Tamōx Talōm Food Forest Project
The Tamöx Talöm food forest is a community initiative, established in 2021 by the Food Policy Council with over 100 fruit and nut trees on Padre Park. It’s our hope that this site will serve as a model for sustainable perennial agricultural throughout South Texas. We’re excited that we are…
Hiring a Land Steward!
Our nonprofit is hiring/contracting a land steward to help maintain the Tamox Talom Food Forest.
General Description: The Land Steward at the Tamöx Talöm Food Forest is a 1099 contractor position or contract with a company or nonprofit, tasked with the active maintenance of the food forest and as the primary volunteer coordinator for 12 hours each week. This individual or group will need to physically visit and work at the food forest, be responsive to the needs of the community, take direction from the executive committee of the food forest, and work with the board of the Food Policy Council
Essential Functions:
- Organizing and leading one volunteer work day a week (4 hours), either on Tuesday evenings or Saturday mornings
- Advocating on behalf of the Food Policy Council of San Antonio and the Tamöx Talöm Food Forest
- Online communication including social media posts and community coordination
- Suppressing and managing weeds through mulching, cover cropping, and solarizing ground cover
- Maintaining and repairing timed drip line irrigation
- Keeping trees healthy, including pruning and pest control
- Facilitating crop harvesting for community collection or charitable distribution
- Maintain and repair tools
- Measuring and reporting volunteer participation and harvest yields, including sign-up sheets
- Communicating with county park staff
- Attending executive committee meetings monthly (2 hours)
- Presenting results to the executive committee of the food forest and board of the Food Policy Council, including quarterly review reports
Qualifications:
The ideal individual would have skills in:
- Community and volunteer organizing
- Producing substantial agricultural yields including:
- Perennial crops
- Drip line irrigation systems
- Cover crops
- Solarizing for weed control
- Weed wacking and mowing
- Pruning
- Enhancing environmental sustainability including:
- Protecting pollinators
- Maximizing water infiltration and use
Physical Demands
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions and responsibilities of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Work will require some schedule flexibility, including working on certain weekends.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is constantly required to sit, talk, hear, keyboard, and utilize fine manipulation and near visual acuity. The employee is required to walk, utilize gross manipulation, push, pull, reach, and stoop. The employee must occasionally lift, and/or move up to 30 pounds.
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and levels of work to be performed and are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties.
Compensation and Benefits
For 49 weeks, for an average of 12 hours weekly $15-20/hour. There are no medical or disability insurance benefits provided. On job liability insurance is covered by the Food Policy Council of San Antonio.
Application
Applications should include a cover letter, resume, and 3 references for either professional capability or personal character. Cover letters should include an individual’s motivation for taking the position, and a summary of how their experience equips them to effectively manage the land at the food forest.
Applications can be submitted to info@foodpolicysa.org by August 15th. Applications will be reviewed and confirmed by the board of the Food Policy Council of San Antonio by October 1st.
What is a “food forest”?
Project Overview
The Tamōx Talōm Community Food Forest is a 4-acre space designed and maintained by the San Antonio community. The food forest provides a source of fresh local food, build resilience, environmental sustainability, wellness, and connections to our flourishing community. The project leaders are committed to community leadership, food sovereignty, and living co-creation with Southside residents.
Project Values
- This project will center a core set of values, which will be called upon in all outreach efforts, project designs, and Food Forest events further down the road.
- The Food Forest will always center community strength, voice, and culture throughout the planning and building process. This means always prioritizing accessibility, both in planning and site design.
- The well-being of the community surrounding the site itself is one of the highest concerns for project planners. Pursuant to this, we will always be transparent and communicative with Food Forest neighbors.
- In design and execution, we always seek to be creative and helpful, and mindful. Channeling these values from committee members, community members, and community leaders will ensure that the project serves everyone’s needs.
- This project is built on grassroots knowledge production, and will always stay committed to group, not individual decision making.
- As new challenges and opportunities for working with the community emerge, we expect everyone working on the project to remain bold, adaptable, and open to change.
Where is it located?
The food forest site is located in Padre County Park along the Mission Reach section of the San Antonio River Walk. This 8-mile linear park has over 16 miles of trail along the river for pedestrians and bicyclists to enjoy, plus a paddling trail for canoeing and kayaking. These trails connect to stunning Mission Portals which are large works of art serving as gateways to the San Antonio World Heritage Mission Sites.
Address: 6515 Padre Dr, San Antonio, TX 78214
By transforming this Southside park into an urban food forest and edible gardens, we will create a teachable example of growing our own food in public spaces for a more sustainable future. We are neighbors in the city that would like to see more food grown in public spaces. This is a great opportunity to grow food, grow relations, and grow an increasingly self-sustainable society. All are welcome. If you dig food, come join us.
How can we get involved?
If you’re searching for a place to get active and involved, stay tuned for more links, updates, and announcements about upcoming meetings, community surveys, and volunteer opportunities. The more hands on deck the quicker we can grow a sustainable food forest, right alongside San Antonio’s legendary river, parks, and World Heritage Site.
Tamōx Talōm Community Food Forest Survey
We are conducting a survey to gauge interest and build community involvement in the Tamōx Talōm food forest project.
We appreciate your feedback!