By Shakavon, The Happy Camper Urban Ag
Imagine this: It’s a sweltering Houston afternoon, and a group of kids are gathered in a sun-dappled garden, their hands buried in soil up to their wrists. One girl, her braids tied up in a bandana, holds a wriggling earthworm aloft like a trophy. Nearby, a teenager adjusts a tiny drone hovering over a row of okra plants, its camera mapping thirsty leaves. At the edge of the garden, a couple debates whether to name their new raised bed “Zucchini Zeus” or “Tomato Tornado.”
This isn’t just a garden. It’s a revolution.
Welcome to The Happy Camper Urban Ag summer—a season where dirt, dreams, and community collide. This year, we’re not just growing vegetables. We’re growing connections. From future tech farmers to families craving fresh meals, here’s how we’re turning Houston’s backyards (and even a church parking lot) into something magical.
The CSA: A Box of Surprises (and Second Chances)
Let’s start with a confession: We’ve never done this before.
This Summer, we’re launching our first-ever Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program—and honestly? We’re equal parts excited and terrified. Here’s the idea: You pay upfront for a weekly box of whatever’s thriving in our fields—juicy heirlooms, fist-sized strawberries, herbs that smell like summer in a jar. In return, you get food that hasn’t logged 1,000 miles in a truck. We get to focus on growing, not hustling at farmers’ markets.
But here’s the twist: This isn’t just about veggies. It’s about trust. When you join, you’re betting on us. On rainy seasons and bug battles and the hope that our okra won’t go rogue. And we’re betting on you—that you’ll embrace knobby carrots and purple green beans, that you’ll text us photos of your kid eating kale (it’s happened!).
“I’m tired of grocery store tomatoes that taste like cardboard,” says Jamal, a dad of two on our waitlist. “I want my boys to know food should burst with flavor.”
When a Food Truck Falls in Love with Okra
Let me tell you about Marisol.
Marisol runs The Green Grill, a lime-green food truck parked near downtown Houston. Last month, she tasted one of our okra pods—fresh off the stalk, lightly fried, dusted with chili. “This,” she said, “needs to be on my menu.”
Now, her “Happy Camper Tacos” (stuffed with okra, pickled onions, and cilantro-lime slaw) are a hit. But here’s the kicker: She’s not just buying our produce. She’s sponsoring a garden bed at New Beginnings Church, where low-income families learn to grow their own food.
That’s the heart of our partnerships. We’re wooing meal-prep companies to rescue “ugly” veggies, collaborating with caterers on basil-infused cocktails, and donating surplus tomatoes to community kitchens. Because here’s the truth: Food tastes better when it’s wrapped in purpose.
Meet the 14-Year-Old Who Codes for Carrots
Now, let’s talk about Sophia.
Sophia is 14, obsessed with TikTok, and terrified of worms (though she’ll deny it). She’s also part of Blooming Futures, our Agri-Tech program where teens blend coding and composting. Last week, she programmed a soil sensor to text her when the strawberries need water. (“Grandma says I’m grounded if it dings her at 2 a.m. again.”)
Here’s how it works:
Kids build hydroponic systems from PVC pipes, growing lettuce under LED lights.
Teens pilot drones over our fields, spotting pest outbreaks before they spread.
Adults learn to market “bucket gardens” on Instagram, turning balconies into mini farms.
But the real magic? Graduates get free plots at New Beginnings Church to launch their own ventures. Imagine a 16-year-old selling drone-mapped honey or a retiree growing hydroponic herbs for soup kitchens. That’s the future we’re digging into.
The Church Plot That Started a Movement
Speaking of New Beginnings Church—let’s talk about Mr. Thompson.
Mr. Thompson is 72, a retired mechanic, and the unofficial mayor of our church garden plots. He tends his 10’x10’ patch like a zen master, growing poblano peppers so spicy they’ve brought grown men to tears. For $20 a month, anyone—yes, anyone—can claim a plot here. First-timers get a mentor (usually Mr. Thompson), tools, and a survival guide titled “How Not to Kill Your Zucchini.”
“I’ve lived here 40 years,” he says, wiping dirt from his hands. “But I’ve never known my neighbors’ names until now. We trade recipes with our radishes.”
What’s Next? (Spoiler: Goats + Twinkle Lights)
This fall, we’re throwing a Harvest Festival at New Beginnings Church. Picture this:
String lights zigzagging over tomato vines.
A teen demoing her solar-powered compost app.
You, sipping cider, swapping seeds with a stranger who might just become your plot neighbor.
Oh, and there will be goats. Because what’s a farm without baby goats wearing tiny bandanas?
Your Invitation: Get Dirty With Us
Here’s the thing: We don’t need you to be a gardener, a techie, or a foodie. We just need you to care—about flavor, about community, about leaving Houston a little greener than we found it.
#communitygardening #sustainableliving #localfood
#urbangardening #growyourownfood #agritech #farmtotable #happycamper
#bloomingfutures #newbeginningschurch
#houstonfood #htxgardening #kidsgardening #learntogrow #foodsecurity
#churchgarden #foodtrucklove #compostculture #dronetofork #digintodirt
So, whether you’re ready to:
Claim a church plot and name your first tomato “Sir Squish-a-Lot,”
Join the CSA and surprise your family with purple potatoes,
Or just show up to hug a goat at the festival…
https://www.instagram.com/thehappycamperhouston/
call us at 281-305-9183
We’ve got a shovel with your name on it.
