Last fall I received a phone call from Emily Dodd with GROW Local South Texas asking if Gill’s would sponsor BAWKtoberfest 2015, their annual backyard chicken coop tour. Her energy was contagious and we said yes! We were pleased to continue our support of GROW Local South Texas when we agreed to sponsor their 4th Annual Farm to Table Fundraiser Dinner which took place on March 5, 2016. Their dinner, where every possible ingredient is locally raised or prepared, was a beautiful evening outdoors at the Art Center of Corpus Christi’s courtyard.

The four course meal included hors d’oeuvres, fresh mixed greens with Yellow Rose Honey dressing, a traditional seafood paella and chocolate flan.

GROWing local food is what they are all about. Their goal is to promote, educating about and celebrate local foods. The organization’s Executive Director, Aislynn Campbell, says “I wanted to eat and feed my family the cleanest, most sustainable and thoughtful food I could find. What I found was a community that said if you want it to be here, make it…and we’ll help.” Four years later, Grow Local South Texas not only runs the Corpus Christi Downtown Farmers’ Market and BAWKtoberfest, but they have also created The Learning Garden, their community teaching garden that is home to field trips, and an after school program and “Living Local Summer Camp” for some of our neediest youth.

Thank you Grow Local South Texas! Now I think I’ll go munch on a carrot out of our pots of carrots we have in our backyard!

-Sally