McKinney Roots breaks ground on new community farm at Gray Branch Parkland
McKinney Roots broke ground at Gray Branch Parkland, setting up a 200-tree orchard, hydroponic greenhouse and classroom barn for food relief.
A five-acre farm built on a repurposed baseball field is moving to 212 acres at Gray Branch Parkland, and McKinney Roots says the new site will let it do more than grow vegetables: it will expand food relief, volunteer work and hands-on education in McKinney.
Leaders marked the shift with a groundbreaking ceremony on May 15 at Gray Branch Parkland, 1299 Gray Branch Road, where McKinney Roots expects to relocate later in 2026. The nonprofit says the move will give it room for a 200-tree orchard with peach and pear trees, a hydroponic greenhouse and a community center created from an existing barn on the property.
The project is tied to a 10-year license agreement approved by McKinney city leaders on Oct. 6, 2025, with a five-year extension option. Under that deal, construction was required to begin by Feb. 1, 2026, or the agreement could be terminated. The farm now moves from planning into visible development on land the city says was once part of a local farm and still retains prairie habitat.
McKinney Roots says the expansion will strengthen its mission to supply fresh produce to food-insecure residents by growing food and distributing it to local nonprofits, churches and schools across Collin County. The current operation, which began about a decade ago on a repurposed baseball field, has grown into a five-acre farm that produces more than 21 varieties of seasonal crops and raises 80 laying hens using organic and natural practices.
The Gray Branch site is also part of a larger park-restoration effort. The City of McKinney and McKinney Parks Department are planting native wildflowers and grasses to restore sections of the land, while the McKinney Parks Foundation has partnered with the city on trees and stretches of wildflowers at the park. Citywide, McKinney maintains 80 miles of hike-and-bike trails and nearly 3,000 acres of parks and open space.
For residents facing rising food costs and uneven access to fresh produce, the Gray Branch farm is being built as a test case for what a neighborhood-scale food system can do when public land, volunteer labor and anti-hunger work are brought under one roof.
Know something we missed? Have a correction or additional information?
Submit a Tip
