Growing Hope

Year Founded: 2003

Growing Hope centers food as the engine of social and economic transformation, because food builds culture, culture builds community, and strong communities sustain local economies. We invest in people and place through food education, urban farming, youth leadership, affordable access to shared kitchen infrastructure, and direct pathways to markets and ownership. As local food systems strengthen, wealth circulates locally, relationships deepen, and communities increase resilience and self-reliance. In parallel, Growing Hope advances equitable policy and infrastructure reform to remove systemic barriers, ensuring these outcomes are durable, scalable, and community-owned.

Founded in 2003 in Ypsilanti, Michigan, Growing Hope emerged from community-led efforts to address food insecurity, disinvestment, and racial inequity through local action. What began with community gardens and farmers markets has grown into a holistic food systems organization spanning farming and education, youth leadership, food access, entrepreneurship, and policy advocacy. Over the past two decades, Growing Hope has supported tens of thousands of residents, particularly BIPOC, low-income, and youth community members, in growing food, building skills, launching businesses, and shaping the systems that affect their lives. Today, Growing Hope serves as a regional model for how food sovereignty can drive healing and durable community wealth.