In 2024, The FruitGuys Community Fund awarded its largest-ever class of farm grantees, providing $85,328 in funding to twenty small farms and agricultural nonprofits across sixteen states. These grants support projects focused on soil health, heirloom crop preservation, water conservation, ecological pest management, and pollinator support.
This year, we expanded our reach to include farms in Kansas, West Virginia, and Puerto Rico for the first time. Grantees were selected by independent volunteer reviewers based on criteria such as diversity of farm ownership, years in operation, farming practices, challenges in accessing traditional funding, economic distress in their communities, and overall community impact.
The 2024 grant awards were made possible by generous donors to our Small Farms, Big Impacts campaign, along with continued program support from Aramark. Since 2022, Aramark—the Philadelphia-based food and facilities service provider—has committed to funding at least ten nonprofit farms led by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) farmers each year. The FruitGuys covers all administrative and staffing costs of the Community Fund while also contributing to the annual grant budget.
Now, we’re excited to share final project updates from our 2024 grantees. Read on for stories of their successes and challenges in bringing their projects to life.
Final Project Updates
Use the links in the list of farm grantees below to jump directly to their featured updates.
- Blue Pear Farm and Gardens in Huntsburg, OH
- Brittany’s Bees in Mitchell, OR
- City Green Inc. in Clifton, NJ
- Dear Native Grapes in Walton, NY
- Dolii Farms in Shiprock, NM
- Finca Luna Búho in Cheshire, MA
- Fox Haven Organic Farm & Learning Center in Frederick, MD
- Growing Communities Inc. / Crop Swap LA in Los Angeles, CA
- Growing Home in Chicago, IL
- La Finca de Hamberto in Vieques, PR
- Lone Star Olive Ranch in Madisonville, TX
- Mountain Echoes Farm / Soil Hued Mojo in Mathias, WV
- Pie Ranch in Pescadero, CA
- Refugee and Immigrant Self-Empowerment in Syracuse, NY
- Rosy Buck Farm in Leasburg, MO
- Servicing Every Soul / S&S Friendly Ranch in San Diego, CA
- TNR Hills in Kansas City, KS
- TruCulture Farm in Hattiesburg, MS
- Tuba Farm Foundation Inc. in Glassboro, NJ
- YouthWorks Ranch in Tulsa, OK
Blue Pear Farm and Gardens
is a 44-acre, women-owned and operated farm in Huntsburg, Ohio, that uses permaculture practices such as no-till, and stormwater management for reducing water use. The farm engages the local community by offering educational programs in permaculture and the arts. It received a $5,000 grant to create and install a pollinator hedgerow along the back parcel of the farm. The funds will be used to purchase fifty-one native trees, 200 native shrubs, one hundred native perennials, and five pounds of wildflower seed mix from a local native plant nursery. The hedgerow project will help the farm expand its efforts to support pollinators and increase crop yields.
“The project included planting over 350 native plants. Despite challenges like poison ivy and unpredictable fall weather, we successfully completed planting in December,” said farm-owner Carol Palansky, who added that the hedgerow enhances biodiversity, supports pollinators, and serves as an educational tool for the community. “The amount of pollinators benefiting is beyond our imagination.”
Brittany’s Bees
is a women-owned and operated apiary located on thirty acres in Mitchell, Oregon. Beekeeper Brittany Dye has close to 400 colonies of honeybees and utilizes holistic beekeeping practices. The apiary received a $4,800 grant to implement a varroa mite-resistant bee breeding program. One of the greatest issues beekeepers face is the varroa mite, a parasite that attacks and feeds on honey bees. The mites often force beekeepers to put harsh chemicals into the hives to save the bees. The grant funds were used to purchase 160 varroa mite-resistant queen bees and other materials to produce more mite-resistant bees, ultimately improving the genetics of Brittany’s hives.
