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Turning Over a New Leaf

September 11, 2023 @ 6:00 pm 9:00 pm

Open to the public, free to attend

Join us for the Austin Organic Gardeners’ Monthly Meeting!

New Leaf Agriculture is a 20-acre certified organic farm in Elgin, TX. The farm is a social enterprise of the Multicultural Refugee Coalition (MRC), whose mission is to provide livelihood opportunities for refugees. This evening’s talk will discuss the farm’s impact on food access in the Austin refugee community through the farm’s Community Farmer program.

We’ll also cover the regenerative farming practices that makeup New Leaf’s Carbon Farm Plan, the first of its kind in Texas. Rounding out the evening we’ll discuss the Farm to Fiber line of products produced by Open Arms Studio, MRC’s other social enterprise which manufactures textiles using materials grown organically at the farm. New Leaf Agriculture is working to grow the regional regenerative food and fiber economy, and we’re excited to share our efforts with you!

About the Presenter

Matt Simon was born and raised in Austin, TX. He has worked in the local sustainability industry for 15 years, beginning at Austin’s first commercial single-stream recycling company, and later at a bike-powered compost pickup service. He began farming in 2012 as a volunteer at Green Gate Farms, where he later became manager. He earned his permaculture design certificate in 2015 from the Austin Permaculture Guild. He has been the director of New Leaf Agriculture since 2020, where he has been delighted to work with refugee and immigrant farmers from around the world.

You can learn more, volunteer, and support the farm here. https://www.mrcaustin.org/

Doors at 6, talk starts at 7! Don’t forget to bring seeds and plants to swap afterward. If you can’t make it in person we will also be streaming the event via YouTube and Zoom.

This will take place in the Auditorium.

Austin Organic Gardeners

View Organizer Website

Zilker Botanical Garden

2220 Barton Springs Road
Austin, Texas 78746
512-477-8672
View Venue Website