Bonton Farms
New Wellness Center
Supporting a holistic 11,000-square-foot center providing medical, dental, fitness, nutrition, and financial wellness resources for South Dallas residents.
Bonton Farms launched their partnership with The Dallas Foundation in 2016 by starting as a fiscal sponsorship fund. The Dallas Foundation helped with their back office support until they were able to obtain their own 501c3 status in 2022. Bonton Farms was the recipient of The Dallas Foundation’s Pegasus Prize ($50,000) in 2018, TDF Women’s Philanthropy Institute grantee ($25,000) in 2019, as well as several Community Impact grants from TDF over the years. Many fundholders from TDF support Bonton Farms financially as well as with their time.
Our Story
Here in our small South Dallas neighborhood called Bonton, you don’t expect to find a farm. You expect to see crime, drugs, and gang violence. But, all that is changing thanks to a small urban farm. Bonton is located in a “food desert” where 63% of residents lack personal transportation and the nearest grocery store is a 3-hour round-trip bus ride away.
So instead, we go to one of the three beer & wine stores where they have over-priced, outdated, processed foods. The impact on our health is devastating. The statistics are staggering….Bonton’s cardio-vascular disease rate is 54% higher than that of the city of Dallas. Diabetes is 45% higher. Stroke 61% higher. Cancer 58% higher. And, that’s not ok!
Overall, this affects the health of our community in Bonton, and impacts people and their ability to work and be productive. We believe that our little neighborhood should change from within, driven by our own people using our own hands. So, we have launched Bonton Farms.
Our Mission
We transform lives by disrupting systems of inequity, laying a foundation where change yields health, wholeness and opportunity as the norm.
Our Vision
The change in Bonton becomes the change in the world.
Who We Are
What started out as a garden in a small lot has grown to two fully functioning farms, a Farmer’s Market, a Café and Coffee House. We continue to grow organic food and hope for a better tomorrow right in the Bonton community, but we are addressing more of the barriers residents are up against so they can access all seven human essentials. Working alongside residents to transform the community, we support our neighbors in redefining the norm in their community so they may have a fighting chance at life.
More than a farm (4 pillars):
Just like a seed, we know that every human being has the potential to live a healthy, prosperous life if they have the right nutrients and support. Before we were established, access to healthy food in Bonton was non-existent. Because of that, the cardiovascular disease rate here is 54% higher than the rest of Dallas, and the rate for diabetes is 45% higher and 58% higher for cancer — so we knew we had our work cut out for us. We realized you can give someone all the fresh produce in the world, but it won’t make a difference if they don’t know what to do with it. That’s why we’ve created nutrition programs that provide our residents with:
1. Nutrition
2. Cooking classes
3. General health and wellness guidance
We work to help struggling residents climb the socioeconomic ladder and find a clear path to homeownership. Like sun, soil and water are to seeds, safe housing and stable employment are to human beings. When we realized housing stability was getting in the way of some of our employees’ success, we started a housing program to help them keep a roof over their heads. We found that Bonton residents are 82% more likely to stay employed when they have access to stable housing. As part of this effort, we’ve launched initiatives that include:
1. A rent-to-own housing program
2. Partnerships with other nonprofits to address the lack of affordable housing crisis in Bonton
3. Financial education about the dangers of high-interest loans
We know that being self-sufficient instills a sense of pride that only perpetuates healthy habits. That’s why we’re arming our residents with the skills they need to live more prosperous lives, which benefits all of Bonton. We employ residents and help local entrepreneurs launch small businesses by:
1. Mentoring and guiding them in their career advancement
2. Assisting residents with personal finance management
3. Providing general work preparedness advice and guidance
Education is key to cultivating an upwardly mobile life, and a lack of access to that holds back many of our residents. In Bonton, 85% of the men have been to prison, and more than half of the residents don’t have a high school diploma. We’re working to uplift our residents with new initiatives focused on educating our youth and re-educating our adults. We have many programs in the works, but our core areas of focus are:
1. The establishment of a charter school
2. Basic job skills training for adults
3. Advising parents on the importance of being engaged in their children’s education
