Tamōx Talōm Food Forest Project

If you never heard of a food forest, then you’re not alone. A food forest can mean many things, and may come in many forms. Sometimes called forest gardens, a food forest can be a local habitat that mimics the native ecosystem and patterns found in nature. In its nature, a food forest is a living park, designed with the purpose of observing and preserving local climate and customs.

The Tamōx Talōm Community Food Forest is a 4-acre space designed and maintained by the San Antonio Community. The Food Forest will help provide 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.

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.

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.