Buying local produce might mean more than just knowing where your food comes from – it could mean investing in the future. That’s just what they’re doing at R&R Farms in Lubbock, TX.
We got the chance to sit down with the wonderful couple behind the business and operations of R&R Farms. While hearing their story, Rhonda explained to me: “We do what we do because we’re giving back. We have planted a lot of younger trees. We may not be here to see them, but that really doesn’t matter because we’re doing it for the future. We’re putting stuff in the ground that is sustainable for the ground, for us right now, and to keep our customers healthy.”
R&R’s mission is “to be a year-round local source for high quality, healthy produce for the Lubbock community.” So while they have many other reasons to provide fresh produce in the High Plains region, contributing to the future is a unique and compelling aspect of their operation.
Ray and Rhonda are no strangers to farming, as both of them grew up doing it: it’s in their background and blood. Ray is a retired veteran – having served in the Air Force, but “farming is something we’ve always done. Even with moving around, I always tried to have a small garden to grow produce,” mentions Rhonda.
The couple moved back to Lubbock in 2014 and immediately took to produce farming in the Texas Panhandle. “We started growing produce for ourselves. We didn’t like when we’d go to the market and we’d find stuff that was picked early. We’d go to the grocery store and it seemed like… this doesn’t taste good; this doesn’t look right. We knew what good food was – and what it should be. So we wanted to have stuff that was grown and ripened right here. And it turned out to be such a welcomed thing here in Lubbock that we expanded our farm so we would have more to sell at the farmer’s market!”
R&R practices sustainable farming, which Rhonda explains as “… meaning that what we put into the soil sustains the soil and life for the earth, and human beings.” Ray adds, “We don’t pick it green; we pick it when it’s ripe and we sell it right off the farm. It’s not being transported. Plus, we also practice what is called “Good Agricultural Practices,” a program we started practicing years ago.”
When it comes to their selection, Ray mentions “Whatever type of produce there is, we’ve probably got it in the ground somewhere.”
The couple made a tag-team effort to list their crops for the upcoming year: “We’ve got melons, cantaloupes, cucumbers (for pickling and eating), Indian corn, ornamental gourds, blackberries, strawberries, several types of tomatoes, onions, carrots, peppers, radishes, turnips, beets, summer squash, okra, winter squash, sugar pie pumpkins, apricots, peaches, figs, and pecans.”
“I would say our customer favorite is Okra, as odd as it sounds. One of our biggest specialties are the black cherry tomatoes. People told us that we couldn’t grow them here and we grow them in abundance!”
Also, if you enjoy a fresh jam, R&R offers plentiful flavors such as blackberry, apricot, and strawberry served year round!
With so many choices in product, Rhonda and Ray would encourage you to send them a message via Facebook, Instagram, or email rrfarmstexas@gmail.com if you are interested in making a purchase or have any questions.
“You can let us know what you need, and we will pick it for you and have it ready for you to pick up here, at the farm, or at the Wild West farmers market. Messaging us is probably the easiest way to get ahold of us.”
To purchase their products – find them at the Wild West Farmers Market on 19th street, every Saturday 9-5 am, starting April 28th or send them a message to make an order.