After a two-year hiatus because of the pandemic, we’re again hosting the San Antonio Chicken Walk coop tour, April 16, 2022. The self-guided tour will begin at 9:30 a.m. at Olmos Basin Farmers Market, where you can pick up a map and passport. Then proceed to the coops on the tour in any order. Coops will be available for view from 10 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Then join us from 2 to 4 p.m. at Garcia Street Urban Farm, 218 Garcia St., for a party with food, music, and door prizes. Registration is open on our website, under Resources/Coop Tour. You can preregister and get the map and passport ahead o ..read more

We’re hosting our 2nd annual San Antonio Chicken Walk coop tour, April 13, 2019. The self-guided tour will begin at 9:30 a.m. at Olmos Basin Farmers Market, where you can pick up a map and passport. Then proceed to the coops on the tour in any order. Coops will be available for view from 10 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Then join us at Pittman-Sullivan Community Garden, 1111 Dakota St.,  for a party with food, music, and door prizes. Last year’s inaugural coop tour highlighted our 2017 changes to the livestock ordinance, in which the number of chickens allowed without a permit was raised from 3 t ..read more

Have you ever had a notice from Code Compliance on your property? Or the dreaded red ticket? After hearing stories from a couple of members, we took a brief tour of the system to understand how the process works. Code Compliance is a division of the Department of Development Services, or DSD. They’re charged with enforcing existing ordinances, including permitted uses and appearance of property. They can act in response to complaints or proactively, as the Field Enforcement Officers drive through their assigned areas. Some offenses, like parking a car in the front yard, get a no-warning ticket ..read more

The Food Policy Council has had some significant policy wins: our 2015 zoning amendments for urban agriculture, and this year’s change to the animal ordinance, increasing the allowed number of chickens. We also helped shape these SA Tomorrow Food System goals that call for more local production: Enhance existing farm to school programs and initiatives. Educate and enhance opportunities for low-income residents to participate in assistance programs to purchase healthy food from local farmers markets. Introduce fresh food circulators and mobile vendors in neighborhoods with limited access to f ..read more

This op-ed by our president, Mitch Hagney, appeared in the Rivard Report. Updated October 8, 2017 On Thursday, City Council raised the number of backyard chickens that San Antonians can own without a permit from three to eight. Council approved amendments to the City’s Animal Care Services (ACS) code, including several to better define the rules for “domestic fowl” at residences, more than doubling the number of birds allowed. The Food Policy Council of San Antonio‘s vision is to create a vibrant local food economy, with healthy, sustainable, affordable food accessible to all. To that end, on ..read more

By Melissa Federspill and Mary Minor The San Antonio Fruit Tree Project was established in 2014 by two graduate students at the University of Texas San Antonio. This program provides a community-based solution for combating food insecurity in low-income urban neighborhoods. In 2014, when we started the San Antonio Fruit Tree Project, we were captivated by the potential in San Antonio for growing fruit. It was evident that the city was built on fertile ground, and that we live among a hidden bounty of oranges, lemons, limes, pomegranates, and figs, just to name a few. The number of trees we ca ..read more

Claire Burrus, rising senior at Trinity University and FPCSA summer intern This is the first of many “perspectives” we intend to share on the blog. Written by Trinity University’s rising senior, Claire Burrus, this essay outlines her intentions and expectations for her summer internship with the FPCSA, as well as her reasoning for pursuing a career in environmental and social justice. Growing up, I never truly understood where my food came from. I knew yogurt is from cow’s milk, but I knew absolutely nothing about the fermentation process, let alone where the cow lived, who milked her ..read more

With a contentious mayoral race and six city council seats competing in the run-off election on June 10, the FPCSA board decided it was a good time to jump into the conversation and ask the candidates about their platform on food and building a sustainable local food system. Every candidate received an email outlining the policy changes and improvements we are seeking in the coming budget and inquired about their level of support for or against five issues, which include: hiring a food policy coordinator, developing a state of the food system report, incorporating local procurement practices ..read more

For the fourth consecutive year, the FPCSA is part of San Antonio’s Big Give, a city-wide day of focused fundraising scheduled for May 4, 2017. The Big Give, also in its fourth year, hopes to raise $6 million for South Central Texas’ many worthy charitable organizations. The FPCSA is registered and, beginning on April 27, will be ready to accept donations from donors who value a sustainable, local food system that is accessible to all people. To make a contribution, please visit the Big Give website at www.thebiggivesa.org. All contributions generated for the FPCSA through the Big G ..read more

Since its establishment in 2010, the Food Policy Council of San Antonio names a new President to take the helm. As of January 18, 2017, the new President is Mitch Hagney, a farmer, food entrepreneur and owner of LocalSprout Food Hub. After graduating from Trinity University a few years ago, Mitch was smitten by the city’s sustainable opportunities and has since planted roots in the Alamo City. Mitch is passionate about food as well as enhancing policy that promotes a sustainable future, cultivating the city’s local food system and enriching the local food economy. These are some of the re ..read more