Brookshire, TX- In a rural city, just west of Houston, a backyard garden is quietly transforming the way one family thinks about food, farming, and future possibilities.

For the Pope Family, farming began as a hobby. A few rows of peppers and squash gradually turned into a thriving garden filled with tomatoes, cucumbers, and other seasonal vegetables. Led by a devoted wife, mother, and Katy ISD middle school teacher, their backyard space has become a source of joy, nourishment, and growth for their family and those around them.

Now, with the support of the Kansas Black Farmers Association’s Increasing Land Access (ILA) Grant, their vision is beginning to shift from hobby to something more.

Planting the Seeds for What’s Next

As one of KBFA’s newest ILA Grant recipients, the Pope Family plans use their mini grant to add backyard chickens and expand their growing space with new raised beds, allowing for greater harvests of tomatoes, cucumbers, and other fresh vegetables.

While their farm remains modest in size, the Popes are deeply connected to their community. From sharing produce with fellow teachers to partnering with local nonprofits, they’ve already laid the foundation for community-centered growing. With KBFA’s support, they’re now building on that foundation, exploring how to deepen their impact and serve more families through thoughtful, homegrown efforts.

Nourishing More Than Minds

As a middle school ELA teacher at a Katy ISD, Mrs. Pope brings far more than lesson plans to her campus. She brings tomatoes, squash, and cucumbers too, sharing fresh produce with fellow educators as a gesture of care and connection.

In doing so, she’s nourishing more than minds. She’s fostering wellness and appreciation through the food she grows and the relationships she builds. Her role in the classroom and in the garden is a reminder that growing food and growing community often go hand in hand.

Giving Back Through Local Partnerships

Beyond the school walls, the Pope Family regularly donates their extra harvest to Help A Sista Out Foundation, a Brookshire based nonprofit that operates as both a resale shop and community support hub. The organization provides essential goods, pantry staples, and fresh food to families experiencing hardship.

Thanks to the Pope Family’s thoughtful donations, the foundation is able to include homegrown vegetables alongside bread, baked goods, and daily necessities, bringing a bit of freshness and comfort to families who need it.

While their farm is still small and growing, the Popes are already finding meaningful ways to share what they have. With each harvest, they’re not just feeding themselves. They’re quietly extending care into their community.

How KBFA Helps Farms Grow

The Farmer Viability Fund is one of KBFA’s key support programs, created to help underserved, BIPOC, women, and beginning farmers access the tools, infrastructure, and resources needed to strengthen and sustain their operations. Through this fund, KBFA offers targeted support like the Increasing Land Access (ILA) Grant, which provides financial assistance for land development, infrastructure, livestock housing, raised beds, compost systems, and more.

This includes farms like the Popes’ growing on the urban edge, as well as more established farms working to scale up, improve irrigation, or transition toward long term land ownership.

In addition to funding, the Increasing Land Access grant gives access to technical assistance, business planning support, and ongoing mentorship tailored to their goals.

As a partner in the USDA’s Plains Regional Center for Organic Transition, KBFA also helps farmers begin or advance their organic journey. Through workshops, field days, and one on one support, we help producers remove the barriers to organic certification, regenerative practices, and viable growth, especially in historically excluded communities.

Whether a farmer is managing a few acres or a backyard lot, growing vegetables or raising livestock, our goal is the same. To walk alongside them as they plant roots, build resilience, and reclaim their place in agriculture.

For 25 years, KBFA has proudly served farmers across Kansas and the Plains region, advocating, empowering, and investing in the future of Black agriculture and food sovereignty.

A Story Still Growing

The Pope Family’s journey is far from the beginning. They are showing how a love for gardening can become the foundation for something bigger. With support from KBFA, they are turning a backyard tradition into an emerging urban farm, growing more food, building stronger connections, and exploring new ways to serve their community. Their story is a reminder that urban farming can start small, with just a few plants, a little space, and a lot of heart.

“We’re proud to walk alongside families like the Popes as they begin to dream differently about their land,” says KBFA ILA Director, Francessca Petrie. “Sometimes, all it takes is the right support at the right time.”