Growing To Give, Freeing People from Hunger, Food and Community Gardens
Imagine a world where the most resourceful and productive community farms and gardens thrive, nourishing communities with fresh and sustainable produce. Now, imagine those farm and gardens being gifted to communities who are passionate about sustaining them for years to come. That's what we're all about at Growing to Give - creating a movement of generosity and empowerment through innovation in agriculture.
Agriculture is not just a means of survival for people in need in these communities but also a source of pride and purpose. It's a way for people to connect with the land and with each other, a way to grow to give, learn new skills, and to contribute to the common good. By promoting sustainable farm and garden practices, Growing To Give intends to free millions from hunger.
Who We Are: Our Mission
Growing to Give is committed to alleviating hunger, promoting food security and environmental stewardship through the development and enhancement of community and backyard gardens and small scale farms using innovative, sustainable agriculture technologies and practices. Our mission is to empower marginalized, low income, climate vulnerable communities to grow their own fresh produce, thereby reducing reliance on traditional food distribution systems.
Our Feature Project
Once an oasis, Las Vegas has become the most unsustainable city in the world. The artesian wells and springs are long gone, and the city depends on Lake Mead for its water supply, which is at its lowest level since the construction of the Hoover Dam almost a century ago. Unless extreme water saving measures are adopted, the future of Las Vegas looks bleak.
Crop Circles on the Shores of Lake Mead
The average residential water use in Las Vegas is approximately 220 gallons per day per household. The Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) has set a target to reduce this usage to about 180 gallons per day per household by 2035. In an effort to reduce water use and address rising food prices and growing food security throughout the city, we will implement a government supported, city-wide, Water Smart Crop Circle Garden Program. Each garden will use just a fraction (4 gallons) of the 170 gallon per day goal targeted by the city while growing enough food to support a family of four.
The project will demonstrate Crop Circle Gardens at our agricultural demonstration site on the shores of Lake Mead. This initiative, in collaboration with local nonprofit organizations, local food banks and sponsors, has the potential to feed people in need all across the city.
Our Programs:
Growing to Give is committed to accelerating change by offering innovative and scalable solutions that will be implemented globally through our Strengthening Community Gardens Across America, Africa, and the Caribbean initiative. Learn More About Our Hero Initiative
Our Community Food Ambassador Program was created for those that want to adopt a more proactive role in their communities. The Community Food Ambassador Program combines elements of community service, education, and sustainability to address the challenge of rising costs and accessibility of fresh produce. Learn More About Becoming A Food Ambassador
The purpose of our programs are twofold. Firstly, we aim to provide resources, support, and innovative solutions to community gardens across America and then around the world. We work closely with community garden leaders and participants to provide tools, guidance, and educational resources to optimize food production, promote ecological sustainability, and foster community engagement.
Secondly, we actively advocate for the importance of community gardens in promoting food security, environmental stewardship, and community well-being. Through public outreach, education, and collaboration with like-minded organizations, we seek to raise awareness about the benefits of community gardening and inspire individuals and communities to embrace this transformative practice.
By bringing together individuals from diverse backgrounds, fostering connections, and nurturing a sense of ownership and pride, we aim to build stronger and more resilient communities. Through our efforts, we strive to create a future where everyone has access to fresh, nutritious food, where community members are actively engaged in sustainable food production, and where communities thrive through shared gardening experiences.
Our programs give communities what they need to take control of their food resources, fostering food security, and creating a more sustainable and equitable society.
Our Projects:
Our projects span the globe from a small community garden in Ohio that grows fresh produce for refugees from Nepal and Burma to schools in Ethiopia and food desert gardens that feed people in need.
Wherever we grow, we reduce poverty and improve food security by teaching people a new way to grow food, a way that uses less water, less space and is more sustainable.
In South Africa, Growing To Give is supporting 14 community gardens and an agroforestry project along the Garden Route with Umthiqua. A church sponsored community farm site in Canada provided 100,000 pounds of produce to local food banks and the Salvation Army.
In Arizona, we are growing 20,000 pounds of Poblano peppers in the middle of the desert. Las Vegas has become the most unsustainable city in the world. The re-emergence of a farm on Las Vegas Boulevard after three quarters of a century would make a powerful statement for sustainability and support a vision to grow food locally and in a sustainable resource efficient way all while supporting growing numbers of people in poverty.
The world’s islands are facing a perfect storm in the wake of the pandemic – food inflation, broken supply chains, water scarcity and limited arable land have ushered in a threat of food insecurity that has governments recognizing the immediate need for rapid development of island agriculture.
Growing To Give is currently developing agricultural food security sites in The Turks and Caicos, the Cayman Islands, the USVI, Anguilla, Antigua, Grenada, Barbados, St. Martin and Nevis.