For Stephan Lucke, improving public health doesn’t require a lab coat — just seeds, soil and a little patience.
On the latest episode of the bigcitysmalltown podcast guest host Cory Ames talks with Lucke, founder and CEO of Gardopia Gardens, a San Antonio nonprofit using gardening to tackle food insecurity, community health disparities and even crime.
What started as a front yard garden during college has grown into a nonprofit, offering micro-farms and garden-based learning programs in more than 55 local schools.
Lucke always had a passion for health, starting his college career as a pre-med biology student at the University of Incarnate Word, down the line Lucke found his own way to address health concerns in his community — one that let him get his hands dirty.
Gardopia Gardens in North New Braunfels Avenue. Credit: Brenda Bazán / San Antonio Report
“So learning about the health disparities in Black and brown communities in Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, I wanted to do something for my community. And I decided that health, specifically eating, was probably one of the biggest issues,” Lucke said “How are we going to solve this problem? And that’s when I said, you know what? The best nutritionist is actually going to be a farmer. So I said, ‘I need to learn how to grow food.’”
In the conversation, Lucke shares how growing up in San Antonio shaped his mission, and why land access, food literacy and local agriculture are key to the city’s long-term health. His work has been recognized by Bexar County officials, the USDA, and families across the city — including on the East Side, where Gardopia’s flagship micro-farm helped reduce calls for service by the San Antonio Police Department around a once-vacant lot by 90%.
“That’s not the goal of Gardopia, but it is a side effect of putting in a garden. It creates a safe space,” he said.”It creates a safe space for families and youth and adults to come to and to enjoy.”
Gardopia Gardens CEO Stephen Lucke speaks to students in 2021. Gardopia is a first-time grantee of the Area Foundation. Credit: Courtesy / Gardopia Gardens
Now entering its 10th year, Gardopia is expanding its focus. A new grant will help fund video-based curriculum for schools, while future plans include land justice initiatives and urban farm incubators to boost San Antonio’s local food production.
“If I can take San Antonio from being one of the least healthiest cities to being one of the healthiest, that would be an achievement,” Lucke said. “If we can create a culture shift, it can happen, and it is happening.”
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