THE PATHWAY TO SUCCESSFUL CITIES
A city built on a comprehensive plan shaped by the community, where leaders openly track progress, make decisions based on facts, and organizations together to achieve and expand the citizens' goals. Food is a key marker toward growing a sustainable future.
Cultivating Economic Growth and Community Health Through a Thriving Local Food System
A BRIEF TIMELINE OF OUR HISTORY
Viva Laredo Comprehensive Plan
2017
Laredo Center for Urban
Agriculture and Sustainability
2018
2021
Laredo Food Policy Council
Laredo Healthy Food Plan
2023
In 2017, citizens of Laredo selected a healthy and thriving city as a priority for the city's growth through the Comprehensive Plan.
Empowered by the plan. advocates committed to food policy worked with the local government to allocate public funds to an urban center for agriculture.
Learning from best practices, the creation of the Food Policy Council was created - an open forum where local, state, and regional food organizations bust silos and collaborate to improve health goals.
The result of their work culminated in the Healthy Food System Plan - a document outlining the strategy to build a healthier and sustainable future for Laredoans centered around the food system.
Statement of Purpose:
Fulfilling quality of life and place goals and objectives of the Viva Laredo Comprehensive Plan: create and promote a scalable urban food system in Laredo by increasing access to fresh, local food for all citizens, especially low-income residents, while developing economic opportunities in the food chain and system.
WORKING TOWARD A HEALTHY AND THRIVING FOOD SYSTEM
A food system encompasses all processes involved in feeding a population – growing, harvesting, processing, packaging, distributing, marketing, consuming, and disposing of food and food-related items. A healthy food system requires strategies of alignment and performance in all sectors.
The local food system also represents thousands of jobs and opportunities for entrepreneurship and innovation across farming techniques and food production, value-added products, nutrition, distribution, and retail sectors. Through engagement programs, community-supported agriculture, farmers' markets, and entrepreneurial initiatives, we aim to cultivate a more secure community environment.
By facilitating the Laredo Food Policy Council and building strong partnerships, the organization cultivates mission alignments and, through public and private cooperation, institutes policies and initiatives that ensure the long-term economic, environmental, and social sustainability of the local food industry and reduce the impact of food deserts.
Our Roots in Urban Ag
In efforts to challenge Laredo’s food desert status, urban agriculture advocates came together in 2018 to provide food options for Laredo residents.
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The Laredo Center for Urban Agriculture and Sustainability (LCUAS) is dedicated to the creation of an urban food system that will increase access to local, fresh food for low-income citizens and the community at large.
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LCUAS offers educational programs that surround urban agriculture, community gardens, home gardens, farmers market, and farm to school programs; providing entrepreneurial opportunities for urban farmers, cultivating xeriscaping and sustainability practices; facilitating the Laredo Food Policy Council, and developing policy and incentives for the local food industry.
Our Community Partnerships
LCUAS has been participating as a local producer on the El Centro de Laredo Farmers Market (hosted by Laredo Main Street) since 2018. El Centro de Laredo Farmers Market is Laredo’s only certified Farmer's Market in the city, and it is typically held the third Saturday of each month.
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People of all social groups, ages, and backgrounds can understand the language of gardening: planting, growing, watering, caring for the soil, and harvesting. These are tasks that every gardener has to do, and doing these things in a community garden almost automatically causes people to exchange their knowledge.
People can work together as a sort of green lab and contribute to creating the fresh minds that are needed to create urban communities that cross economic, educational, and cultural differences.
Our Expertise
​Since August 2020, Jose Moreno has been leading and implementing LCUAS's strategic vision and currently oversees the development and management of the organization’s quarter-acre urban agricultural plot. In addition to that he also manages and coordinates community engagement and volunteer activities on a weekly basis.
Our Accountability
At the Laredo Center for Urban Agriculture & Sustainability, we take our responsibility to the community seriously. We are committed to being transparent and accountable in everything we do. We believe that by working together with the community, we can create a better, more sustainable future for Laredo.
Our Mission
The Corporation is organized for the purpose of aiding, assisting, and acting on behalf of the City of Laredo (the "Local Government") to accomplish their governmental purpose in the performance of its governmental functions to promote the common good and general welfare of the City, including, without limitation:
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Create and promote an urban food system for the City of Laredo by increasing access to local fresh food for low income citizens and the community at large.
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Offer educational programs for farmers, growers, gardeners and consumers from all parts of the city to actively learn and participate in the development of local and regional food systems by supporting urban agriculture, community gardens, home gardens, farmer's markets, and farm to school as economic generators for local food security.
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Provide entrepreneurial opportunities for urban farmers by developing Community Supported Agriculture, employee-owned cooperative programs, and other revolving financing structures that support local income expansion.
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​Cultivate water, soil, and air sustainability opportunities.
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Facilitate the Laredo Food Policy Council in order to provide a city-wide food security comprehensive plan.
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Develop policy and incentives for the local food industry; and achieve a strong and sustainable local food system through the development of partnerships with local public, private, academic and philanthropic sectors to ensure economic, environmental, and social sustainability relying on ecological principles, preserving natural resources, and reducing the impact created by food deserts in our urban environment.