In May, beekeeper Brittany Dye introduced 155 specially bred queens into her hives to improve colony resilience. While many queens did not survive the winter, this challenge provided critical insights. Brittany now plans to breed from her own survivor stock—selecting genetics better suited to the region’s harsh climate. “This learning will strengthen future breeding efforts, supporting healthier, more sustainable bee populations. A full assessment of hive health is expected in spring 2025,” said Brittany.
City Green Inc.
is a nonprofit farming and gardening organization based in Clifton, New Jersey. City Green operates on twelve acres preserved by the Land Conservancy of New Jersey for organic food cultivation. The agricultural project practices regenerative and sustainable techniques to maximize food production and sustain soil health while increasing access for low-income families in urban areas of New Jersey. It grows a variety of healthy, nutrient-dense vegetables that are popular and culturally relevant to the customers it serves. City Green serves over 6,000 people each year and donates over 8,500 pounds of food to local food pantries in Passaic and Morris counties. It received a $2,400 grant to plant four pollinator hedgerows and install drip irrigation to increase water conservation efforts.
“The team installed drip irrigation, ensuring efficient watering through a dry summer while overcoming challenges like fox damage. They also expanded hedgerows, increasing pollinator activity and improving fruiting crop yields. Additional conservation efforts included planting perennial clover for soil health and installing birdhouses to boost biodiversity. With preparations underway for a third hedgerow in 2025, City Green continues to strengthen its regenerative farming practices. Thanks to The FruitGuys Community Fund for supporting these impactful initiatives!” said Grant Manager Lia Italiano.
Dear Native Grapes
is a family owned and operated forty-four-acre vineyard and winery run by Deanna Urciuoli and Alfie Alcántara located in Walton, New York, near the Catskill Mountains. Dear Native Grapes is committed to restoring America’s native and hybrid grapes using winegrowing methods modeled on regenerative practices. The grapes are harvested, crushed, fermented, aged, and bottled on site. The vineyard received a $5,000 grant to sustainably manage pest pressure by installing a permanent seven-foot deer fence to protect five acres of vineyard.
Despite initial challenges with rocky soil, requiring a shift from a post pounder to an auger and manual installation, the team persevered. With community support, they completed the fence, including all posts, tension wire, and gates, just in time for spring. “The project not only safeguards our native and hybrid grapevines but also strengthens our bonds with the local community, reaffirming our commitment to sustainable winegrowing in Delaware County,” said Co-owner Deanna Urciuoli.
Dolii Farms
is a five-acre organic, women-owned and operated farm located in the Navajo Nation and run by Jeneva and Najhozhoni Rain Ben. The farm grows Navajo white corn and Navajo white corn pollen, which is used for ceremonial offerings. The corn is grown, shelled, and packaged on the farm. Its mission is to create economic opportunity with Navajo Nation farms and ranches, and give everyone access to affordable traditional organic foods. The farm received a $5,000 grant to purchase the necessary supplies to convert an existing outbuilding into a solar-powered drying shed for its heirloom Native corn. The goal is to create an energy-efficient contained building where Dolii and neighboring farmers can process the corn, eliminate spoilage due to humidity, and have a consistent time for drying.
Construction is underway, with ventilation and solar kits ordered and shop fans in place. Despite a setback due to a family house fire, the team remains committed to completing the project, with three community farmers already interested in utilizing the space. A project extension has been granted to finalize the installation of solar panels and ensure the drying shed is fully operational for the upcoming harvest season.
Finca Luna Búho
is a majority BIPOC-led agricultural nonprofit on seventy-three acres of unceded Mohican land in the northern Berkshires of western Massachusetts, growing heirloom and culturally relevant crops using Afro-Indigenous ecological practices. With a $4,997 grant, it created a water catchment and storage system to improve irrigation efficiency, while enhancing soil health through the addition of compost, wood chips, mycelium, and cover crops. This system will help it adapt to fluctuating rainfall and reduce reliance on groundwater.
