From colonial foodways to climate-smart crops, this working farm reveals how land, labor, and culture shape what we eat—and who gets to eat.
Just beyond the stone walls of Mission San Juan in San Antonio, rows of crops stretch toward the horizon. But this isn’t a re-creation of the past—it’s a present-day fight against hunger. At one of the oldest continually farmed sites in Texas, the San Antonio Food Bank is growing food for families in need and offering a living classroom for the future of agriculture.
- “We’re using 50 acres of land that’s been farmed for 300 years… that same acequia system is still bringing water to these fields,” says Mitch Hagney, who leads innovation in agriculture for the San Antonio Food Bank.
This irrigation canal—an acequia—was originally built by indigenous people under Spanish colonial rule. It still flows today, linking food justice work to centuries of cultural knowledge.
A Living Lesson in Food Security
Food insecurity in Texas impacts over 1.4 million households, including many in San Antonio. On this historic farmland, the San Antonio Food Bank is tackling the issue at its roots—literally. The nonprofit now manages multiple regional farms, but the Mission San Juan site holds special significance. Here, agricultural production meets public education.
- “We’re trying to build a food system that doesn’t just produce food,” Mitch explains, “but also teaches people about soil health, crop diversity, volunteer engagement—and how that ties into long-term access and equity.”
When students or volunteers walk the fields, they learn more than how tomatoes grow. They hear the stories embedded in the land—of indigenous farming traditions, colonial displacement, labor histories, and today’s logistical and nutritional challenges.
- “People come out here not just to pick tomatoes—they leave understanding the connection between the history of this place and the modern issues of hunger.”
Growing for the Climate—and the Culture
Modern farming at Mission San Juan isn’t about maximizing yield at any cost. It’s about choosing crops and practices that reflect both environmental realities and cultural roots.
- “We’re growing nopal cactus, figs, amaranth… crops that can actually thrive in our heat and be a really nutritious addition to people’s diets,” Mitch says.
These crops are resilient, water-smart, and deeply tied to indigenous and Mexican heritage. In many ways, they represent a return to pre-colonial knowledge, reclaimed for a hotter, hungrier world.
- “The acequia teaches us that local, place-based irrigation isn’t just history—it’s our tool for resilience in a warming climate.”
In a time when agriculture faces mounting pressure—from drought to food deserts—this small plot on the river’s edge offers both produce and perspective.
History That Nourishes
Mission San Juan was founded in the 1700s as one of five Franciscan missions in the area. While the surviving chapel and walls are now preserved by the National Park Service, the surrounding fields are still alive with purpose.
- “Farming this land is one piece in the puzzle,” Mitch reflects. “When visitors ask about the mission walls, irrigation, soil—it becomes a lesson in stewardship, culture, and climate.”
Few places in Texas offer this kind of intersection: historical preservation, community agriculture, and public education all in one experience.
- “Eating your region is cultural. It’s ancestral. If we disconnect from that, we lose both flavor and identity.”
At Mission San Juan, reconnecting with food means reconnecting with story—of place, of people, and of possibility.
Visit the Fields. Ask the Questions. Join the Story.
Curious to see it all firsthand? Book a Mission San Juan Farm Tour offered through Delve Experiences. Led by Mitch Hagney or Food Bank staff, this hour-long walk offers a rare window into past and present land use—rooted in learning, not spectacle.
Come with questions. Leave with a deeper understanding of how San Antonio’s history continues to nourish its people today.
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