Food Grants

The Office of Environmental Programs is providing funding opportunities through the Food System Transformation grant, Resilient and Sustainable Agriculture grant, and Agri-Food Technology Innovation grant.

Food System Transformation Grant

To ensure a resilient food system, OEP invited small businesses within the City's food system to submit applications seeking funding to implement projects designed to transform the City's food system into a more resilient, sustainable, equitable, healthy, and thriving system.​ As of 2024, the City has funded 18 projects led by the following organizations:

​Al-Hamka Farm and Bakery​

Al-Hamka Farm and Bakery will implement a sustainable farming project called Harvesting Hope. The Harvesting Hope project will provide fresh, locally grown produce to local St. Mary’s Food Banks on a weekly basis that will support food security in disadvantaged census tract communities. Harvesting Hope will utilize local farmland to distribute seasonal summer and fall variety product produce that is sustainable for the climate and soil conditions of the Sonoran Desert region.

Arizo​na Fresh​

AZ Fresh will transform a 120-acre site in Phoenix, formerly a landfill, into a hub with a permanent indoor Farmer's Market. This project aims to provide fresh food to underserved communities, addressing long-standing food deserts in the city. AZ Fresh will utilize the grant funds to host outdoor Farmer's Markets until the permanent market opens.

Cihuapactli Collective

The CC will utilize grant funds to develop a Wellness Center and Food Forest near 12th Street and Broadway on the 7 acres of land surrounding the Campo Santo Mexicano Cemetery. With the assistance of the community, they aim to improve access to local fresh foods, safe outdoor spaces, and culturally sensitive health services for South Phoenix.

Creighton Community Foundation (CCF)​

The CCF is proposing the Fresca Zona Community Foods Retail Pilot Project in Phoenix to improve food equity. This project aims to offer fresh, affordable SNAP-eligible produce to enhance food security, accessibility, affordability, and healthy eating for low-income communities. It will operate at the CCF Fresca Zona retail location, starting in June 2023, and collaborate with local partners to provide a variety of healthy food options. The goal is to strengthen the local food system and support the community's nutritional needs.

Diana Gregory Outreach Services​

Diana Gregory Outreach Services will use grand funds to expand the reach and impact of food distribution services, which currently serve over 60 ongoing site visits, providing healthy fruits and vegetables to independent living and afforadable housing communities in under-resourced areas and food deserts within the Phoenix Metro Area. The project will address the increasing need for food security among high-poverty families, seniors, veterans, and low-income grandparents raising grandchildren. 

Farm to School Consulting ​(FSPC)

FSPC will use grant funds to buy commercial-grade food processing equipment, boosting access to local foods in schools and fostering producer-community connections. This project addresses the high demand for costly processing equipment among small local farmers. Serving South Phoenix, it will impact 2,500 students and engage up to 10 farmers.​​

Food Forest Cooperative (FFC)​

The FFC will utilize grant funds to support the security and food prep/storage needs of the Food Forest, which was established in March of 2021 and is located on a 1-acre plot at Spaces of Opportunity. 

Homer Farms Inc. will establish a state-of-the-art post-harvesting facility to support the production and distribution of "TruLocal," a premium leafy green brand cultivated in Homer Farms' indoor vertical farm. The project aims to enhance the quality, accessibility, and the sustainability of locally grown leafy greens.

JUNTOS will utilize grant funds to implement a series of free Local Food Workshops to enhance food access in the Edison Eastlake Community (EEC). The project aligns with JUNTOS’ mission to increase the availability of local, heirloom, and sustainable foods. The workshops, conducted in both Spanish and English, will build on the existing efforts of the EEC Garden Club, focusing on its members as the target audience.​

Knead Technologies

Knead Technologies will use grant funds to partner with local organization Kitch on the Street to create a circular food system pilot. The pilot project will collect surplus edible food and compostable food waste from local farms, grocery stores, and restaurants. 

Local First Arizona Foundation​

The Local First Arizona Foundation (LFAF) will utilize funds to expand the Heart & Soil People's Garden. The grant will help boost the garden's capacity and sustainability, including the addition of utilities, restrooms, and a misting system.

Machokoto Farms

Machokoto Family Farms, a local BIPOC farming enterprise, is launching a landfill waste diversion project in Phoenix to reduce methane emissions and enhance the city's food system sustainability. This initiative aims to pilot waste diversion from various sources, establish local carbon farming, and provide training to BIPOC farmers, promoting environmental sustainability and improved soil health in the Phoenix desert environment.

