STEPHENVILLE, Texas \u2014 Tarleton State University and community partner Opal\u2019s Farm are teaming up to offer urban farming classes as part of an initiative to address food insecurity and health disparities by making nutritious foods more accessible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taste the C.U.R.E. (Community Urban Farming Resource Education) is a free six-month program that equips participants with the knowledge and skills to cultivate a sustainable food system through organic and regenerative farming. Led by Tarleton State and Opal\u2019s Farm, the initiative emphasizes empowering individuals to grow their own food and improve their health through agriculture. The first cohort will have openings for 25 dedicated participants, with plans for broader community engagement and long-term impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis program offers a unique opportunity for community members to learn valuable skills in organic and regenerative farming,” said Dr. Dana Fitzpatrick, Director for Civic and Community Connections for the Division of Global, Community and First-gen Initiatives. \u201cWe\u2019re excited to empower individuals to become more self-sufficient and environmentally conscious.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The program starts Jan. 25, 2025, with an introductory class and continues bimonthly on Saturdays. Classes will be held at Tarleton @ TCC Trinity River, fifth floor of the West Fork Tower (TRWF). Plots will be reserved at Opal\u2019s Farm for the hands-on practice component.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWith the city of Fort Worth being one of Tarleton State\u2019s steadfast supporters, we want to ensure that we also support its residents,\u201d said Dr. Sherri Benn, Vice President for Global, Community and First-gen Initiatives.\u201cWe strive to be a resource for low-income residents and those without reliable transportation who may lack access to supermarkets or food retailers that provide organic, nutritious options.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taste the C.U.R.E. focuses on providing residents with the tools needed to grow their own food and possibly even take their produce to market, making it available for the community and alleviating the shortage of fresh produce in some neighborhoods, said Gregory Joel, manager of Opal\u2019s Farm. Growing and consuming nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables can help residents improve their health and combat chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To learn more and apply for the classes, visit www.tarleton.edu\/gcfgi\/opals-farm\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" STEPHENVILLE, Texas \u2014 Tarleton State University and community partner Opal\u2019s Farm are teaming up to offer urban farming classes as part of an initiative to address food insecurity and health …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":473,"featured_media":52416,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","wds_primary_category":425,"footnotes":""},"categories":[382,422,425],"tags":[436,462,456,457],"class_list":["post-52415","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-homepage","category-morestories","category-campus-community","tag-college-of-agriculture-natural-resources","tag-lozano-long-division-of-global-community-and-first-gen-initiatives","tag-stephenville","tag-tarleton-state-fort-worth"],"acf":{"image":false},"author_meta":{"display_name":"ehellmund@tarleton.edu","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/author\/ehellmundtarleton-edu\/"},"featured_img":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/65\/2024\/11\/Opal-Farm-News-Release-Image-300x200.png","coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["_Homepage<\/a>","_morestories<\/a>","Campus & Community<\/a>"],"unlinked":["_Homepage<\/span>","_morestories<\/span>","Campus & Community<\/span>"]},"tags":{"linked":["College of Agriculture & Natural Resources<\/a>","Lozano Long Division of Global, Community and First-gen Initiatives<\/a>","Stephenville<\/a>","Tarleton State Fort Worth<\/a>"],"unlinked":["College of Agriculture & Natural Resources<\/span>","Lozano Long Division of Global, Community and First-gen Initiatives<\/span>","Stephenville<\/span>","Tarleton State Fort Worth<\/span>"]}},"comment_count":0,"relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 1 year ago","modified":"Updated 12 months ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on November 26, 2024","modified":"Updated on May 2, 2025"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on November 26, 2024 1:00 pm","modified":"Updated on May 2, 2025 10:54 am"},"featured_img_caption":"Farm scene with Tarleton State University and Opal's Farm logos.","series_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52415","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/473"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52415"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52415\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":52500,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52415\/revisions\/52500"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52416"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52415"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52415"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52415"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}