earth day at hope farms

Darling Houston urban farm hosts blooming virtual Earth Day festival

Fans of Hope Farms can enjoy yoga, cooking classes, and chick cams on Wednesday, April 22.

Photo courtesy of Hope Farms

This year, celebrating Earth Day’s 50th anniversary will be a bit surreal for some, as assemblies involving large groups of people are strictly prohibited. Fortunately, in Houston, fans of the planet and a beloved local farm can toast the day with a virtual event.

In keeping with quarantine orders, the fifth annual Recipe for Success Foundation’s Earth Day Festival, taking place at Hope Farms, will be broadcast on Facebook Live on Wednesday, April 22 from 9 am to 2 pm (activities kick off at 8 am). The event, broadcast from the seven-acre farm located just minutes from downtown, honors Earth Day’s “ReUse, ReNew, ReCycle” theme.

Earth Day also marks the unofficial birthday of Hope Farms, which turns four in April.

A full schedule of activities for all ages includes virtual cooking demos, gardening classes, farm walks and Q&A with farmers, visits with farm animals, yoga, and story time.

On a separate feed, fans can watch the Hope Farms live Chick Cam as a new clutch of baby chicks hatch. The Chick Cam will go all day and into the evening, according to Hope Farms.

Yoga fans will delight in Zeenath Selvakumar’s live yoga class from 9 am to 10 am. Viewers can then walk the farm and ask farmer manager, Nick DeBrock, questions; take gardening lessons; meet the farm animals and bees with director of agricultural education, Tyler Froberg, and learn more about Hope Farms’ healthy eating initiative.

Meanwhile, throughout the day, viewers can watch cooking demos that connect with the featured gardening classes. (For example, following “Let’s Plant a Salsa Garden,” Chef Omar Pereney will demonstrate how to make fresh salsa) Chef Erin O’Leary Stewart of DEFINE Foods will showcase ingredients harvested from a Spring Victory Garden in her demonstration, and Kelli Bunch of KB Table will use squash, corn, and green beans in her dish — all grown in a Three Sisters Garden.

The festival will conclude with a reading by Gracie Cavnar of Thank you, Earth: A Love Letter to Our Planet by April Pulley Sayre, after which viewers will be encouraged to tune into the live Chick Cam for the rest of the day.

“We love sharing Hope Farms’ birthday to celebrate Earth Day with the world,” said Recipe For Success Founder and CEO, Cavnar, in a statement. “We look forward to welcoming guests from every time zone to our virtual party when we will explore the connection between cooking, gardening, locally grown food and a healthy planet.

With the recent stay at home orders, people are now cooking at home more and seeking solace in gardening. The Hope Farms team and our collaborators are excited to be able to share our knowledge of growing and preparing deliciously healthy food as part of our salute to the fiftieth anniversary of Earth Day.”

festivals

always be prepared

Texas tax-free weekend lets shoppers stock up on emergency supplies

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Emergency supplies like first aid kits that cost less than $75 are eligible for a tax break this weekend.

The best time for Texas residents to stock up on supplies to prepare for natural disasters is coming up this weekend. The annual statewide Emergency Preparation Supplies Sales Tax Holiday runs from April 25-27, when Texans will be able to purchase critical emergency supplies — plus household necessities like batteries and fire extinguishers — tax-fee.

Shoppers can purchase certain emergency supplies tax-free starting at 12:01 am on Saturday, April 25, and the "holiday" runs until midnight on Monday, April 27. There is no limit on the number of qualifying items that can be purchased during the weekend, and purchases can be made in store, online, through the mail, and via custom order.

Saving on emergency supplies
Emergency preparation supplies must be purchased under certain price brackets to qualify for the tax exemption. For example, portable generators must have a sales price less than $3,000 to qualify for a tax break. Ladders and hurricane shutters that cost less than $300 also qualify.

Delivery, shipping, handling, and transportation charges are included in the sales price, according to the Comptroller. So if a shopper buys a $299 rescue ladder and is charged a $10 delivery fee, the total sales price for the purchase is $309, and tax would need to be paid for that sales price.

Additional items that qualify for a tax break as long as they cost less than $75 include:

Axes
Batteries – single or multipack (AAA cell, AA cell, C cell, D cell, 6 volt or 9 volt)
Carbon monoxide detectors
Fire extinguishers
First aid kits
Fuel containers
Ground anchor systems and tie-down kits
Hatchets
Ice products – including reusable and artificial ice
Light sources – including those that are battery operated or portable self-powered sources; candles, flashlights, and lanterns
Mobile telephone batteries and mobile telephone chargers
Non-electric can openers
Non-electric coolers and ice chests for food storage
Radios – including portable self-powered radios, battery operated radios, two-way radios, and weather band radios
Smoke detectors
Tarps and other plastic sheeting

The full list of qualifying items is available on The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts' website.

As a reminder, over-the-counter items like antibacterial hand sanitizer, soap, and spray and wipes are always exempt from sales tax if they are labeled with a "Drug Facts" panel in compliance with Food and Drug Administration regulations.

Non-qualifying items that will still be taxed
Medical masks, face masks, and gloves of any kind do not qualify for a tax exemption. Other taxable items including toilet paper, cleaning supplies (such as disinfectants and bleach wipes), vehicle or boat batteries, chainsaws, plywood, extension ladders, and stepladders. Camping equipment and supplies, including stoves and tents, are also not eligible for a tax break.

Additionally, any repair or replacement parts for emergency preparation supplies do not qualify for tax exemptions, and neither do any services that are performed on or related to those supplies.

What to do if a qualifying item is taxed during the holiday
If customers buy a tax-exempt item between April 25-27 and are still taxed, they may request a refund from the seller on the tax paid for the item. The seller can grant the refund to the buyer, or provide them with Form 00-985, Assignment to Right to Refund, which would allow the customer to file a claim for their refund through the Comptroller's website.

tax free weekend emergency supplies texas