The farm successfully installed the irrigation system for new and raised beds, applied compost and mulch to enrich soil, and introduced mycelium inoculation to improve soil integrity and provide an additional food source. “The FruitGuys grant was invaluable in helping us improve our farm’s infrastructure, from adding compost and mulch to creating accessible raised beds and installing irrigation. The funding also allowed us to engage our community—especially youth—in hands-on education, including mycelium inoculation to enrich the soil. We’re incredibly grateful for this support, which has had both immediate and lasting benefits,” said Farm Manager Fran Sequeira Calderón.
Fox Haven Organic Farm & Learning Center
is a majority women- and BIPOC-led non-profit farm, ecological retreat, learning center, and wildlife sanctuary situated on 230 acres in the Catoctin Valley of Western Maryland on Piscataway land. The farm’s primary crops are medicinal and culinary herbs distributed through its Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. It received a $4,286 grant to purchase the materials to assemble an ergonomic post-harvest wash table, install drip irrigation to water crops efficiently, and buy a variety of flower and cover crop seed to attract pollinators and build soil health.
To date, it has successfully constructed a wash and drying table, purchased tools like Chamomile rakes and stem cutters, and completed its largest Lemongrass harvest to date, allowing it to donate surplus to DC Mutual Aid Apothecary. Despite challenges with drought and county permit delays, it made progress in cover cropping, soil health improvement, and irrigation planning. The grant funds have been fully utilized but installation is slated for spring and fall 2025. While the project isn’t fully completed, the impacts of the grant are evident, and the farm looks forward to sharing updates on its work.
Growing Communities Inc. / Crop Swap LA
is a majority BIPOC- and women-led agricultural non-profit operating micro farms in the urban neighborhoods of Leimert Park and Crenshaw in Southern Los Angeles, California. The organization implements innovative projects that transform underutilized spaces into efficient food production sites, utilizing rainwater harvesting and sustainable farming practices. Growing Communities brings food access, environmental benefits, and economic opportunities to local residents. The micro farms grow a variety of fruits and vegetables, which are distributed through a membership-based CSA model available to residents within one mile of each farm. Crop Swap LA received a $5,000 grant to develop a new micro farm site, buying garden bed materials, seedlings, soil, and a rainwater catchment and drip irrigation system.
“Funding from the FruitGuys Community Fund enabled the successful installation of farming infrastructure at a South LA high school, completing the first phase of a space designed to produce over 5,000 pounds of fresh, organically grown fruits and vegetables annually. In addition to food production, the space will serve as an outdoor learning environment, featuring student enrichment activities and STEM integration. Student-led projects will continue enhancing the space with natural landscaping that supports native pollinators,” said John Garside, director of Policy & Development.
Growing Home
is a two-acre, USDA-Certified Organic urban farm, workforce development center, and BIPOC-led non-profit social enterprise located in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago. It grows about 150 varieties of vegetables, which it sells at affordable prices at a weekly farm stand and other local markets during the growing season. It received a $5,000 grant to purchase pest-resistant mesh netting to install on three existing hoophouses. This integrated pest management-focused project will address the struggles Growing Home is experiencing with pest pressure on a number of its crops. The addition of mesh netting will reduce the time it takes to protect crops from pests and increase yields without the use of chemicals.
“These upgrades have strengthened the structure and reduced pest damage, though some decrease in air flow was noted. Growing Home plans to address this by increasing pruning in future seasons. The materials are durable, and we expect significant benefits in upcoming seasons,” said Ezra Lee, farm and director.
La Finca de Hamberto
is a twenty-eight-acre BIPOC-led farm in Vieques, Puerto Rico, committed to rebuilding a resilient, sustainable farming community. The farm supplies fresh produce to local restaurants and markets, offers educational programs, and supports beginning farmers with resources. With a $5,000 grant, the farm purchased and installed a caterpillar-style grow tunnel to boost production capacity and support community needs. The goal is to produce 50-100 pounds of produce weekly, serve twenty restaurants, and continue donations to the community kitchen. The tunnel will also serve as a space for student workshops on farming techniques.
