DALLAS — Every row is labeled and there are sure signs the crops in Paul Quinn College's 'WE Over Me Farm' are budding. Students say, for five years now, they've been harvesting produce in the College's old football field, which was flipped into an urban farm.
"It actually means a lot to me," said Chanson Goodson.
Goodson is not only the head farm hand, he is also a Paul Quinn College student who grew up nearby in the Highland Hills neighborhood. He says the community doesn't have convenient access to many stores with fresh food options.
"You know, growing up in a non-nutritious type of household, I understand the reasoning behind having a farm in this area," Goodson said.
The student-run farm is serving a positive purpose on Paul Quinn's campus and across the community.
"The community members, when they hear that it's a farm close to them, it's saying that somebody cares enough about our situation," Goodson explained.
Paul Quinn's staff says the idea of flipping the football field into a farm came with resistance, at first. Now, five years later, WE Over Me Farm is still growing and the project is proving to be a success.
"About half of what we grow goes directly to the community on a sliding scale," said the farm's director, Hanna Coski.
Coski says students operating the farm are picking up business management skills. They grow about 50 different varieties of fruits and vegetables. The students sell produce to local restaurants and donate items to food banks and food pantries.
As Paul Quinn College prepares to celebrate the fifth anniversary of WE Over Me Farm, Goodson says he hopes the future of the farm sparks similar operations across Southern Dallas.
"In Highland Hills, we have a lot of open fields, and one field can't feed South Dallas," Goodson said. "We need a lot of fields. we need a multitude of farms around here."
Paul Quinn College is holding an anniversary event called "A Community Cooks" on April 23 at 6 p.m. Staff says about 20 top chefs from across the Dallas area will be on campus preparing meals for a farm-fresh dining experience like no other. Students will be showcasing the We Over Me Farm and explaining some of their plans for the summer.
