By Hattie Robb Infused with rich Puerto Rican culture, Mano Negra Brewing Co. raises the bar when it comes to hand-crafted drinks. Owner and manager, Daniel Badillo, moved to Lubbock from Puerto Rico in 2014. After selling craft sodas at the Wolfforth Farmers Market, he acquired enough funds to open a brick and mortar shop … Continued

By Hattie Robb The year 2020 was filled with unfamiliar changes for families, businesses, schools and communities across the nation. After closing their gym during COVID-19, Blair and Blanca Schaffer traded in their dumbbells for some soil and started Schaffer Farms. “During COVID, it became challenging to get food and other supplies, so we started … Continued

By Hattie Robb Thanks to Jessica Tullar Caroom’s passion for planting, Lubbock communities and schools are becoming more involved in the region’s food system.   After starting a school garden for Christ the King, Jessica wanted to launch a nonprofit that focuses on helping school and community gardens thrive, especially in lower-income neighborhoods.   “I … Continued

By Hattie Robb With its home-raised honey, delicious food, and refreshing drinks, Creek House Honey Farm is a hit destination for tourists and locals alike. Located in Canyon, Texas, the operation offers tours, homemade skincare products, event venue space and so much more. It’s hard to believe this buzzing business was once just a hobby … Continued

By Hattie Robb To broaden the Llano Estacado’s food shed and lessen the environmental impact of traditional farming, Slaton native, Cory Roof plans to establish Ogallala Greens as a hydroponic vegetable farm in West Texas. Over the past five years, Roof has helped construct and operate some of the most advanced greenhouses in the world. … Continued

By Hattie Robb With its freezing winters and dusty springs, one can easily assume the Llano Estacado region is only suitable for growing cotton and raising cattle. However, a young couple disproves that theory with their first-generation strawberry farm in Lubbock, Texas. I met with Dakota Keyser, the founder of Caprock Berry Farms, to discuss … Continued

By Hattie Robb With Easter season upon us, you might want to reconsider your annual visit from the Easter bunny and instead, grab some all-natural eggs from Alcove Farms. Not only is this operation a beacon of great stewardship but it is also a wonderful source for fresh and healthy poultry products. When Ron and … Continued

By Hattie Robb, Local Llano Intern (Nazareth, TX) Juicy Lucy’s mobile produce truck gives locally grown food a whole new meaning with its portable farmers market that offers fresh produce year-round. I had the chance to meet with the owner and founder of Juicy Lucy, Lucinda Mann, to discuss how she turned her small garden … Continued

By: Janie Ray Prichard   I used to spend most every summer in late July or early August, harvesting the cabbage from my Channing, TX garden and making sauerkraut in my beautiful 5-gallon crock from Marshall Pottery, and my father-in-law, Rondy Ray, a long-time ranch manager and cowman, was often my sous chef, pounding the … Continued

By Justin Trammell (Canyon, TX)   African, American Buff and Toulouse Geese at Tir Bluen Farm   Over the past 6 years, I have kept just about every domestic poultry you can think of including: chickens (both production and heritage breeds), ducks, turkey, geese, and even guinea fowl. My methods of raising them have changed … Continued

By Sydney Keim, Local Llano Intern (Lubbock, TX) You might have seen Gloryland Organic Bakery pop up recently at the Wolfforth Farmers Market (which takes place every Saturday from 10-2), but you might not know exactly why. Gloryland started baking bread out of their home to feed those they saw in need of help when … Continued

The process of canning has been around for centuries and is still widely used today. Canning is a method of preserving food that allows you to store food contents for long periods – even several years. Canning methods used today – i.e., the use of a two-part canning lid – dates to the early 20th … Continued