Despite setbacks from Hurricane Ernesto, the farm has successfully procured the hoop house, and construction will begin soon. Updates will follow as its team moves forward with the project.
Lone Star Olive Ranch
is an eighty-acre, women-owned-and-operated farm and olive orchard located in Madisonville, Texas. It produces olives, grapes, flowers, honey, and herbs using sustainable growing practices, plus value-added products such as olive oil, stuffed olives, herb mix, sauces, and jams. In 2021, Winter Storm Uri caused damage to 14,000 of its olive trees. Only ten rows of its original rootstock survived. Lone Star Olive Ranch has been hard at work planting new olive saplings and diversifying its farm with the addition of new crops. With a $4,751 grant, it expanded its sustainable farming practices by planting heirloom varieties of fruit trees and plants, and adding two beehives near its orchard and growing space. The funds also covered essential beekeeping equipment as well as wildflower seeds and a seed spreader tool.
Recent progress finalizing the project includes converting former olive orchards into peach, plum, and blackberry orchards and seeding two acres with a bee clover mix to support a beekeeping initiative. “Due to weather challenges and plant availability, vegetable, herb, and wildflower plantings have been purchased but will be planted in mid-March 2025,” said Owner Cathy Bernell.
Mountain Echoes Farm / Soil Hued Mojo
is a twenty-acre, women-of-color and family-owned farm in Mathias, West Virginia, focused on growing medicinal herbs for maternal health and creating small-batch products for BIPOC and vulnerable communities in Appalachia. It partners with local birth clinics and midwifery practices, offering products such as sitz baths, perineal sprays, teas, magnesium oil, balms, massage oils, and salves to support maternal health. The farm received a $3,097 grant to build a hoop house and a solar dehydrator, and establish bee hives on site. These initiatives aim to extend the growing season, reduce electricity use, minimize crop waste, and improve pollination for increased yields.
Founder Siara Benoit, said “We were able to complete all funded tasks/projects. This includes the installation of a hoop house to expand the growing season, the construction of a solar dehydrator and two bee hives. Our biggest challenge this season was the extreme heat but with safety measures put into practice we were able to complete all of our goals safely and effectively. An emphatic THANK YOU to The FruitGuys Community Fund.”
Pie Ranch
is a twenty-seven-acre agricultural non-profit located in Pescadero, California. Pie Ranch is a Certified Organic, regenerative farm and food system education center that engages and employs young people on the land; shares resources with emerging, primarily BIPOC farmers; and helps make healthy food accessible to San Francisco Bay Area communities. Its Food Lab program is an educational initiative with Pescadero Middle/High School that offers farm experience and training to young people. It received a $2,135 grant to create compost bins, install a drip irrigation system, and buy seeds and plantings for a pollinator hedgerow at the Pescadero Middle/High School School garden site.
Despite delays due to school construction and remodel plans, which required confirmation that the garden infrastructure would not be affected, Pie Ranch is on track to meet the grant’s objectives. With these barriers now cleared, students have begun installing the irrigation system, expanding the school garden, and building compost bins to convert lunch scraps into compost. The remaining grant funds have been used to purchase necessary hardware for the compost bins and additional plants for the garden. “This project not only enhances the school’s sustainability efforts but also empowers students with practical skills in agriculture and environmental stewardship,” said Development Support Consultant Kelly Muñoz.
Refugee and Immigrant Self-Empowerment (RISE) Community Farm
is a 180-acre agricultural non-profit, community-based farm located in Syracuse, New York. The farm serves as a resource for immigrants and refugees who are interested in farming. The program offers free or low-cost access to land, agricultural and business education, and other resources to help growers and entrepreneurs produce their own food. The program is facilitated by Refugee & Immigrant Self-Empowerment (RISE). RISE provides market access for farmers who wish to participate, including staffing a table at the popular Syracuse Regional Market and coordinating wholesale transactions through local CSA and hunger relief programs. It received a $4,825 grant to install fencing to prevent significant crop loss due to deer.
