Today we’d like to introduce you to Susie Marshall.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I did not set out to work in food and agriculture, but in 2003 I happened into a job as a program director for an organization that finds surplus produce and works with farmers to get that produce out of fields and to food assistance programs. When that job ended at the end of 2006, I decided found The Gleaning Network of Texas because I wasn’t finished doing this work. Through a series of circumstances and opportunities, The Gleaning Network became GROW North Texas in 2012 to support the small but growing local food system in Dallas. I had learned many of the struggles of small fruit and vegetable growers, gained an understanding of the opportunities of farmers markets, and saw the potential to change how people access local, fresh, organically produced food as well as the economic opportunities available. This work was happening around the country, but not in Dallas in a coordinated way. GROW North Texas has had various programs over the years, including Market Provisions that operated for 8 years at the Dallas Farmers Market. Currently, our programs center around increasing the amount of food produced in North Texas and developing and supporting the ways that everyone can access locally-grown food.
This work also aligns with my personal beliefs that we are called to care for each other and for the earth. Interacting with the soil and with plants provides many benefits for us individually – from micronutrients in the soil to the simple joy of watch a seed grow into a plant that gives us food. Caring for our neighbors builds similar bonds that feed us in different ways. The values inherent in the local food movement across the country are ones that connect us in ways that the mainstream food system cannot. The local food system brings us back to knowing each other, to caring about the land, and to better understand the abundance that nature can provide when we care for it properly. The definition of community food security includes equitable access to adequate, fresh, nutritious, culturally appropriate food that is produced in a system that values the land and people and provides economic opportunity. This is the core mission of GROW North Texas, but I believe it is also the vision of many North Texans.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Life doesn’t typically give us a smooth road always. One struggle doing the work of GROW North Texas in Dallas is that we are doing something that is nonstandard for nonprofits in our area. Typically, nonprofits in our area are serving individuals or families, so metrics are about serving more and more people. GROW North Texas seeks to change systems which does not produce the immediately impressive numbers in program results. This has caused us to find ways to creatively talk about our work, but we have also found success with funding from USDA which has supported local food system development.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
As Executive Director of GROW North Texas, I am responsible for overseeing all aspects of the organization, but I do still remain engaged in some programming. Some days I’m in a lot of meetings. Other days I’m working on grant writing or reporting or visioning where programs could go next.
If I had to choose what I specialize in, I think it would be taking seemingly disparate things and connecting them, either within an issue or as part of a solution. This plays out in my work through talking about food system issues and potential solutions. I enjoy the educational aspect of my role in talking about why we have these problems and how Dallas needs to look at root causes and not only band aid actions. At this point in my career, I’ve been in all of the meetings, seen all of the strategies. I am known for being in this work for a long time and sometimes known for speaking my mind whether it’s popular or not. I hope that this helps people think differently about food access and food justice in Dallas. I plan to continue, even increase, the opportunities to speak about the potential solutions for food issues in Dallas in the coming years.
Any big plans?
Personally, I am excited about where GROW North Texas is heading and the opportunities ahead. I believe the organization will make a big impact on some very important issues for the food system.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://grownorthtexas.org
- Instagram: @grownorthtexas
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GROWNorthTexas
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/grow-north-texas/
