Sustainable Food Center

Sustainable Food Center SFC's mission is to transform the food system to nourish our health, land, and livelihood.

Founded in 1993, with roots dating back to 1975 as Austin Community Gardens, Sustainable Food Center is involved in every step of our local food system.

📱 10/03 Programs Update: SNAP, WIC, and Double Up Food Bucks Texas are operating normally in Texas at this time. SFC Fa...
10/03/2025

📱 10/03 Programs Update: SNAP, WIC, and Double Up Food Bucks Texas are operating normally in Texas at this time.

SFC Farmers' Market as well as farmers’ markets and grocery stores that double SNAP with Double Up Texas across the state can complete transactions without interruption.

WIC Vouchers (FMNP) can be redeemed at participating farmers’ markets until Oct. 31 across Texas, and monthly WIC benefits can be TRIPLED year-round only at SFC Farmers’ Markets.

Both SFC Farmers’ Markets – Downtown and at Sunset Valley – will be OPEN this Saturday from 9 AM – 1 PM. It’s a beautiful weekend to shop fresh, support local farmers, and enjoy your community market!

SFC remains committed to supporting Texans’ access to fresh local food and supporting the farmers who grow it. We will share updates as they become available.

We look forward to seeing you this Saturday from 9 AM – 1 PM! Questions? Call SFC’s bilingual (English & Spanish) Help Desk at (512) 730 - 1807

10/03/2025

Do you have questions about how the federal government shutdown will affect your benefits like SNAP, WIC, and TANF?

Check this page for updates: bit.ly/3VN6fK2

We are closely following developments and actively working to ensure continuity in our programming—including farmers’ ma...
10/01/2025

We are closely following developments and actively working to ensure continuity in our programming—including farmers’ markets and food access—despite the uncertainty.

We remain committed to supporting families, farmers, and local markets with access to healthy, local food.

As we learn more, we will continue to share updates. Thank you for your patience and trust.

Class is back in session and not just for kids! 🔔 SFC’s FREE, bilingual (English and Spanish) community cooking and nutr...
09/30/2025

Class is back in session and not just for kids! 🔔 SFC’s FREE, bilingual (English and Spanish) community cooking and nutrition school The Happy Kitchen / La Cocina Alegre¼ (THK / LCA¼) is offering classes this October and November in Austin and Lubbock.

From specialized courses like Eating Well With Diabetes, a class designed to support the prevention and management of pre-diabetes and diabetes through seasonal food, to nutrition classes in Spanish, THK / LCAÂź meets our community where they are.

Class participants receive free groceries to practice the week’s recipe after every class, and when you attend four out of six classes, you receive a copy of the Fresh and Seasonal Recipes cookbook 📖, your guide to fresh, affordable nutrition year-round.

Check out upcoming fall classes and learn more about The Happy Kitchen / La Cocina AlegreÂź: https://secure.sustainablefoodcenter.org/a/thk_classes

It’s an age-old question: to rake or not to rake fall leaves? 🍂 What’s right for you depends on your goals, but farmers ...
09/29/2025

It’s an age-old question: to rake or not to rake fall leaves? 🍂 What’s right for you depends on your goals, but farmers know that dead leaves are future soil! đŸ€ŽHealthy soil is critical for growing healthy plants AND for soil’s ability to store water.

So what makes healthy soil? In a word: BIOMASS. Biomass is decomposed plant and animal materials (including those colorful leaf piles) that enrich soil and give it a sponge-like quality, allowing soil to store more water.

Land management practices like adding compost, covercropping, and crop rotation are ways farmers steward soil health and conserve water resources through biomass management.

It’s fall, y’all! 🍂In honor of the Fall Equinox, we’d like to remind you that eating seasonally can make a night 🌚 and d...
09/23/2025

It’s fall, y’all! 🍂In honor of the Fall Equinox, we’d like to remind you that eating seasonally can make a night 🌚 and day 🌞difference for local small-scale farmers. Buying fall foods like squash, greens, pecans, tomatoes, and MORE depending on where you are supports farmer livelihood by increasing demand for crops that are growing naturally this time of year.

When crops are in season, the seasonal resources they need like light, water, and temperature, are readily available. This means farmers don’t have to spend extra money creating the right conditions for a crop.

Reducing the inputs needed to grow crops also reduced their environmental impact through reduced transportation needs and working with natural soil, water, and light cycles.

Save the date! We’re ending WIC Voucher (FMNP) season with a bang at SFC Farmers’ Markets with not one but TWO WIC Vouch...
09/17/2025

Save the date! We’re ending WIC Voucher (FMNP) season with a bang at SFC Farmers’ Markets with not one but TWO WIC Voucher redemption events. 🎆

Join us at SFC Farmers' Market at Sunset Valley on October 11 for a day of family fun featuring a free performance from the Sock Monkey Circus by Good Hearted Entertainment – a full circus performed in miniature! đŸŽȘ This performance features the magical talents of the host "Funny Honey" and her clever monkeys, who are trained to juggle, dance, and swing on a flying trapeze! đŸ€č‍♀ 🙊

Later in the month, visit either SFC Farmers’ Market Downtown or at Sunset Valley for Fall Fest featuring free entertainment (to be announced). October 25 is the LAST farmers’ market to redeem WIC Vouchers for the year.

