Helping Hand

Words by Colin James Sturdevant

As a child, nothing was more magical than visiting my grandparent’s farm in Blue, Texas, in December. We’d turn off the highway onto a rocky, pumpkin-orange road striated with streaks of red and beige. Cows would be hoofing along a creek. At night, we would build a bonfire in a grassy field where berries grew in the summer. Fireworks would climb the night air, and we’d roast hot dogs and make s’mores.

My grandfather was a Renaissance man. Not only did he run a small farm, but he also made goat’s milk soaps, vanilla and star anise pilsner, and his own wine. He tended a garden that provided for him seasonally and grew flowers that adorned our salads and vases. I’d catch up with him on his porch, me in a swing and him in a rocker, a cigar between his lips. In the background, I’d hear goats, clucking hens, a tired-out rooster, guinea fowl, and mules and donkeys hoarsely crying.

He and his homestead are one reason farms are sacred to me, as they should be to all of us, and why I try to do as much of my grocery shopping as possible with local farmers either at farmers markets or at shops such as Central City Co-Op.

Located in a sleek, metal-clad building at 2515 Harvard Street in the Heights, the co-op offers local produce, eggs, dairy products, meat and more. Recently, I sat down with Jessica Wilt, the executive director, to learn about the enterprise’s history, mission and future.

The co-op was founded in 1998 by “a group of people with a love for food,” according to Wilt, and who wanted better access to organic and eventually local produce. Originally operating from the porch of Pat Greer, a pioneer of “gluten-free, sustainable, organic food,” members pooled money and labor to buy cases of organic produce from local distributors, which they would then split between them, kicking off the venture with a case of parsley.

The group eventually began purchasing fruits and vegetables from local farms such as Gundermann Acres, working with them to expand their organic offerings. As demand as well as supply increased, the organization needed more space and a more efficient operating structure, so they opened a retail shop at Ecclesia Houston that welcomed members and the public every Wednesday. In 2009, they relocated to Grace Lutheran Church in Montrose, which eventually took over much of the responsibility for the co-op. 

However, in 2016, as the church reorganized as Kindred Lutheran, Central City began having financial difficulties and there were fears that it might close. The members, along with the church, began considering new leadership. Longtime members Wilt and her husband, Erick Navas, stepped up to begin running the co-op and improving its business practices, such as updating its website and implementing Square for payments.

When the pandemic struck, demand for local produce and products at Central City skyrocketed from a few weekly orders to over 250 as customers were searching for smaller, safer alternatives to big-box grocery stores. In July 2020, Central City found a larger, temporary home on 20th Street, where Jūn is now located, and was open six days a week. To meet the demand, Wilt and her husband left their day jobs, sacrificing both incomes for the business — an investment they made because they strongly believe “that the co-op has an integral place in the Houston community.”

In 2022, the couple moved Central City to its new permanent home at 2515 Harvard. There, the couple serves a community of shoppers committed to their mission and over 75 vendors, developing prices that are sustainable for all parties.

At the co-op, you can find produce ranging from hyperlocal to national, from seasonal staples such as tomatoes, squash, cucumbers and lettuce, to unique items such as Texas-grown apples. In addition to local produce, they stock locally raised beef — wagyu or regular— from Gold Ring Wagyu and Sundance Farm & Ranch; chicken from Alvin-based Jolly Farms; and pork and goat meat from Top Essential Farms. They also carry pantry essentials such as Texas Hill Country Olive Co.’s olive oil, locally grown Harvest Grain Mills’ Carolina Gold Brown Rice, and more. One of my favorites is the various pickled vegetables like squash and jalapeños from Gundermann Acres.

Striving to create a one-stop-shopping experience, Central City also sells dairy from Mill-King Market & Creamery in McGregor, as well as a selection of butters and cheeses; bread from Magnol French Bakery and gluten-free baked goods from Leven Bakery & Cafe. In addition, you can purchase beer and wine, and specialty products such as goat milk soap from Dapper Goat. 

Central City offers year-long membership levels and several weekly farm share options, too. Membership perks include lower prices, member-exclusive specials and events, meet-and-greets with the farmers, and more. Large, medium or small farm shares can be ordered weekly or as 12-week subscriptions for pickup on Wednesdays. They also offer a fruit-only share and a Gundermann Acres share. Of course, you’re also welcome at Central City as a member of the public. And although the public tends to gauge the prices of locally grown food by industrial grocery retail prices, it’s important to note that smaller-scale farmers have different costs. With national inflation as it currently is, I find the produce prices at Central City (and at many regional farmers markets) quite comparable to grocery stores, and fairly easy to swing on a budget. The same can be said for milk. Meat, on the other hand, tends to have a bit higher price, due to the behind-the-scenes costs of raising livestock. But, the quality and sustainable growing practices make it worth budgeting to buy at least some of your meat and produce from local farmers — and at Central City.

Our local, sustainable agricultural system is fragile, which is why shopping at co-ops like Central City is paramount to supporting our region’s local farmers and artisans. As a customer, you’ll leave knowing that the food you purchased grew within the terroir of Texas and that you supported the farmers and ranchers that poured time, sweat, money and love into ensuring its quality.

As we near a time of year often full of merriment and gift-giving, consider purchasing ingredients for your holiday (and everyday) meals at Central City Co-Op. Memberships and farm shares make wonderful gifts for those who love to cook or want to support local farmers and artisans, as do the individual items found on Central City’s shelves.

As a summer farmhand on my grandparent’s farm, I saw how hard farmers worked. Buying local meat, dairy, and produce from Central City supports that hard work, putting food on the table of those putting it on yours.

Central City Co-op is open Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday – Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4. p.m., closed Mondays. To learn more visit centralcityco-op.com.