Podcast Points: The Transformational Urban Farm with Bonton Farms President Gabe Madison

Contact: Kelly Craine, 254-297-9065
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Baylor Connections is a weekly podcast introducing the people behind Baylor University’s teaching, research and distinct role in higher education. This week’s Baylor Connections guest is Baylor alumna Gabe Madison, the 2024 recipient of Baylor’s Pro Texana Medal of Service.

After two successful decades in the corporate world, Madison answered a call in 2022 to serve as president of Bonton Farms, an urban farm in south Dallas that not only addresses food insecurity but also focuses on meeting myriad community needs, including health, wellness, housing and so much more.

Podcast Points with Bonton Farms President Gabe Madison

CORPORATE SECTOR TO NONPROFIT LEADER

• After graduating from Baylor in 2000, Gabe Madison spent the 22 years honing her skills in sales, human resources and eventually community relations. Working as a community volunteer with Bonton Farms that she describes as the “cul-de-sac of this community,” Madison was drawn to the farm’s mission to transform and bring equity to the community. That led to becoming a board member, board chair and eventually joining team as president. 

COMMUNITY NEEDS AND SOLUTIONS

• Bonton Farms works to address the specific needs of the South Dallas community, including food insecurity, economic development and overall community health. Starting out as a way to meet the needs of people living in food deserts, Bonton Farms has grown into a community resource involved in providing affordable housing, job opportunities within the neighborhood (restaurant, farmer's market, coffee shop and preservatory, where they make all of their jams, jellies and pickled items), accessible financial services, and coming soon, a partnership with Baylor Scott & White to provide primary care.

MODEL FOR OTHER COMMUNITIES

• Madison said Bonton Farms hopes to build a framework that can be replicated in underserved communities like Bonton across the country, connecting others in ways they haven't been connected before. “God has entered before we did and we're so thankful for it,” Madison said.

PRO TEXANA MEDAL OF SERVICE

• Madison was recognized as the 2024 recipient of Baylor’s Pro Texana Medal of Service for her contributions to community service and leadership at Bonton Farms. Her focus has always been finding ways to serve people over financial success.

  “I truly believe that we are called to help others. We are told through society that you need to go out and get what's yours and acquire this and claim that. And after I got out of that mindset is when I really began to see God and his true splendor,” Madison said. 

  "When I stopped worrying about how I was going to be served and when I started focusing on how I would serve others, that's when everything began to shift and move. My life is the richest now that I've ever been. And I have never not had as much money in the bank as I have now. But it is the most rewarding," she said.

LISTEN TO THE CONVERSATION

• Listen to the full conversation with Gabe Madison on the Baylor Connections podcast.

How to Listen to Baylor Connections

Baylor Connections with host Derek Smith airs on Fridays at 11 a.m. CT on KWBU 103.3FM in Waco. The podcast also is available online or by subscribing to Baylor Connections on iTunes.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.