civil rights leaders, artists, activists, fashion designers, members of congress, Olympic medalists, Tony- and Grammy-winning musicians, and top-tier philanthropists like Margaret Alkek Williams, Cynthia Petrello, Becca Cason Thrash and Lynn Wyatt.
The fall “Leaders & Legends” issue of CityBook is available on newsstands all over the city. The holiday issue hits at Thanksgiving.
Rubens Franz, Katia Lessa and Bernie Cantu
Phoebe Tudor and Connor Walsh
Bob and Gracie Cavnar and David Leebron
ShaWanna Renee Rivon
The Marigold Martini
Raz Halili
Jacquie Baly and James Craig
Brandon Weinbrenner and Todd Ramos
Tom and Robin Segesta
Austin Waiter
Shane Dante, Vanessa Iturbe, and Lin and Itai Ben Eli
Outside the Marigold Club
Felipe Riccio and Carrie Brandsberg Dahl
Dana Ely, Meredith Clark, Caimen Schneider and Shannon Waiter
Shawn Lynch, Jentry Kelley, Thy Mitchell and Kyle Denton
Leila Perrin and Beth Wolff
Tartare of beef filet with whole grain mustard and thyme
Jim Gray
Bill Stubbs, Lisa Holthouse and Kurt Grether
Jason Fuller
Samantha and Raz Halili
From Your Site Articles
- EXCLUSIVE: Crane, Oshman, Farb Among CityBook’s 2022 ‘Leaders & Legends’ ›
- VIPs Alight to Celebrate CityBook's 'Leaders & Legends' at Sunny Schmooze ›
- The Village of River Oaks Presents Leaders & Legends: See Who Made CityBook’s 2024 List ›
- At Slick Steak 48 Schmooze, VIPs Alight to Toast CityBook’s ‘Leaders & Legends’ of 2023 ›
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CITIZENS FOR ANIMAL Protection (CAP) is having a very merry holiday season, having raised a record-breaking $1 million at its annual gala in November.
With a theme of "Best in Snow," a seasonal play on the funny flick Best in Show, the glam gala took place at The Post Oak Hotel, where animal lovers (and their furry friends!) reveled in sparkling holiday decor. Event co-chairs Angela Hernandez and Carson Brown were thrilled with the turnout, which topped 700.
Guests were welcomed with espresso martinis from the ice bar, sponsored by Sire Spirits and Branson Cognac and Le Chemin du Roi, and spent plenty of time perusing the Bourbon and Bubbles pull (more than 100 bottles!) and the silent auction. Once inside the blue-and-white-hued ballroom, the crowd cheered on the evening's honorees, who strutted their stuff alongside their pets. Andy Cerota and his pup Maxwell were crowned as the 2024 Celebrity Pets of the Year, with Dana and Blake Fertitta and their dogs Belle and Zoe were first runners-up.
Galagoers were also moved by the story of CAP’s Celebrity Canine Hero Award recipient, Bram Kohlhausen and his service dog Chip. And emcee Frank Billingsley was joined by Brittany Franklin during the "Paws Up" portion of the evening as well as the live auction.
Andy Cordes and Dawsel White
Steve and Daphne Savva with Jenga
Brenda and Bob Wempe, Paige Fertitta
Sandi Mercado, Jackie Clark
Carson Brown, Bram Kohlhausen and his service dog Chip, and Angela Hernandez
Robert Tijerina, Patrick Lancton
Champagne parade for live-auction winner
Patricia and Sig Cornelius
Chris and Kendall Hanno
Nick and Allison Boulle with Belle
Daniel Irion and Kirk Kveton
Marcellus Upshaw, Sandra Cooper Smith
David and Kirby Lodholz with Chucky
Liz and Peter Carragher
Dean Putterman and Ed Finger
Lisa Helfman and Lee Haverman
Ember Strand, Frankie Demeris
Gloria and Frank Meszaros
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