The Texas House of Representatives is honoring Ivy L. Walls of Houston with the 2025 Outstanding Texan Award from the Texas Legislative Black Caucus. As the owner of Ivy Leaf Farms, Ms. Walls has made significant contributions to her community, particularly in addressing the health and nutrition needs of residents in Sunnyside, a designated food desert. After earning a degree in biology and working as an infection preventionist during the COVID-19 pandemic, she recognized the lack of access to fresh produce in her neighborhood. This realization led her to start growing vegetables in her parents' backyard, eventually establishing Ivy Leaf Farms in 2020 to provide fresh produce to her community.

In addition to her farming efforts, Ms. Walls has co-founded initiatives such as Black Farmer Box, which delivers locally sourced produce to food desert residents, and Fresh Houwse Grocery, a local bodega that supports local farmers and serves as a community hub. Through her entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to improving the well-being of her fellow Houstonians, she has become a role model for civic-minded entrepreneurship. The resolution expresses the Texas House of Representatives' congratulations and best wishes to Ms. Walls for her achievements and future endeavors.