“The fence was completed in spring 2024 and is successfully protecting five acres of crops, benefiting nineteen refugee and immigrant farmers. These farmers were trained on fence safety and operation, leading to a significant reduction in deer-related crop damage, particularly for corn. While the project faced challenges with maintaining the fence due to vegetation interfering with the electrical charge, RISE addressed this by weekly trimming and is exploring propane torches for more efficient weed control in 2025,” said Patrick Dunn, Farm Manager.
Rosy Buck Farm
is a fifteen-acre, family-owned and operated farm run by Holly Evans and Randy Buck. Located in Leasburg, Missouri, it grows a wide variety of vegetables and some fruit, focusing on unusual items like purple pole beans, ground cherries, radish pods, French sorrel, and green garlic. It employs a number of sustainable farming practices including no-till, rebuilding soil-heath, and increasing biodiversity on the farm. It sells its produce at farmers markets in the St. Louis area and through a small CSA. It received a $855 grant to purchase eight heirloom fruit trees from a local nursery along with tree guards and organic fruit tree fertilizer.
“We successfully planted, watered, mulched, and protected the trees with guards and wire cages to safeguard against wildlife. The trees thrived through the early fall, and the farm continued monitoring them throughout the season, applying additional mulch. Noticing some nibble marks on a tree trunk, the team plans to add smaller cages around the most vulnerable trees to ensure their continued growth. This project successfully enhanced the farm’s biodiversity and long-term sustainability efforts,” said Co-owner Holly Evans.
Servicing Every Soul / S&S Friendly Ranch
Is a ten-acre, Black owned-and-operated ranch and agricultural non-profit educational program located in the Tijuana River Valley, a rural community in the southern section of San Diego, California. It is dedicated to empowering youth with the skills to cultivate food and develop a connection with the land. The food grown is primarily delivered to local families through its Nutrient-Dense Food Security Program. It received a $4,999 grant to build a self-service, solar-powered refrigerated farm stand in order to provide consistent access to fresh, affordable food for customers. The farm stand also integrates rainwater catchment from the stand’s roof to irrigate a native plant garden that will be planted around the farm stand.
“Key components of the stand, including rainwater harvesting, solar-powered refrigeration, and active sales of farm products, have been completed. The farm stand has become a community hub, promoting both food security and local connection. Continued support is focused on completing permanent shelving and educational signage to fully realize the stand’s potential as a sustainable community asset,” said President & Chief Friendly Officer Frank Buncom IV.
TNR Hills
is a thirteen-acre women- and family owned and operated farm located in Kansas City, Kansas. It produces a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in addition to keeping chickens and ducks for eggs and goats for cheese while practicing sustainable and ecological practices. TNR sells its products at three local farmers markets, as well as directly off the farm. It received a $3,524 grant to purchase a solar powered portable fencing system as well as pasture and pollinator seed. The fence system will allow TNR to utilize rotational grazing techniques for its dairy goats and other pasture-raised animals. In doing so, it will contribute to better soil health. The addition of pasture and pollinator seeds will give its animals and surrounding wildlife access to high-quality foraging, as well as attract pollinators.
“We have noticed a dramatic reduction in predator activity, protecting livestock and boosting egg production, which has nearly doubled. This increase in egg production has been a valuable resource for both the farm and its local community. The farm also successfully raised twenty-five baby turkeys on pasture without losing any to predators—a major achievement, especially with increased coyote activity. Additionally, the pasture and pollinator seeds are attracting bees, with a wild bee hive discovered on the property for the first time in thirteen years. This is a promising sign for the farm’s gardens and fruit trees. An unexpected but exciting outcome of the project is that the hooved animals’ grazing has altered the landscape, helping a pond that had been dry for years finally fill up with water. TNR Hills is thriving, with improved sustainability, increased production, and enhanced biodiversity—all thanks to the grant and its continued dedication to sustainable practices,” said Robin Nolan, owner/operator.
