Houston's First Farm-and-Garden Focused Community, Harvest Green, Assembles Team of Full-Time Farmers

            After months of careful planning, the promise of Houston’s first master-planned community of new homes with an on-site farm, neighborhood and backyard vegetable gardens, is starting to bear fruit – along with herbs, vegetables and more.

            Fort Bend’s Harvest Green has hired a team of full-time professional farmers with Edible Earth, a Houston-based edible landscaping firm dedicated to farming, education and connecting families to the importance of locally grown fruits and vegetables.

            “When I heard of Harvest Green, my first reaction was ‘wow, we need to be involved in this,’” says Edible Earth Co-Founder and professional farmer Scott Snodgrass, better known as Farmer Scott. “With our team of full-time farmers dedicated to Harvest Green and the vision of Johnson Development, there’s no question this can be an amazing community.”

            Farmer Scott says Harvest Green farmers already have planted lettuce, carrots, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, beats, turnips and snow peas on about 2.5 acres of fenced land near Harvest Green’s new model homes.

            Eventually, residents will be able to purchase weekly supplies of farm-fresh produce grown at the Harvest Green Farm through the community’s farm share program. Located adjacent to the master-planned community, the 300-acre farm also will allow those interested in starting a farming business to lease land, use the facility’s equipment and consult with Harvest Green farmers.

Harvest Green also will soon break ground on the community’s Village Farm where residents can lease 20 x 20 plots to grow their own food.

            Plus, Travis High School, James Bowie Middle School and Harvest Green’s future on-site elementary school, scheduled to open Fall 2017 (all part of the Fort Bend Independent School District), will be connected by walking paths to the Village Farm where classroom space will be available for courses in agriculture.  A weekly farmers market also will open adjacent to the Village Farm.

            “So much of our focus will be on education,” says Farmer Scott, who adds the farming team will work closely with Harvest Green Lifestyle Director Sylvia Morgese to coordinate activities for residents.  “It’s really all about helping people understand where their food comes from.”

            Harvest Green’s full-time farmers also will maintain fruit-bearing trees throughout the community and herb gardens built into cul-de-sac medians. Several you-pick areas with grape vines and strawberry plants will be available for families.

            In addition to hiring its team of full-time farmers, Harvest Green has cultivated a partnership with Enchanted Nurseries & Landscapes of Richmond to install the community’s backyard, ready-to-grow vegetable gardens.  Families who choose to have a raised vegetable garden installed in their backyards will select from three, cedar-planked designs. Homebuyers can purchase the backyard vegetable gardens directly from Harvest Green’s home builders.

The 1,300-acre Fort Bend master-planned community is located at the Grand Parkway and West Airport Boulevard, minutes from the Energy Corridor, Sugar Land and Katy.

            Harvest Green’s collection of luxury home builders includes D.R. Horton, Darling Homes, David Weekley Homes, Highland Homes, Lennar, MHI Homes, Meritage Homes, Newmark Homes, Perry Homes, Trendmaker Homes and Westin Homes.

For more information visit www.harvestgreentexas.com/farms.