The Refugee Collective Farm’s Traditional Provisions program improves access to culturally desired produce for refugees while creating agricultural livelihood opportunities in the refugee community. Our programming centers refugee farmers as the drivers of change in their communities. Traditional Provisions accomplishes this through two primary initiatives: the culturally desired Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program and the Community Farmer program, through which we aim to deliver 35,000 lbs. of culturally desired produce annually.

The culturally desired CSA program employs six year round refugee farmers and distributes 75 CSA shares each week containing seven to nine items of fresh, culturally relevant, certified organic produce to refugee households. This is accomplished in partnership with local refugee serving organizations such as Austin Independent School District, Foundation Communities, and Center for Survivors of Torture.

The Community Farmer program equips newly arrived refugees with 750 sq. ft. of growing space which they tend over the course of one year for both the Spring/Summer and Fall growing seasons. All supplies are provided including fertilizer, seeds, and irrigation components, as well as access to shared farm infrastructure. The farm purchases the vegetables they grow at market rates, which the farmers then distribute to their communities for free.

Community Farmers also participate in a 24 hour, six-module training course administered over one year. The course covers all aspects of regenerative vegetable production in Central Texas, including crop planning, greenhouse procedures, best practices for no-till planting, organic pest management, food safety, and how to approach different sales channels when starting a farm business. They leave the program with the opportunity to participate in an onsite Community Garden program or to start their own farming businesses through our Farm Business Incubator program.