Las Vegas

Once an oasis, the marshes were drained a century ago in favor of tourism and development. The artesian wells and springs are long gone, farms have disappeared, and the city depends on Lake Mead for its water supply, which is at its lowest level since the construction of the Hoover Dam. Unless extreme water saving measures are adopted, Las Vegas is danger of running out of water.

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. These figures reflect ongoing efforts to promote water conservation in response to the region's water scarcity challenges. In an effort to reduce water use and address food security throughout the city, we will implement a community driven, city-wide, water-smart Crop Circle Garden program. Each garden will use just a fraction (just 4 gallons) of the 170 gallon per day goal targeted by the city while growing enough fresh produce to support a family of four.

Project Las Vegas

We are building a Community Garden project in collaboration with Chimera Golf Club, nestled in Henderson, Nevada an oasis surrounded by a vibrant, tight-knit community, known for its commitment to outdoor recreation, community engagement, and well-being. As part of its dedication to the community, Chimera is establishing a community garden on the golf course grounds to grow fresh, nutritious produce. This garden will supply fresh ingredients to the clubhouse restaurant, ensuring locally sourced, high-quality meals, and also offer produce to community members, with a primary focus on supporting those in need nearby. Recognizing the importance of sustainable resource use, Chimera is utilizing water-smart methods to address the region's water restrictions. Techniques that conserve water while maximizing yields make this garden both environmentally responsible and practical. The Chimera community garden, built by Growing To Give, aims to become a model for sustainable, community-centered food production throughout Las Vegas and beyond.

Growing To Give

Growing To Give is committed to alleviating hunger, promoting food security and environmental stewardship through the development and deployment of community garden initiatives and programs using Crop Circle agricultural systems. Their mission is to empower marginalized, low income, climate vulnerable communities to grow their own fresh produce to reduce reliance on traditional food distribution systems.

During the implementation phase of the Chimera Community Garden, residents will be engaged through workshops and educational campaigns, learning how to cultivate their Crop Circle Gardens with techniques that align with the city’s stringent water use goals. As a result, the program aims to reduce residential water consumption, foster community involvement, and improve local food security, serving as a model for sustainability in the most unsustainable city in the world.

The Gardens

The Gardens bring substantial value to the surrounding community by combining a highly efficient, spiraled design that maximizes plant growth while conserving water, fertilizer, land, and labor. Centered around the needs of the community, it provides fresh produce and cultivates a sense of unity as a gathering place where people can connect, share ideas, and learn together. It’s a natural, educational space, engaging families and children in understanding how food is grown and how to incorporate it into healthy meals. This setting not only promotes exercise and time spent outdoors but also builds a healthy, sustainable environment. As a low-impact, sustainable enterprise, the Chimera Community Garden fosters a thriving ecosystem, benefiting both the local economy and the well-being of the community.

At the heart of each Crop Circle is a Crop Circle Irrigator, a proprietary 3-piece assembly that imbeds in soil below grade to water and fertilize each plant in the circle. The assembly holds water within a fertilized vessel that feeds each plant over time creating a self-contained targeted agriculture system. The advantages are numerous:

- Crop Circles use 90% less water compared to flood, drip, and spray irrigation methods.

- Crop Circles use 85% less fertilizer.

- This is a “plant-and-forget” agricultural system requiring little maintenance.

- Crops are grown organically and the “need-to-weed” is virtually eliminated.

- Crop Circles double yield in half the space.

Unidentified Food Objects (UFO's)

Local businesses will be invited to sponsor the project; restaurants, casino properties, hotels, and others will be asked to participate. The produce grown will be shared; some by chefs, some by individual sponsors, however, the bulk of what we grow will be “gifted “to charitable organizations including local churches and food banks for distribution to those in need, particularly those living in the regions “food deserts”.

Beyond Food Deserts: Water Smart Farm & Garden Promotional Benefits

Las Vegas is not only a hotspot for entertainment but also could be a burgeoning center for innovative agricultural practices. The latest buzzword in the city’s culinary scene is the "UFO" or Unidentified Food Object, which represents a movement towards sustainable and water-smart farming and gardening. Given the pressing concerns over the Colorado River and Lake Mead’s water levels, Las Vegas restaurants, particularly those on the famous Strip including the Bellagio, are leading by example. There is great interest in sourcing fresh produce from farms and gardens that employ water-saving techniques, ensuring that every bite is as environmentally friendly as it is delicious. The Ramsay Burger, a notable icon on the Strip, has embraced this trend by incorporating locally grown, water-smart produce into its menu. This initiative not only supports locally-grown agriculture but also raises awareness about the importance of water conservation, a critical issue for the city of Las Vegas, which imports almost 100% of its food from somewhere else.