Today we’d like to introduce you to Veronica Petty
Hi Veronica, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Simply Grace Gardens LLC is a Micro Urban Farm located south of Dallas dedicated to providing our customers with high-quality fruits and vegetables, fresh herbs, seasonal flowers, and heritage seeds grown with organic standards.
Our Miro Urban Farm was founded with a passion for sustainable farming practices and a desire to provide customers with access to fresh, \ produce. Our journey began with 2 4×4 raised beds in my backyard to cope with the loss of my mother to being a vision of creating an urban oasis that not only produced delicious and nutritious food but also contributed to the health and well-being of my community located in the center of a food desert. We believe each one teaches one and the community is our foundation. Farming is a family effort and we strive to be profitable all while providing an equitable and enjoyable experience to our community. We enjoy connecting with like-minded individuals and businesses by participating in local farm markets, city, and CSA events.
We aim to break generational curses within our community through in-person consultations and written training. We provide a safe space for others to learn sustainable gardening practices and encourage them to start their own gardens. Together, we can ensure that our children and elderly have access to nutritious fruits and vegetables by collaborating to create a healthier and more sustainable future for everyone.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Our vision well exceeds the space we currently have. Operating an urban farm has not been a small feat and it has forced us to be very creative. We are continuously seeking ways to overcome the obstacles we encounter on a daily basis. Just to name a few obstacles we have faced:
• Securing funding and resources for irrigation, structures, seeds, tools, and other essentials, has been an ongoing challenge.
• Finding ways to provide a reliable water source within our urban environment has been tricky, especially during dry spells.
• Building our soil quality required extensive work physically and financially to make it suitable for farming.
• Limited space which forces you to think outside the box for ways to address the limited space to grow a variety of crops.
In 2024, to combat these issues we began to seek out resources such as Government Grants through the USDA, partnering with Nonprofits such as Texas Small Farmers and Ranchers, Texas Center for Local Food, HMI Management, Soilutions LLC, and others who also focus on food security, sustainability, and community development that may offer grants or other resources. For 2025, our hope is to engage volunteers to help reduce labor costs and bring awareness in the community. We also look to partner with local businesses who are able to provide sponsorships or in-kind donations, and private foundations to support our urban farming initiatives.
We’ve been impressed with Simply Grace Gardens LLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Our small urban micro farm is located in the southern community of Lancaster, TX. Simply Grace Gardens LLC has become a safe haven amidst the bustling city life. Our location allows us to provide a visual representation of sustainability and serve fresh produce directly to local consumers. Our farm utilizes various growing mediyums to maximize our growing space. Our farm consists of rows, vertical, raised beds, containers, and greenhouse. We have a dedicated seedling area inside, an irrigation system, and in ground compost to mirror nature to ensure a closed-loop, zero-waste operation.
We started as Alabaster Flows Urban Garden in 2018 as a means of healing after losing my mother to congestive heart failure in 2016. In 2017 I was diagnosed with heart complications, and I knew something had to change. Simply Grace Gardens LLC was established in 2023 with the vision of bringing nutritious produce to urban communities. Our garden has since expanded to a full-fledged farm. We now have a small orchard, vineyard, several vegetable beds, and medicinal beds. We also have a kitchen garden where we host community events and classes, garden consultation, and training on various gardens set up for children/families and the elderly. Our focus is teaching families how to grow their own food, take care of the soil, set up home gardens no matter the size, and possibly their own farm.
With over five years of hands-on experience in urban agriculture, I have developed a deep understanding of regenerative farming practices and love engaging with the community. My journey has been one of continuous learning, adapting to new technologies, and developing relationships with local food advocates. One of our goals in the near future is to connect with small business owners, local restaurants and schools in Lancaster Texas and neighboring cities to offer a true farm-to-table experience.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Simply Grace Gardens LLC is located on a 0.30-acre urban lot in Lancaster, TX – an urban community in South Dallas. A few of the produce we have grown are various tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers (hot and sweet), greens, beets, turnips, watermelon, cantaloupe, pumpkins, grapes, luffa, comfrey, ginger, turmeric, numerous herbs, and flowers. Though not certified organic, we do follow organic standards and beyond in our production system. We have transitioned to the no-till method and focus on soil health throughout the farm. We have a small orchard, vineyard, several vegetable and medicinal beds, and newly installed low tunnels with assistance from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). We also have a kitchen garden where we host classes around product knowledge, companion planting, and garden installation from the backyard to the windowsill. We also offer consultations for those ready to establish a garden or urban farm.
Pricing:
- Fruits and Vegetable – Check website
- Complete Garden boxes $50.00-$125.00
- Classes – Varies and donations
- Consultation Initial $50.00-$100.00 hr.
- Consultation full install $150.00 hr.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://simplygracegardensllc.com/
- Instagram: @simplygracegardensllc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61568592584801&mibextid=ZbWKwL
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@simplygracegardensllc?si=uBFM7rKJPq2gNv18
Image Credits
Eboni Noel, Keith Petty Sr. Jessica Bennett
