Green Gate Farms 120th Birthday Celebration

Green Gate Farms is celebrating the 120th Birthday of its east Austin farm site with a weekend of fun for all ages Nov. 11-12 — plus an opportunity to learn about what you can do to protect Texas farmland now.

On Saturday, November 11, we’re hosting a Feast in the Field, 6-9 pm, where you can dine under the stars, enjoying organic foods from our farm and others, prepared by the Escoffier Culinary school. This fundraising dinner benefits the Green Amendment campaign.

We’ll kick off the evening at 6:00 p.m. with an inspiring keynote speaker, Maya van Rossum, founder of the Green Amendment campaign. This nationally known lawyer and environmental activist will share how Texans can achieve a legal right to a clean and healthy environment (like Montana, Pennsylvania and New York have). And share insights into this summer’s lawsuit brought by Montana’s youth activists who were able, for the first time, use a Green Amendment to successfully make the case that the state is not protecting them from climate change. (Her talk is free and open to all).

All weekend the farm will feature fine artists demonstrating and selling their work as part of the Austin Studio Tour. On Sunday, we’ll be pumpkin chunkin’ with Texas Tribochet and joining hands for a barn hug and birthday cake (donated by ACC culinary students) in the afternoon.

The Bergstrom farm site, built around 1902 in east Austin by Swedish immigrants, is older than many of Austin’s iconic landmarks — including: Littlefield Building, Paramount Theater, and the Stephen F. Austin Hotel. Unlike so much of Austin lost to the wrecking ball, this farm survived development pressures due to a concerted effort by farmers, neighbors, the City of Austin, and Roberts Communities seven years ago. The result is the historic buildings and farm now work as an agrihood, surrounded by Village Farm, a neighborhood of tiny homes. The only development of its kind in the US!