Don’t forget: September is the last month to pick up WIC Vouchers across Texas. For questions about where to pick up vouchers, call SFC’s bilingual Help Desk at (512) 730-1807

📍Brownsville, Texas — We’re excited to introduce Vero Dimas, Sustainable Food Center’s (SFC) new Director of Farm Viabil...
09/16/2025

📍Brownsville, Texas — We’re excited to introduce Vero Dimas, Sustainable Food Center’s (SFC) new Director of Farm Viability in the Rio Grande Valley!

Vero joins SFC after nearly a decade as the Executive Director of SFC’s longtime partner organization Brownsville Wellness Coalition. Vero’s dedication to fair food access, Texas farmers, as well as her deep understanding of the Rio Grande Valley region are just a few reasons we are so excited to welcome her.

Having a RGV food systems expert like Vero on the team positions SFC to understand how to support small-scale farmers across the state. Did you know the RGV grows more fruits and vegetables than any other Texas region? According to Texas AgriLife, $285.6 million worth of fruits and veggies annually to be exact!

We’re excited to keep growing our impact and better serving the unique needs of Texas regions through the expertise of community leaders like Vero and Brownsville Wellness Coalition.

09/15/2025

Made you blush!â˜ș It’s jalapeño season in Texas, and it’s got us thinking: why do jalapeños turn red? đŸŒ¶ You may have heard the MYTH that hot weather makes jalapeños turn red, but the FACT is that jalapeños turn red as a natural part of the ripening process.

BUT it is true that red jalapeños are hotter! đŸ”„ The longer peppers are allowed to ripen, the more capsaicin, the compound responsible for pepper spice, the fruit contains. Green jalapeños are more common because they are tender and have a mild flavor while still green.

Fully ripened red jalapeños are commonly dried and sold as chipotle peppers. So now you know, chipotle is just jalapeño by another name!

09/12/2025

It’s the weekend! Time to go speed racin’ to the closest farmers’ market. 🏃
Do you receive WIC benefits? đŸ‘Ș– September is the ⌛ LAST MONTH ⌛ to pick up $30 worth of vouchers to spend on fresh fruits and veggies at your local farmers’ market. Pick up vouchers by September 30 and spend vouchers by October 31.

What if you don’t receive WIC benefits? đŸ€” – Even if you don’t receive WIC, WIC Vouchers (FMNP) strengthen your community by boosting sales for small-scale, sustainable farmers and nourishing the next generation of your community.

Picking up WIC Vouchers is easy: bring your WIC card or WIC Shopping List to your local farmers’ market, visit the information booth, and ask about WIC Vouchers (FMNP). Call the SFC Help Desk at 512 730-1807 or visit doubleuptexas.org for support finding the farmers’ market closest to you.

Thank you and Houston for the warm welcome! Last weekend, we celebrated the launch of Double Up Food Bucks Texas at NIN...
09/09/2025

Thank you and Houston for the warm welcome! Last weekend, we celebrated the launch of Double Up Food Bucks Texas at NINE Houston grocery stores including and select Meat Market locations. That brings the total number of Double Up Texas sites to 105! 🎉

With Double Up Texas, Houston families shopping with SNAP at Telomarket and select Teloloapan Meat Market locations receive an instant 50% discount on fresh fruits and veggies up to $10 a day.

The community particularly enjoyed the complimentary fruit baskets and the opportunity to learn more about how Double Up Food Bucks works at our stores. 🍏

We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to the local partners and vendors whose support was instrumental in making the event a success.

September is finally here! Last bits of summer and early Autumn means cooler weather and longer hours for the SFC Farmer...
09/04/2025

September is finally here! Last bits of summer and early Autumn means cooler weather and longer hours for the SFC Farmer’s Markets. We’re here every Saturday 9 am to 1 pm.

September is the last month to pick up WIC Vouchers (FMNP)! Don't miss out on an additional $30 towards fresh fruits and vegetables to spend on the bounty of fall!

Questions about where to pick up and spend WIC Vouchers (FMNP)? Call the bilingual (English/Spanish) SFC Help Desk at (512) 730-1807 for food access support anywhere in Texas.

The supply of WIC Vouchers (FMNP) is limited; pick up vouchers while supplies last. WIC Voucher pick up ends on September 30 and WIC Vouchers expire on October 31.

Address

2921 E 17th Street, Bldg C
Austin, TX
78702

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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