Introduction to Food Sovereignty
Helen Dulac’s homemade jams and jellies lined a long table framed with award ribbons for her Peppers and Petals brand. She’s an urban farmer who was at a weekend health and food fair in Oak Cliff, but not only to sell her homegrown goods. Dulac, of Grand Prairie, works at the Dallas nonprofit Grow North Texas, which aims to improve food systems. She was one of dozens of vendors who set up shop at the 10th annual VegFest on Sept. 21, hoping to connect more people with food.
The Importance of Urban Farming
As an instructor, Dulac helps people become more successful farmers. “You don’t want to grow tomatoes in the winter, right? You grow tomatoes when it’s warm,” she said. “I taught a class about that lesson Friday night.” Dulac is among a growing population of people who strive to have control over their food. The idea was born from a grassroots movement recognized by sustainability experts and the federal government as “food sovereignty,” the right of people to define and control their food and agriculture systems.
What is Food Sovereignty?
“Starting from seed all the way till when it produces that fruit or that crop and then even being able to take that and make it into an extra thing, such as the jam,” Dulac said. “It’s the whole cycle. It makes me feel connected to the Earth, to nature and also to my food.”
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Business was steady at the "Slammin Jammin" booth as Feed Oak Cliff hosted Dallas VegFest, a health and food fair, at Kiest Park Recreation Center, 3081 S. Hampton in Dallas, on September 21, 2025.
The Problem of Food Deserts
Feed Oak Cliff, a nonprofit focused on ending food deserts, hosted VegFest at Kiest Park Recreation Center. The event was designed to give resources and support to a community that lacks sustainable access to healthy food. A food desert is an urban area “low-access community” where at least 33% of the population lives more than 1 mile from a supermarket, or a rural area where residents have to travel more than 10 miles to access healthy fresh food, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s definition.
Dulac grows vegetables and fruit trees in her backyard garden, one that the USDA recognizes with its own farm number. “My backyard is officially a farm in the eyes of the government,” Dulac said. “There is a small group of people in the USDA who are trying to elevate urban farming. Getting people to be able to grow closer to home increases our food security.”
Food Access for All
Though the name VegFest seems to invite vegans and vegetarians, Anga Sanders, Feed Oak Cliff’s founder and CEO, said anyone is welcome at the fair, no matter what types of food they like to eat. Vendors sold cinnamon rolls, dumplings, fruits and vegetables. Oak Cliff Veggie Project handed out fresh produce. Specialists on chair yoga and meditation spoke with attendees and taught classes, discussing the relationship between healthy eating, breathing techniques and a holistic lifestyle.
Event attendees make their way through a maze of booths as Feed Oak Cliff hosted Dallas VegFest, a health and food fair which was held at Kiest Park Recreation Center, 3081 S. Hampton in Dallas, on September 21, 2025.
Federal Government Rollbacks
Oak Cliff’s perennial fight against food insecurity comes amid the Trump administration’s rollback of federal support for food programs. The White House announced this month that it’s ending the USDA’s annual report on hunger in America, stating that it had become “overly politicized” and “rife with inaccuracies.” The decision comes two and a half months after President Donald Trump signed legislation sharply reducing food aid to the nation’s hungriest.
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