Phoenix Local Organizing Committee

The Phoenix Local Organizing Committee utilize grant funding to enhance their South Phoenix farm to empower residents with knowledge and resources, combat food deserts, and strengthen the local food system in Phoenix.. They plan to reduce water use and temperature through shade structures, provide gardening training, and centralize tools for efficient community gardening.

Recycled City​

Recycled City will utilize grant funds to purchase a Tilmor 520 Cultivating Tractor, Basket Weeder, and Toolbar for use by young, beginning, and disadvantaged farmers on Recycled City's farm. This investment will decrease hand-weeding, increase local food production and yields through better weed management and water conservation, and lower the cost of producing vegetables.

Spaces of Opportunity

Spaces of Opportunity will use grant funds to bolster their efforts in South Phoenix's local food system. The project aims to overcome barriers faced by socially disadvantaged local farmers, improve water management through an enhanced irrigation system to reduce water consumption significantly, and construct shade structures to protect crops during harvesting, ensuring fresher, higher-quality produce reaches the market and the community.

Sun Produce Cooperative

​The funding will​​ be used to lease a larger refrigerated truck, allowing the Sun Produce Cooperative (SPC) to significantly increase the distribution of locally grown produce in Phoenix, benefiting local growers and farmers. Additionally, the funding will support the implementation of the Local Food Marketplace software system, improving operational efficiency. SPC aims to expand market opportunities, especially in low food access areas, and facilitate training for growers in sustainable practices. ​

TMF will utilize grand funds to install an agrivoltaic system, update the irrigation infrastructure, and improve existing garden beds at the Garden of Tomorrow community garden site in South Phoenix. The agrivoltaic system will provide shade to create mircoclimates for increased crop production and generate renewable energy on site to run the advanced irrigation system and power the wireless internet connection for those visiting the site.

The Orchard Community Learning Center​

The funds will be used to expand and improve the Orchard Community Learning Center's existing food systems initiatives. This includes enhancing food production, adopting regenerative farming practices, upgrading storage facilities, implementing efficient irrigation systems, and obtaining food safety certification. The grant will also support new positions like a Community Food Sovereignty Coordinator, a "Tell the Story" specialist, and an administrator to coordinate project activities and reporting. ​

​​Resilient and Sustainable Agriculture Grant​

The purpose of this grant is to assist farms in advancing projects designed to accelerate the transition toward a more resilient, sustainable, equitable and thriving food system.

T​he Office of Environmental Programs awarded the following organizations a Resilient and Sustainable Agriculture Grant:​

Creighton Community Foundation

CCF's current projects and programs focus on (1) creating communal spaces such as  community gardens/urban farms where multiple generations can come together, build healthy relationships, and learn alongside one another and (2) offering wrap-around services intentionally designed to strengthen at-risk youth and families. 

Building upon the success of CCF's thriving urban farm site at David Crockett Elementary School, CCF will create the expansion of this food-growing operation to another ​Grand Canalscape-connected edible urban farm. The farm will focus on the use of regenerative, low-resource, and environmentally tolerant gardening technologies to encourage resilient, sustainable food production.​

​Food Forest Cooperative (FFC)​

The FFC is utilizing grant funds to use their 1-acre space to engage with the local community and offer educational opportunities around the value of culturally relevant, whole fruits and vegetables, medicine making, and learning about the many uses of edible/medicinal plants.

With this grant, the FFC will implement shade infrastructure, greenhouse infrastructure, a water tank, and a solar pump on their plot to increase their ability to grow and sell products locally, connect with the community, and enhance food forest protection during the summer heat.

Maya's Farm

Maya's Farm is a small, organic, and sustainable operation which produces high-quality specialty vegetables, herbs, flowers and eggs for restaurants, local markets, and schools. The farm is located on a 3.3-acre plot in South Phoenix.

Maya's Farm will utilize grant funds to support a soil and agroforestry project. The project components will establish a positive feedback system, increase yields, reduce labor hours, lower temperatures, boost water and energy efficiency, and promote carbon capture.​

Recycled City

R.City is a full circle service operation that collects food waste from around the Valley and composts it to grow produce available for purchase. Through its service offerings, R.City is building farmland, reducing landfill waste, reducing transportation and spoilage, and strengthening the local food economy.

For 38 weeks, Recycled City will provide a composting service and deliver a $10 farm box to 26 Phoenix residents located within food deserts. The composting bins will be replaced each week and each farm box comes with fresh, organic fruits and vegetables grown from farms in Phoenix.​

 Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP)

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Phoenix is a 76-year-old 501c3 that fulfills the most basic needs — to be fed, clothed, housed and healed— of the working poor, those experiencing homelessness, and volunteers seeking meaningful interactions.

