There's more to the State Fair of Texas than deep fried my little pony turds, you know. If you find your way past the funnel cakes, Cuban sandwiches and fried beer, you might stumble on the DFW Truck Farm. The pickup truck outfitted as a mobile garden has been attending the fair to discuss and teach the principles of urban gardening.
Anyone with a little outdoor space can participate in the urban-gardening movement. To demonstrate how simple it can be, Marilyn Simmons of Garden Inspirations turned a small grill into a container garden full of lush herbs like chives, parsley and mint. Other containers in the truck host watermelon, peppers, Malabar spinach, green beans and lettuces. Simmons gives classes from the back of the truck around DFW.
If you don't want to go to the State Fair of Texas (or can't get the bank loan) you can check out the truck this coming Monday, October 24 on Greenville Avenue. The truck will be parked outside of the Company Cafe to celebrate the inaugural Food Day, which sounds like another bullshit holiday but actually serves a purpose.
"Food Day encourages people to sit down with friends and eat what we call real food," Simmons told me. The day celebrates simple cooking, organic ingredients, local farming and eating well, basically shunning your local drive-though.
Simmons will set up shop outside Company Cafe and give a lecture on urban gardening. The restaurant's chef will then cook using the truck's produce. The free event will help Dallasites learn how they can go local at home -- helpful when you can't make a trip to the farmers market.
