Bowie Jardin, Cocina & Mercado Fund

About the Fund

• The project began in 2013 when a group of students, faculty, former State Senator and community members met at the Bowie High School Cafeteria to envision a bountiful jardin (garden), cocina (culinary program) and mercado (entreprenurial business market) for students to learn how to create and market food-related products.  Proceeds from the social venture support the project and scholarships for deserving Bowie High School graduates.  
• The first phase of the jardin (garden) was completed with help from Bowie students, alumni, members of Texas A&M Agricultural Extension Program, the El Paso Master Gardeners, Keep El Paso Beautiful, a battalion of 700 soldiers from Ft Bliss, Home Depot, CEMEX, JOBE Inc, Tropicana Homes, and La Semilla Food Center.  It consists of 20 raised beds that are used to grow produce including pomegranate and fig trees.
• La Cocina (kitchen) focuses on integrating healthy food tastings into classrooms and employs the OSO good food truck for sale of healthy food. With over 154 students now enrolled in Bowie Culinary Arts classes, the program is a state and nationally recognized center for expertise in how talented and ambitious high school students learn to prepare, cook and serve healthy, garden grown food.
• El Mercado (entrepreneurial business market) promotes the sale of produce to the community at farmer’s markets and supplies some grocery stores.
• In 2017, with support from the PDNCF, the project was expanded to include the OSO Good Food Truck with $54,000 in contributions and grants.  A chef/instructor was hired to support the food truck effort and to supervise the overall quality of the products being sold and to meet demand. Revenues generated from sales from the food truck support the overall project. We understand that the OSO Good Food Truck is the only food truck in Texas run by a high school.
• Bowie launched Phase II of the project in 2019 in order to: 1) expand the outdoor classroom concept so more students can participate, 2) build and install an outdoor kitchen and teaching pavilion, and 3) increase the number of planters so that more produce can be seeded to meet demand.

Click on this link to view our latest fund video.

Proceeds from the entrepreneurial activities continue to support scholarships for deserving Bowie High School graduates.  Scholarship applications are due on or around May 15th each year.  For a copy of the scholarship application, please contact the counseling office at Bowie High School.