Spaces of Opportunity

For nearly a decade, Spaces of Opportunity has been an initiative developed by and for the South Phoenix community in which it is located.

Despite having a rich agricultural history, many census tracts in the area are now designated by the USDA as "food deserts" due to a lack of access to affordable, fresh food. As a result, South Phoenix faces high rates of diabetes, obesity, and other health concerns.

Area residents and nonprofit organizations formed a coalition in 2011 with a shared vision of improving well-being by addressing the natural, built, and social environments. Feedback collected through community canvassing identified a special opportunity to create a food movement in South Phoenix where people can build ties to the land, reap the related economic benefits, and practice healthy eating and active living. In 2015, the coalition began transforming a barren field - once reserved for a school no longer needed - into a vibrant food oasis and community gathering space.

Today, Spaces of Opportunity gives residents of South Phoenix access to nutritious food, entrepreneurial opportunities, and community building. We were born from and are fueled by the collaboration of our founding partners:

• Desert Botanical Garden
• Orchard Community Learning Center
• Roosevelt School District
• Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation
• TigerMountain Foundation
• Unlimited Potential
• Valley Leadership

Spaces of Opportunity leverages the strengths of these founding partners to nurture their shared goal: to build upon the cultural and agricultural roots of South Phoenix, and enrich the lives of those in the community.

Our mission is to enable all South Phoenix families to have affordable access to healthy food, active living, and healthy roots in their cultures. Spaces is engineering a comprehensive, neighborhood-level food system where gardeners, farmers, and farm workers are celebrated as artisans. Spaces of Opportunity is the only local food system of its kind in the Phoenix metropolitan area, and unique in the country for the diverse strengths of the committed partner organizations and their shared vision to bring food security, build sustainability, and cultivate community.

As Spaces of Opportunity continues to evolve and grow, the needs of community members such as individuals, families, schools, and community organizations guide our programming and infrastructure development. This once empty plot of land has blossomed into an urban agriculture partnership dedicated to providing sustainable, fresh produce, farming opportunities, and wellness experiences.

Spaces of Opportunity Today:

• Incubator Farm: Local farmers have a space to grow and cultivate their produce on a small scale, providing a source of income for growers, offering fresh, organically grown produce to South Phoenix, and serving as a demonstration project in restorative agriculture and community engagement. We currently have 21 farmers and (38) ¼ acres plots with farmers having between 1-6 plots.

• Community Gardens: Community residents can try their hand at farming to nourish, be more self-sufficient, learn something new, or connect with cultural roots. Regular events are also held at the community gardens to celebrate food, diverse cultures, and communities. We currently have 55 gardeners and 205 plots at 5' x 50'.

• Farmers Market/Event Space: Growers and craftspeople can build their business by selling their locally grown and made produce, homemade goods, and crafts, with educational opportunities including gardening, volunteering, cooking and nutrition, physical activity, and overall wellness. Markets are offered monthly with quarterly seasonal sunset markets. The market is also a space for community gatherings, partner workshops, fun service days, and more.

• Urban Agroforestry: Recently launched, this workforce development program pays and trains community members to develop skills needed to care for the lifecycles of trees, and places them as interns with industry leaders. It helps the City of Phoenix achieve its goals for increasing the urban tree canopy as a means for mitigating the heat island effect. We are also exploring a partnership with Arizona State University to pilot small-scale tree nurseries as a means of economic opportunities for South Phoenix residents.

• Additional areas to explore, learn about, and enjoy include the Nature Explore Classroom, the Desert Edible Garden, and the Healing Garden.

Testimonials

Meet some of our incubator farmers:

Hussein Al-Hamka, owner of Al-Hamka Farms & Bakery, and his family have been part of Spaces of Opportunity incubator farmers since its inception. He grows a wide array of vegetables and fruit. He chose farming to provide healthy organic food to his family, friends and the community. He hopes to achieve more land to grow more produce. He wants his customers to visit his land, know where their organic produce is coming from, and learn about the growing process and harvesting techniques...