New Year, Same Roots

I’ve always loved the start of a new year. January feels like a hug from an old, trusted friend. She gives an understanding nod at the trials from the past year, winks at the resilience gained. January is filled with hope, promising brighter days ahead. And while January reminds me to eat more vegetables and drink more water, she powerfully nudges me into the new year – for there is work to do. 

At Texas Center for Local Food, our January has been filled with doing the work.  We remain focused on our mission, providing education, research, and technical assistance to create equitable regional food systems in Texas that support prosperous family farms, healthy Texans and vibrant rural economies. As the New Year brings new opportunities and challenges, our mission keeps us firmly rooted. 

How will Texas Center for Local Food advance its mission in 2026? 

• Provide technical assistance to farmers and ranchers through training, 1-on-1 consultations and outreach. If you are interested in learning how TCLF can help you reach your farm business goals, submit a producer intake form today. 
• Offer peer-to-peer learning through our TXFED.org platform. TXFED makes it easy to grow your skills, strengthen your business and learn from people who understand your work – because they do it too. Start a course today! 
• Develop custom TXFED courses through our TXFED Services. Do you have a dream course that you want to implement? We can help!  
• Maintain and continue building the Texas Local Food Directory, the most extensive local food directory in Texas. This incredible resource connects Texans to the farms, ranches, farmers markets, food producers and distributors throughout the state.
• Continue collaboration with a cohort of Texas farmers markets to host quality family engagement events that boost the sale of agricultural products. In 2026, TCLF and the cohort will develop two toolkits and an online course on family and kids programming for farmers markets across the state. 
• Get the Learning on the Land: A Texas Farm Based Education Handbook into as many farmer’s hands as possible. This guide was co-created in 2025 with a diverse team of farmers and provides a step-by step process for farmers to host successful farm-based education events, such as field trips and summer camps.
• Host a series of cohort programs to train farmers and ranchers in specialized areas of growth. Cohorts are typically 10 week courses with a commitment of 4 hours per week. In addition to gaining guidance from industry experts, cohorts provide the opportunity to network with other like-minded entrepreneurs. For more information on upcoming cohorts, contact us.

While the initiatives above highlight our focus areas for 2026, the team at Texas Center for Local Food is always creatively and strategically pursuing new ways to maximize impact. Stay tuned for exciting updates by joining our newsletter. We invite you to endeavor with us, for there is room for all at our table. On behalf of Texas Center for Local Food - cheers to a new year of meaningful work, grounded in strong roots.