We Grow Urban Farm began on a quarter acre in a West Sacramento neighborhood, right across the street from an elementary school. It was the summer of 2018 and the team had just started a beginning agriculture incubator program. “It was small, humble beginnings for sure,” said farm manager Nelson Hawkins.
The farm has since expanded to include one full acre total. On that land, they grow pretty much everything. “If you can name it, we grow it.”
For the summer season, they have cucumbers, eggplants, garlic, green beans, leeks, okra, onions, sweet peppers, tomatoes, and Swiss chard.
Open your own online farmstand or CSA here:
We Grow uses drip irrigation, compost, and crop rotation to protect the earth and keep the soils healthy. They also help the pollinator population thrive by planting native wildflower hedgerows on the fields.
As an urban farm, We Grow is a vital part of the community. Through the farm’s food security share program, people in the surrounding neighborhood receive CSA boxes free of charge. We Grow also offers CSA box discounts based on income level.
The farm’s partnerships with local workforce development programs allow them to serve their community in an even bigger way. These programs sponsor youth ages 16 to 24 who face barriers to employment as they work on the farm and learn transferable skills.
The impact truly hits close to home. A young man who grew up in the apartments next to the farm completed this program and now works at We Grow Urban in addition to a job he was able to acquire on his own.
You can support We Grow Urban Farm’s mission by donating, volunteering, or joining their CSA program.