Faith in the Farm Community Build Day Saturday, November 14, 2026 | 10:00 a.m. New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church 2864 Mississippi Avenue Fort Worth, Texas 76104.
From Pallets to Food Forests: New Mount Rose Brings Neighbors Together for Health, Hope, and a Cleaner 76104
Faith in the Farm Community Build Day
FORT WORTH, Texas — A discarded pallet can become a garden box. An empty field can become a place to grow fresh food. And a day of neighbors working side by side can help build a healthier, more connected community (https://youtu.be/1zFbKLdHgkA?is=pVq7ZIztS4-m6xtp).
At New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church, these ideas are part of a broader network of community ministries rooted in a simple belief: health is our wealth. Through gardening, food access, health navigation, youth and family programs, neighborhood cleanups, and community partnerships, the church is working to help Fort Worth’s historic 76104 community grow stronger together.
The work takes many forms, but each effort connects to the next. Peace From a Pallet turns reclaimed shipping pallets into raised garden boxes. Faith in the Farm brings volunteers into the fields to build, plant, care for animals, and learn together. Funkytown Food Forest imagines productive green spaces where neighbors can grow food and strengthen their connection to the land. And Guns to Gardens: Loyal to the Soil, Healing from the Steel carries a message of transformation: communities can turn toward healing, cultivation, and care.
“What some people see as trash, we see as treasure,” said Pastor Kyev P. Tatum, Sr. “Every pallet we rescue becomes an opportunity to grow food, build relationships, and create hope.”
One garden box, many possibilities
Peace From a Pallet transforms discarded wood into affordable garden boxes for homes, churches, schools, and shared community spaces. The design was created by engineer Tracy Welterlen, a member of Trinity Episcopal Church and a leader with the Guns to Gardens Tarrant County team. Pastor Tatum also serves as a member of the team.
The project draws inspiration from Isaiah 2:4: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks.” For New Mount Rose, that vision speaks to more than gardening. It is a call to redirect energy and resources toward nourishment, restoration, and the well-being of future generations.
“Every seed is a statement,” Tatum said. “Violence is not our future. Hope is. And sometimes hope begins with nothing more than a pallet, a handful of soil, and neighbors willing to work together.”
Growing young stewards through 4-H
The Buffalo Soldiers 4-H Club will help bring children into the work of Faith in the Farm. Through hands-on experiences in gardening, building, and caring for the farm, young people can learn how food is grown and what it takes to maintain a shared outdoor space.
The club connects central-city children with farming and the outdoors while encouraging resilience, responsibility, and service. At Faith in the Farm, children can see that a garden does not take care of itself: it needs people who will build, plant, tend, and work together. The Community Build Day is one opportunity for young people and adults to learn alongside one another and help care for a place their community can use and enjoy.
A connected approach to neighborhood well-being
The church’s garden work is part of a wider effort to make healthy choices and community support more accessible. The Community Food Bowl and Storehouse help connect neighbors with food and essential goods. Clinic Without Walls focuses on health access and navigation. Beyond 64 in 76104 brings attention to men’s health, economic opportunity, food access, and other conditions that shape community well-being.
The CommuniVersity Center adds learning and access to the vision, connecting residents with opportunities in education, technology, health, business, and legal support. Together, these ministries reflect New Mount Rose’s belief that a healthier neighborhood takes more than one program. It takes practical support, strong relationships, welcoming spaces, and neighbors who can help shape their community.
That work also includes caring for the places where people live. Clean fields, safe paths, maintained gardens, and shared outdoor spaces can invite neighbors to gather, work, and take pride in their surroundings. New Mount Rose’s goal is to turn underused spaces into places that nourish both people and community life.
“We’re not just growing vegetables,” Tatum said. “We’re growing healthier communities.”
Join the Community Build Day
New Mount Rose invites neighbors, volunteers, families, and community partners to join the Faith in the Farm Community Build Day on Saturday, November 14, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.
Volunteers will build garden boxes and fences, organize and clean out the container, and clean up the fields. The day will also include food, fun, and fellowship with neighbors. No special experience is needed—just a willingness to lend a hand and help make the community stronger.
New Mount Rose’s vision is to help move the community from food insecurity toward a flourishing food forest—one garden box, one shared meal, and one day of service at a time.
For more information, contact Pastor Tatum at 817-966-7625, or visit www.newmountrose.com.
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