A person’s hopes and dreams are what they envision for themselves. Kay Bell’s hopes and dreams also included her community. She has hopes to build an avenue that will educate the East Waco community about getting back to basics, eating from the land. Her dreams extend to using that avenue as a roadway for the community to build a business from the land for the people. I have been supporting the work Kay and others have done and wanted to highlight it this month.
Kay Bell is originally from Jacksonville, Tx, a small town in East Texas, but came to Waco in 2008. She is a graduate of Paul Quinn University and taught in elementary education for 10 years at the La Vega Intermediate School. Since being an educator, Kay always had a nurturing and creative spirit. Her motivation for gardening and farming is rooted in her motto, “There is no culture, without Agriculture!”
In 2015, Kay and some other female residents started the Waco National Women in Agricultural Association. This organization promotes healthy eating, working to eliminate hunger and poverty, and educating youth about the benefits of agriculture and how to build a career from it. Kay is the President of WNWIA and runs a tight ship with the executive team; Linda Weaver, Frances White and Chisa Brigham. The association meets once a month from October to May and invites and encourages community participation. This year, WNWIA began hosting by-monthly meetings called, Inclusion Luncheons. The luncheons are open to residents and community partners and a variety of topics are shared; Education on What is Food Desert, to how to build, maintain and best practices for a healthy sustainable garden. There are guest speakers from all over the Waco area, sharing their knowledge and expertise on the farming and gardening industry. At least one dish is prepared from produce from a local garden.
The association also runs and manages the East Waco Farmers Market that began in the Spring of 2021. The market is located on the corner of Dallas and Elm Ave in East Waco and is open on Saturdays from 9am-1pm. To find out more about the market, check out Women in Agriculture’s Facebook page,
(20+) Waco National Women In Agriculture Association | Facebook
Kay is constantly thinking of ways to eliminate the food desert situation for East Waco. She is the Founder and President of Global Revive-a nonprofit organization, which strives to revise people back to the earth. Kay’s vision for Global Revive is to open a neighborhood coop. One of the best ways to fill a coop space is to have community gardens to help fill it. Mrs. Bell would like to work with the area churches in East Waco, to encourage them to start a community garden on their premises. She has begun meeting with church pastors and other community partners and having conversations to strategize to make the dream of a coop come true.
Support Kay Bell, WNWIA and Global Revive by coming to the East Waco Farmers Market this summer and finding out ways to help eliminate a food desert and other ideas they are working in East Waco to educate, grow and maintain healthy food resource options for the community.
-Jocelyn Williams
