What is the Sustainable Food Center?

The Sustainable Food Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing communities in which fresh, nutritious food is available to all consumers regardless of their means. This is called food security, and is advocated and promoted by a variety of cooperative projects sponsored by the SFC and carried on throughout east Austin.

A Partnership In Learning

In support of The Sustainable Food Center's mission, CAHBS members donated time and expertise to establish hives at the center's urban farm. In June of 1997, bees were obtained by special order from Walker's Apiary and a hive consisting of a single deep brood box was set up just as the early summer bloom peaked. Comb was quickly drawn out and a medium honey super was placed on the hive in July. A combination of good weather and excellent forage resulted in a first year honey yield of three gallons.

Continued Success And An Ongoing LearningTool

Extraction was carried out with the help of CAHBS member and Sustainable Food board member Rice Spann, and the filtering and bottling of fresh honey completed with the help of farm interns. As an educational center promoting food security, beekeeping at the farm demonstrates to students the production of a healthful and affordable food. Additionally, honey production and sale is used as a model to teach the development of business and marketing plans. Youth working at the farm are able to see the honey from where it is made to it's sale at one of SFC's three farmers markets. In 1998 SFC staff member Felipé Camacho joined the urban farm as Youth and Community Education Coordinator. A recent graduate of CAHBS's Beekeeping Workshop, Felipé has easily stepped in as Beekeeper at the urban farm. With assistance from student interns, the initial hive has been split into three, and projections are for a large honey yield this summer. The hives continue to serve as an educational tool, bringing aspects of nature study, pollination biology, and organic farming to youth working at the farm. Most importantly, the bees at the Sustainable Food Center provide an affordable food to the community and allow young people to gain tangible skills that can develop into a meaningful job.