As a part of their Urban Farms Program, SVdP will install seasonal shade structures at their Phoenix-based farms to extend their growing season, increase soil biology, and implement a robust crop rotation.

YoBro Farms

YoBro Farms has been in operation since 2015 and is a grower of gourmet microgreens, mushrooms, and seasonal produce.

YoBro Farms aims to create an outdoor, solar-powered, semi-automated, vertical mushroom farming system that will promote efforts to reduce the impact of local food production.

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Agri-Food Tech Innovation Grant​

This program provided funding and incentives to encourage food system entrepreneurs and innovative food businesses to expand or locate in Phoenix. ​

The Office of Environmental Programs awarded the following organizations​ an Agri-Food Tech Innovation Grant:

ASU Indoor Farming Lab

Dr. Yujin Park and Professor Zhihao Chen of Arizona State University created the Indoor Farming Lab on the ASU Polytechnic campus. The lab consists of a research vertical farm, greenhouse space, and two walk-in growth chambers with the aim of improving the quality and availability of nutritious food for urban populations.

Park and Chen will create two, 3-day workshops on indoor vertical farming (IVF) for all stakeholders within the food system to enhance understanding of IVF crop production and management to create more accessible healthy food for Phoenix residents located in food deserts. In addition to the workshops, Park and Chen will also work with ASU students to research, develop and share IVF cost and energy reduction strategies to boost the broad adoption of IVF. 

FreshK​ube Inc.

FreshKube Inc. was founded in 2021 with the specific goal to improve, market and refine the concept of the mini-containers (MCs). A mini-container is a cyber-enabled, Lego-like device that can be incrementally connected to refrigerate the volume needed by the harvest at hand.​

FreshKube will use grant funds to construct six mini containers and a portable micro-solar farm to provide small growers and distributors with cost-effective and transportable temperature-controlled containers that can be powered by renewable energy.  

Homer Farms​​

Founded in 2019 by Zhihao Chen and Chad Geelhood, the Arizona-grown Homer Farms Inc. is a startup that innovatively converts food waste into bioenergy and fertilizer to support the growth of fresh local produces inside its vertical farms with the vision to make a more sustainable and resilient circular food system to feed the world.

Homer Farms Inc. will build a 10,000 ft2 vertical farm in Phoenix to create an innovative circular economy between food production and food waste management. Additionally, it will establish a resilient and robust food system with minimum environmental impact by the integration of controlled environmental agriculture, anaerobic digestion, and photovoltaic power. ​The facility will produce a minimum of 500,000 pounds of produce per year while utilizing 95% less water than traditional agriculture.

LEHR Gardens

Lehr Innovations, LLC, is an Agri-Food Tech company located in Phoenix, AZ, with a focus on applying sustainable and regenerative agriculture models and methods to urban agriculture.

Lehr will build a small-scale urban farm and testing site on a plot at Spaces of Opportunity to measure differences in water usage, soil carbon sequestration, costs, productivity between their existing Linking Ecosystem and Hardware for Regeneration (LEHR) Gardens and traditional in-ground farming methods. The grant funds will be used to support the setup of a demonstration and testing site and develop a prototype of a new LEHR garden system. 

​​​NxT Horizon

NxT Horizon LLC is an Ag Tech consulting firm from South Phoenix that helps farmers, agricultural organizations and local governments identify and implement sustainable solutions to real world problems by making urban agriculture more accessible, predictable, and productive.

NxT Horizon will create a pilot program aiming for the successful cultivation of the giant freshwater prawn within an aquaponics garden system. This program will increase water conservation and the ability to produce increased amounts of high-quality food on limited amounts of land with the potential new benefits of applying business models that lower food costs, decrease food insecurity, and increase access to wider varieties of locally desired food types. ​​

Phoenix Food Cooperative

Phoenix Food Co-op is a start-up cooperative composed of volunteer Phoenix. Organizing for the past two and a half years, the group's mission is to open a community-owned cooperative grocer that provides healthy, locally-produced, and accessible food, while also working to create a community space for all people to gather.

The Phoenix Food Co-op is working to establish Phoenix's first cooperative grocery store that will serve as a kinder, healthier, more inclusive and community-focused food systems hub. The Co-op will aggregate local food sources from Phoenix-area growers and producers and connect residents, retailers, and other consumers.

YoBro Farms

YoBro Farms has been in operation since 2015 and is a grower of gourmet microgreens, mushrooms, and seasonal produce.

YoBro Farms will build a hybrid “verti-ponics" microgreen grow house to create a fully functional, low-impact system to expand the production capability of their farm's vertical microgreen grow system.

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