Our Mission
Restoring soil, plants, animals, and people the natural way.
At The Barn, we believe the path to healthier people runs through healthier soil. Decades of pesticide-based, single-crop farming practices have taken a toll on the land, on the food we eat, and on the communities that depend on both. We exist to reverse that — one garden, one harvest, one person at a time.
We are a regenerative agriculture company rooted in Fort Worth's Southside neighborhood, dedicated to restoring soil, plants, animals, and people in the natural way. Through fresh local produce, educational classes and workshops, a curated selection of soil health products, and a welcoming community space, we work to reconnect people with the land and with each other.
_edited.png)
Our History
The Barn has its roots in one of Fort Worth's most beloved urban farms. In 2002, Elizabeth Anna Samudio and her husband, James, transformed a neglected lot on 8th Avenue into a thriving oasis of organic produce, heirloom plants, and farm animals — a place where neighbors came for the vegetables and stayed for the community. What began as a container of herbs in front of a Starbucks grew into Elizabeth Anna's Old World Garden, a Southside institution that appeared in regional publications, on national television, and in the hearts of everyone who found their way down that quiet driveway.
Elizabeth was a certified permaculture designer, a passionate educator, and a tireless community builder who believed gardens were simply the vehicle — that what people truly needed was connection. Even while battling ovarian cancer, she continued teaching and completed her book, The Unconventional Edible Garden, a love letter to growing food in North Texas. She passed away in August 2016, leaving behind a legacy that Fort Worth has never forgotten.
Her husband and partner of twenty-six years, James Samudio, has carried that mission forward ever since. The farm became The Barn. The name changed — the soul did not. James brings his own deep expertise to the work, including a permaculture design certification, a Level 3 Korean Natural Farming teaching certificate, and two decades of experience restoring soil and growing abundant harvests across North Texas. The mission Elizabeth planted here continues to grow.
_edited_edited.png)