TruCulture Farm
is a seven-acre Black-owned family farm in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, that specializes in the cultivation and sale of heirloom Afro-Indigenous and Caribbean-inspired food, and culturally relevant commodities, crafts, and medicinal products. It received a $5,000 grant to establish a living fruit orchard by purchasing native fruit trees along with companion plants, soil, and drip irrigation materials.
“We planted forty diverse fruit trees—loquat, fig, blueberry, nectarine, currants, lime, lemon, tamarind, plum, and pear—and over 200 pollinator-friendly plants, such as marigold and hyssop, to support our orchard’s growth. Additionally, we propagated tropical fruit plants like dragon fruit and cherimoya. We hosted three volunteer groups that contributed to the orchard’s development by cutting river cane, transplanting trees, and planting fruit trees ahead of winter. In December, we celebrated our achievements with a community appreciation event, sharing garden-grown food and fruit. Despite challenges like a summer drought limiting river cane supply, we are proud of our growth and grateful for the support of this grant!” said Founder/Operations Manager Bailey Hutchison.
Tuba Farm Foundation Inc.
is a one-acre, women and BIPOC-led agricultural non-profit farm created to promote food sovereignty and reduce food insecurity and waste. It is located in Glassboro, New Jersey, and serves the communities of Southern New Jersey and Philadelphia by providing fresh produce and growing opportunities to the historically underserved and disadvantaged. Seasonal vegetables, flowers, herbs, fruits, honey, fiber, and eggs are distributed using an onsite roadside farm stand and local farmers markets. It received a $4,657 grant to purchase the necessary materials and supplies to plant a sustainable food forest and pollinator hedgerow, integrating chickens, and adding two more beehives.
“As the growing season wrapped up, the farm winterized its bees with organic sugar [and] mulched trees, some of which were moved to the greenhouse. Chickens were relocated to a warmer area, and pollinator patches were trimmed with seeds spread for birds. The hedgerow provided shelter for pollinators and chickens, while the pollinator patch thrived, hosting workshops on planting, beekeeping, and livestock care. A challenge for next season will be managing chickens’ tendency to dig near new plants in search of worms, and the farm plans to implement protective barriers around the trees to mitigate this issue,” said Cyara Phillips, founder and farm director.
YouthWorks Ranch
is a twenty-acre agricultural non-profit in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that provides an after-school program and summer camp where primarily Black and Native American children and teens learn how to transform their North Tulsa community’s health by growing food and cooking with fresh produce. It received a $5,000 grant to purchase culturally relevant seeds, hand tools, a drip irrigation system, soil amendments, and a post-harvest wash station for the teaching garden.
“The most significant improvement came from the new irrigation system, which replaced inefficient hand-watering. The system provides consistent watering, preventing issues like powdery mildew, wilting, and soil overheating during hot summers. The result has been healthier plants, including a bumper crop of uniform cucumbers and tomatoes that thrived without cracking, even in the hottest conditions. These improvements have created a thriving, high-yielding garden, empowering youth to learn about sustainable agriculture while supporting their community’s health,” said Chris Beach, co-founder.
These 2024 grantees are shining examples of how small investments can create lasting change. With their funding, they’ve expanded access to local food, enhanced pollinator habitats, conserved water, educated future farmers, and more—transforming their communities in powerful ways. As we look ahead to 2025, we’re excited to continue supporting small farms as they make a big impact. Stay tuned for the introduction of our new grantees, and consider contributing to our upcoming grant cycle. Every dollar you give supports small farms and directly benefits the farmers. Donate today and help us continue this vital work.
