\u201cWe need to be able to do something that\u2019s going to bring value to the community,\u201d Howard said.<\/p>\n
While the orchard won\u2019t open to the public until the spring, residents already notice a difference.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want that space to bring a smile to everyone\u2019s face who comes by,\u201d said the farm manager Whitney Azihman.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A Fort Worth \u201cgem\u201d<\/p>\n
Stop Six is a Fort Worth \u201cgem,\u201d Azihman said, and she wants it to be treated that way.\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"(Maria](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0121-CornerOrchard-02--1024x683.jpg\")
A young apple tree sprouts leaves at The Corner Orchard in Fort Worth on Jan. 22, 2026. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report\/CatchLight Local\/Report for America)<\/p>\n
Racial inequities and stigma stemming from low employment and violence has kept certain industries and businesses, including grocery stores, from moving into the area, Azihman said.<\/p>\n
The predominantly Black and Hispanic neighborhood is classified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a food desert<\/a> due to being located more than a mile away from a supermarket, limiting access to fresh produce and quality food.<\/p>\n Howard and Azihman aim to chip away at that gap. They plan to use the green space to cultivate fresh, locally grown produce, in an effort to address health issues experienced by Stop Six residents. The pair envision a building just across the orchard where they would operate a grocery store.<\/p>\n \u201cAccess to grocery stores, access to fresh food \u2026 is culturally relevant,\u201d Azihman said. \u201cBoth of us live here. \u2026 We personally understand that day-to-day frustration with food access.\u201d<\/p>\n The neighborhood sits just east of the 76104 ZIP code, which has the lowest life expectancy in Texas<\/a>, according to a study. That, in part, stems from poor dietary choices, Howard said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cPeople of color already know what to eat. It\u2019s not so much about shaping diets. It\u2019s about offering the food,\u201d Azihman said. \u201cIf you didn\u2019t have that home garden, you can come be a part of our garden.\u201d<\/p>\n Azihman and Howard hope the garden will help them reach their mission: increasing Stop Six\u2019s life expectancy by five years.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have this generational goal of taking that life expectancy in the right direction,\u201d Azihman said. \u201cI\u2019m excited to see that change.\u201d<\/p>\n The Corner Orchard vision<\/p>\n Not only will The Corner Orchard become a publicly accessible farm, but it will feature many other amenities.\u00a0<\/p>\n The entirety of the orchard will be lined with tree canopy, including hackberry, cedar and live oak trees, all Texas-native species.\u00a0<\/p>\n Azihman and Howard envision an irrigation system at both ends of the farm to keep produce and herbs thriving. A dry creek bed will be centrally located to control erosion and runoff.\u00a0<\/p>\n With help from the orchard\u2019s local partners, the pair will build a greenhouse at one end of the orchard to cultivate food and host farmers markets.<\/p>\n Giving the garden more color, planters across the orchard will be lined with native wildflowers and other seasonal blooms, creating an \u201cinner city flower farm.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c’I\u2019m super stoked,\u201d Azihman said. \u201cI\u2019m already counting stems in my mind.\u201d<\/p>\n Azihman and Howard want to draw wildlife to the orchard. That will include a beekeeping yard and birdhouses.\u00a0<\/p>\n Inviting wildlife will create opportunities for southeast Fort Worth youth to learn about nature, environmental sciences and agriculture, Howard said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Based on an open concept, The Corner Orchard team constantly considers other amenities to make the orchard accessible and convenient for the community.\u00a0<\/p>\n For example, the grocery store would also include space for people to wash their handpicked produce or use as a working or collaborative space.<\/p>\n \u201cHaving this corner orchard is a place where anyone \u2026 can come by,\u201d Azihman said.\u00a0<\/p>\n It may require years before the orchard\u2019s blueprint fully blossoms, but Azihman and Howard aim to celebrate the garden\u2019s April debut with a public harvest event.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re making sure we have as many collaborators as possible, so that this can be here for decades, and not just a project that dies,\u201d Howard said.<\/p>\n Nicole Lopez is the environment reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at nicole.lopez@fortworthreport.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"(Maria](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0121-CornerOrchard-04--1024x683.jpg\")
Leeks and lettuce heads grow in planters pictured Jan. 20 at The Corner Orchard in Fort Worth. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report\/CatchLight Local\/Report for America)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20260120_CornerOrchardblueprint-.jpg\")
The Corner Orchard\u2019s growth and development is based on an open concept blueprint. (Courtesy image | Whitney Azihman)<\/p>\n